By Olivia Cahoon
Part 2 of 2
Direct printing to metal objects like cans, water bottles, and lunch boxes often requires a primer or adhesion promoter to ensure the ink stays on the surface. Treatments are applied in a variety of methods, including spraying, wiping, roll coating, or jetting. Some adhesion promoters immediately evaporate upon application while others require UV curing or flame treatments to dry.
Available Adhesion Promoters
Avery Dennison Digital Ink Solutions offers GlassBoost, a UV and UV LED curable primer for glass, metals, and hard-to-adhere plastics. It provides an increase in adhesion, abrasion, and water resistance for UV-curable inks on glass. GlassBoost is applied with screenprinting methods or a paint gun. It is also formulated to be fully cured during the printing process.
All personnel handling GlassBoost should wear appropriate gloves and eye protection. The product should be stored tightly closed with a room temperature range of 41 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Shelf life is 12 months from the date of manufacture. GlassBoost is available in one- and 0.5-liter bottles. Compatible with Avery Dennison digital inks, pricing varies by packaging size and quantity ordered.
Inkcups offers a variety of primers depending on the substrate. The S Primer is a wipe-on solution that promotes adhesion to dense plastic, carbon fiber, and coated metals, including powder or painted. It is compatible with digital inkjet inks.
Released in 2016, the Innovative Digital Systems jettable and unjettable IDSPR-604 adhesion promoter for metal is compatible with all UV inks. It works on a variety of metals and is available in cartridge or liter form.
INX International’s 1425306-01LT JAMT is a jettable acrylate-based UV-curable adhesion promoter for metal and ceramic substrates. After applying to metal, the product is UV cured as a primer for a variety of inkjet applications. In combination with INX digital UV inks and coatings, JAMT adhesion promoter provides immediate decoration and protection for metal objects.
The Marabu North America P2 and P4 primers are compatible with UV digital inks. P2 is an all-around general primer and promoter that works on different substrates. It is used for manual pre-cleaning and pre-treatment of polypropylene substrates and metals.
P4 is designed to improve UV-curable ink adhesion properties on glass, but also works well on a variety of substrates. Both primers are applied by wiping with a rag or spraying through a spray bottle. The promoters are solvent-based and evaporate almost immediately after application. P2 is available for $90 per liter and P4 for $125 per liter.
Released in 2014, Supply55, Inc.’s AP3155 UV adhesion promoter is engineered to work with a variety of hard-to-print substrates, including acrylic, aluminum, ceramic, glass, granite, metal, and polystyrene. It is suitable for both interior and exterior applications.
AP3155 is applied before printing using a microfiber cloth. Protective gear and use in a well ventilated area is recommended. The product is available for $99.95 per liter and is compatible with all UV and UV LED curable inks.
Sticky Solutions
Adhesion promoters strengthen the bond between the ink and substrate so manufacturers can offer customized metal products. Before selecting an adhesion promoter, ensure the solution is compatible with desired metal type and whether it is applied best by hand or with an automated system.
Click here to read part one of this exclusive online series, Stick it to Metal.
Apr2019, Industrial Print Magazine