By Cassandra Balentine
Part 3 of 4
Small format UV flatbed printers enable users to print onto just about anything. This versatility is in part possible with adhesion promoters/primers, which are available to increase the physical bond between a substrate and the ink that is applied to it.
“With the hundreds of substrate options available, including glass, metals, and some plastics and acrylics, customers demand the ability to create products featuring vibrant, durable graphics for their customers using a range of materials. This expectation can only be fulfilled with the use of adhesion promoters designed to enhance printing onto these unique substrates,” says Jay Roberts, UV product manager, Roland DGA Corporation.
David Conrad, director, sales and marketing, Mutoh America, Inc., suggests experimenting with adhesion promoters when printing on smooth surfaces or surfaces designed not to have anything stick to them.
Rich Dunklee, global market segment manager – UV inkjet inks, Nazdar Ink Technologies, points out that many plastics have properties that tend to inhibit good ink adhesion and either require an ink specifically designed for the particular substrate or an adhesion promoter that acts as an intermediary between the substrate and the ink.
“Adhesion promoters are applied prior to printing, typically as a manual wipe-on process. We are beginning to see printers enter the market that come equipped with a method for applying a primer inline with the printing process using a dedicated printhead and ink channel,” explains Dunklee.
Conrad suggests that promoters can be purchased over the counter at local hardware or big box stores and some work better, while others are designed specifically for certain materials or surfaces.
While Michael Perrelli, marketing manager, Direct Color Systems (DCS), says DCS does not partner with any promoter manufacturers, it constantly tests new promoters and settings in its applications lab. “If we find one that works well on certain products, we document it and add it to our reference list of third-party promoters for our customers. Our goal is to ensure our customers and prospects that come to us have all the tools needed to maximize the output of their UV LED printer.”
Marabu North America sells two wipe-on primers called P2 and P4. P2 is a general primer that can be used on many types of substrates and P4 is designed for use on glass, however Chuck McGettrick, sales manager, digital inks, Marabu, adds that it has been proven effective on other substrates as well.
Mimaki offers two types of jettable primer, depending on the model, including its Mimaki PR-200 primer. Hope says primers are used often, depending on the surface to be decorated. “Because it’s a common practice, Mimaki offers a jettable primer for all flatbed printers, enabling print service providers to prepare just the area to be printed,” he adds, noting that primers are used for surfaces such as glass, some metals, and ceramic tiles. Mimaki also offers a wipe-on primer.
Matthews Paint doesn’t offer a primer, but does provide an anti-static agent, Matthews Paint 6428SP Plastic Prep Cleaner. The solution is used to prepare substrates for high-quality UV printing by cleaning the surface and eliminating static charge.
Nazdar offers a variety of adhesion promoters that can help with difficult to adhere to substrates. Dunklee says most companies that offer adhesion promoters offer several different products, Nazdar included. “Just as single UV inkjet ink is not necessarily applicable to all substrates, neither are adhesion promoters. Users are encouraged to research the technical data supplied by the manufacturers to determine the adhesion promotion product that is right for their application,” he suggests.
Nazdar’s adhesion promoter products help with difficult to adhere to substrates. Nazdar 7020 Adhesion Promoter, the LWU7020NC Adhesion Promotion is specially formulated as a primer to improve adhesion of Nazdar UV-curable digital inks to substrates such as polypropylene and acrylic; Nazdar 7025 Glass Primer, LWU7025 UV Glass Primer is specially formulated as a wipe-on primer to improve adhesion of Nazdar UV-curable digital inks to glass and enamel coated aluminum composite panels; and Nazdar 7030 Adhesion Promoter, LWU7030 UV Adhesion Promoter is specially formulated as a wipe-on primer to improve adhesion of Nazdar UV-curable digital inks on difficult to adhere to point of purchase substrates.
OmniPrint International offers pretreatments, cleaning solutions, and adhesion promoters sold under its Direct Ink label. “You do not have to use our machine to use our inks and they will work with most any Epson-based machines,” says Paul Green, research and development, OmniPrint.
Roland provides an optional on-board ECO-UV Primer for the VersaUV LEF-200 and LEF-300 benchtop printers, which Roberts says allows for quick and effective printing onto a vast array of promotional products and media substrates. The company also teamed up with partner-distributor Nazdar to offer four adhesion promoters for its VersaUV products.
Supply55, Inc. manufactures two adhesion promoters for use with UV primers, including AP2155 and AP3155. AP2155 is an adhesion promoter, anti-static, and cleaner for use with UV and LED curable inks when printing on plastic substrates including coroplast, polystyrene, PVC, and HDPE. AP2155 removes fingerprints, cleans substrates, eliminates static, and improves ink adhesion. AP3155 is an adhesion promoter for use with UV and LED curable inks when printing on glass, aluminum, acrylics, granite, metal, ceramics, and other hard to print to substrates.
Extending Possibilities
A variety of adhesion promoters and primers extend the printable items supported by small format UV flatbed printers. “One cannot forget about the role that proper print modes and settings play when used in conjunction with an adhesion promoter. Together, they go a long way to maximizing adhesion on some of these materials,” concludes Perrelli.
The last part of our series on small format UV flatbed printers looks at available devices on the market and their standout features.
Click here to read part four of this exclusive online series, On the Market.
Jan2018, Industrial Print Magazine