(Easton, PA)  Tower Products, Inc., a leading manufacturer of environmentally sensitive pressroom chemistry has released a new, zero VOC fountain solution technology, MILLENNIUM 7000, for use on high speed sheet-fed presses, and specifically for printers that are using UV inks.  The product is yet another Tower solution helping printers to comply with complex environmental issues in the greening of their pressroom.

In order to be certain of the products' effectiveness and to fine tune the product applications technology, Tower worked in conjunction with the Coatings and Ink Research Institute (CIRI) at Northampton Community College.  The research was funded by Tower Products and by grants from the Manufacturer's Resource Center and Ben Franklin Partnership, the Pennsylvania State Department of Environmental Resources and the Electrotechnology Applications Center at the College.
 
"We wanted to be able to bring a technology to the offset UV printing market that not only improved the printing process, but was more environmentally friendly than the existing products used in the UV marketplace, and we wanted to be able to prove it to our customers," according to Rick Principato, President of Tower Products.  "CIRI had the Testprint Hydroscope instrumentation and ink expertise that enabled us test our new product technology head to head with our competitors by comparing the results using three popular UV inks."

The new Tower Products fountain solution technology utilizes a unique surfactant and additive technology to enhance UV printing at a lower press dosage than the industry standard.  This makes the new product a more cost effective solution.  The testing from CIRI showed that the Tower technology was equal to or better than the more established competitive products and produced better printing gloss, had faster drying speeds and produced more stable ink emulsions.  

Additionally, MILLENNIUM 7000 was formulated to work with CTP plates to provide the sharpest possible dot.  When used in the UV process, the product does not interfere with drying and is the product of choice for printing on plastic and non-porous substrates, yet another unique selling point for the product.