The printing and packaging industry is constantly searching on new finishing processes, materials and effects. Such a new process presents WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH located in the franconian Gerhardshofen together with Merck KGaA and Model Kramp GmbH under the designation Chipp Off effect coating.

The chip off effect coating is a two component finishing which can be applied by a printing press with one coating unit with UV drying.

This innovative effect is based on different surface tensions of the two lacquers and generates an optical and haptical 3D structure. This inhomogeneous structure can be mostly described as “dryed foam” in case of full-surface application of both lacquers. By varying the both lacquer types you will get effects, which are reminiscent of surface structures of oxidized metals, polystyrenes or rubber foam. By adding effect pigments you can increase the effect optically. What is special about the application of introduced pigments is the strong generated edge formation in the supreme lacquer by tearing-off the coating surface in the second run. This causes a spatial reorientation of the pigments in the lacquer during drying process whereby pigments in the border area of the supreme lacquer produce a different interference in comparison with pigments in the homogenous interior. Also a combination of different pigments in the first and in the second run is possible as well as a combination of two different pigments in the final supreme lacquer.

This effect is applied by printing systems with full UV equipment by means of two machine runs. The reason for the second run is that the first lacquer must be cured completely before applying the second lacquer. Also an application of the effect in combination with conventional inks or hybrid inks or by an offline varnishing machine is possible. It is, in particular, important that the second lacquer is only applied after the printing ink is cured completely.

Typical application fields of this new chip-off effect are especially cosmetic packaging, electronics packaging and lifestyle packaging as well as high-quality commercial printing as business plans, business reports or brochures, but also printing products in the field of labels, POS and events. At the moment applications for brand protection are considered, a formulation on the basis of low-migrating components is in the development stage and will enable the use of the effects in the field of pharmaceutical and food packaging as well as in the cigarette industry.