Oct. 30, 2003: Williston, VT. KBA has signed a three-year agreement with Sun Chemical to jointly research and develop water-washable inks, specifically Shark W ink, for KBA’s revolutionary Cortina waterless web offset newspaper press. The agreement is part of a joint drive to enhance press ecology, cost-efficiency and print quality by standardizing the production workflow, cutting paper consumption and reducing emissions. It does not affect KBA’s ongoing collaboration with manufacturers of oil-based waterless inks. In the agreement, KBA will supply press time, technical staff, technical information and access to its laboratories. In return Sun Chemical offers similar access and information plus details of ingredients and formulas and ink samples as required by KBA. Sun Chemical’s new Shark W ink can be washed off with water, without using chemicals or other additives. It has already been tested successfully on the Cortina and will be ready for the market in the next few months. A key development goal is to eliminate VOCs from the printing process, and to this end Shark W ink contains virtually no organic compounds. On top of this, it is rub-resistant and has a consistently uniform density. In addition to the exclusive agreement for water-washable inks, KBA and Sun Chemical will also cooperate to improve oil-based inks, including Sun Chemical’s Shark C ink, for the Cortina and other web offset and sheetfed presses. This latest move follows collaboration on previous projects including waterless inks for the 74 Karat DI offset press and hybrid inks to support more cost-effective inline finishing in sheetfed offset. The two firms plan regular technical meetings, a continuous exchange of information and a joint open house in Germany to promote Shark W ink and the Cortina prior to Drupa 2004.