Gerhardshofen – WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH, based in Gerhardshofen, Franconia, has been succeeded a breakthrough in the production of low-migration UV lacquers. The company is now launching an UV lacquer, which is no longer based on “classical photoinitiator”, under the new product class SENOLITH® UV FP PLUS. The UV lacquer technology used for the first time in this new product class dispenses with the use of low-molecular photoinitiator, e.g. benzophenone or 4-methylbenzphenon, which minimize the migration of fission products. The use of low-molecular compounds < 1000 Dalton is omitted here. The UV irradiation initiates a self-crosslinking process which results in to a high crosslinking density of the polymer matrix.

The new SENOLITH® UV GLOSS LACQUER INLINE FP NDC PLUS 360430 is particularly low migration due to this new crosslinking technology. The SENOLITH® UV FP PLUS lacquers can be processed inline as well as offline with all common standard UV lamp systems.

All classical advantages of UV lacquer systems such as:

• Immediately curing
• Immediately further processing possible (inline)
• No powder application in sheetfed offset
• 100 % systems (solvent-free, no VOC-emissions)
• Very high gloss, higher mechanical and chemical resistance of the lacquer film
• No skin formation
• High production speeds
• Optimal stacking properties

are also given in the company’s new UV FP PLUS lacquers.

Furthermore, the new SENOLITH® UV GLOSS LACQUER INLINE FP NDC PLUS 360430 is absolutely odorless, embossable and can also be used as carrier lacquer for effect pigments. A combination with conventional UV lacquers and primers is already possible. Further UV PLUS lacquer for hybrid effect applications, hot foil embossing as well as with different gloss levels and viscosities are currently in the test phase and will expand the spectrum of the UV FP PLUS class of WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH in the future. 

Arno Dürr, Sales Director of WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH about the new product class: “It really makes us proud to be one of the first coating manufacturer for the graphic industry in the world to be able to market this UV technology and to have already brought a first lacquer of this new product class to market maturity. The extensive testing under real conditions by our customers even exceeded our expectations by far and we are sure that we can expect much more from this technology due to the increasingly stringent legislation in the food industry.” Arno Dürr continues: “However, it is very important to us to make it clear to our customers and users that this new product class is currently in no way as a replacement for the conventional UV technology based on low molecular photoinitiators. On the one hand, this technology, which we have perfected here for application, is still too young to be able to estimate all advantages and disadvantages compared to established UV systems. And on the other hand, there is the range of already available varnish qualities, which are simply needed for the production of a wide variety of print productions are currently not given.” Arno Dürr concluded: “In addition, of course, there is also a very important factor for our customers: economy. Due to the expensive raw materials, their low availability and the more complex processing for the production of this new UV FP PLUS lacquers compared to conventional UV lacquers, we are currently unable to offer them at comparable prices for our well-known UV lacquers. Also, the market will have to develop and adapt to the increasing demand of this new UV lacquer generation. For the moment, the application of these new self-crosslinking lacquer systems is reserved for special packaging orders for the food industry, where the highest level of safety on the part of the migration behaviour is important, but which are not conve ntionally producible. Of course, we are once again eagerly awaiting what our customers will do with our products in this new lacquer series and the resulting competitive advantages and how this very young market will develop in the future.”

A sample production based on the new SENOLITH® UV GLOSS LACQUER INLINE FP NDC PLUS 360430 has already taken place. Samples and related data sheets can be ordered through the company. Further information: www.weilburger-graphics.de.