Printing Glass More Energy-Efficiently with Marabu's New UV-LED-Curable Screen Printing Inks - drupa

Marabu presented CO2- and energy-saving UV-LED-curable screen printing inks and a new digital printing varnish at glasstec 2022. The manufacturer’s portfolio was also expanded with inks suitable for screen, digital, and pad printing for the glass industry.

The printing ink manufacturerMarabuspecializes in organic UV-curable glassprinting inksand presented several innovations from this field at this year’sglasstec. In addition to UV-LED-curable screen printing inks and a newdigital printingvarnish, there were also otherscreen,digital, and pad printing inks for theglassindustry on display.

The organicUV-curable glass printing ink system Ultra Glass LEDGL has an energy-saving potential of up to 65%. With it, it is possible to save energy and CO2 emissions. These savings result mainly from the fact that UV LED lamps can be used instead of classic UV lamps to cure the inks. The benefit: UV LED lamps have a long service life. Additionally, they savetimeandpowerby not requiring a warm-up time like common UV lamps. This also means that they allow for ahigh printing speedwhile reducing costs.

Furthermore, UV LED curable technology involves no quicksilver and no ozone extraction, which makes this technology botheconomicallyattractive and verysustainable.Sustainabilityis also promoted because glass printed with Marabu’s invention is fully recyclable.

Also, the other novelty Marabu has introduced to the market supports therecyclabilityof glass products, as itscoatingoxidizes during melting so that no residue is left on the glass product.

TheMara® Shape DUV-HBV “High Build Varnish” digital ink, introduced atglasstec, is a new digital varnish that offers further opportunities for the digital decoration of glass bodies. This varnish enables reliefs to be reproduced with a high build while maintaining contour sharpness, making it possible to print the finest haptic details on convex and concave surfaces as well as for taller and thicker graphic elements.

By pairing it withUltra Jet DUV-C digital ink, it is possible to combine visual color and tactile effects. 

In all areas of life, the desire forpersonalizedproducts is growing and with the new varnish and the opportunities it offers, Marabu aims to address this demand. The flexibility ofdigital printingis the ideal means for this.

Marabu’s ink systems and digital coatings can be used in various fields. Their solvent-based printing inks are mainly used for multicolor glass decorations. In the case of screen and pad printing, these inks ensure a wide range of substrates and exactcolorshades. 

In addition to these solvent-based printinginks, there are also single-component stoving inks that are mainly used in first and second-surface applications on containers and flat glass. Thanks to its BPA-free formulation, it is also an optimal solution for sensitive applications such asmedicalequipment. The UV-curable ink systems are best suited for front panels made of glass (glass touch) and flat input systems, the printing ofautomotivedisplay cover glass, or high-quality operating panels, for example on kitchen appliances, as well asoutdooroperating surfaces, like jet skis.

In addition to this classicglass printing, Marabu’s products also play a major role in digital glass printing. The inkUltra Jet DUV-Cenables, for example, individual decorations ofbeveragebottles in filling lines or cosmetic flacons in digital direct printing. The ink is also used in digital printing for advertising materials andinteriordesign. In addition,Mara®Shield liquid coatingscan be used as primers, for finishing and for protecting high-value digital prints. And with theUV-CGL opaque white, digitally printed surfaces can be backed.

Digitalization is having a certain impact on the printing industry. UV-LED-curing ink systems and digital varnish are just two examples. Do you know of other pioneering digital printing solutions? We look forward to your input!