How to deal with the phenomenon of flying ink on self-adhesive label?

The phenomenon of flying ink in the printing process refers to the small droplets of ink flying in the air, which will not only affect the quality of the print, but also may pollute the printing equipment and the environment. To solve this problem, we can deal with it from the following aspects:

First, adjust the ink performance

Choose the right ink:

Choose alcohol-resistant inks that match the printing press, which usually have better stability and resistance to flying ink.

The use of electrically conductive inks, such as water-based inks, helps to reduce static electricity generation, thereby reducing flying ink phenomenon.

Adjust ink viscosity and fluidity:

Appropriately increasing the viscosity of the ink can reduce the splitting and flying of the ink in the printing process.

Adjust ink flow to the appropriate level to ensure uniform ink transfer between rollers and reduce flying ink.

Additive:

Silicone resins, long-chain non-aromatic amines, stearic acids and other substances are added to the ink to increase the elasticity of the ink and reduce the probability of multiple breaks of the ink filament.

Add water or ammonium electrolyte to increase the conductivity of the ink, so that the charge is not easy to accumulate on the ink surface, thereby reducing flying ink. However, it should be noted that the amount of water added should not exceed a certain limit (such as 5%) to avoid excessive emulsification of ink.

Plasticizer is added to increase the wettability of pigment and binder, inhibit the formation of ink bubble core, and achieve the purpose of reducing flying ink.

Second, improve the printing environment

Increase workshop humidity:

The flying ink phenomenon is more serious when the relative humidity of the air is low. Therefore, increasing the humidity of the printing shop helps to reduce static electricity generation and flying ink phenomenon. Humidity in the workshop can be adjusted by humidifying equipment.

Install air filtration system:

Installing an air filtration system around the press to absorb and filter the air containing ink droplets, while replenishing fresh air, helps reduce the pollution of flying ink to the environment.

Third, optimize the printing process and equipment

Regular cleaning and maintenance of printing equipment:

Remove the roller regularly and clean it thoroughly to ensure that the surface of the roller is smooth, no uneven and dry knot cracking phenomenon, so that the ink layer of the roller is uniform and the ink transfer performance is improved.

Check and maintain the ink supply system of the printing press to ensure smooth ink transfer and no leakage.

Adjust the printing speed:

Printing too fast will increase the phenomenon of flying ink. Therefore, on the premise of not affecting production efficiency, the appropriate reduction of printing speed helps to reduce flying ink.

Improved ink supply system:

The long ink path system is changed to the short ink path system to reduce the splitting and flying of ink in the transfer process.

A device (such as a metal wire and an electric current) is set up on the press to use the principle of mutual repulsion of the same charge to push the ink droplets expelled by the ink roller back to the surface of the ink roller.

Iv. Other precautions

Ensure that the surface of the printing material is smooth and clean: select the printing material with good quality and smooth surface, and ensure that the surface of the printing material is clean and without stains, in order to reduce the phenomenon of flying ink caused by the surface problem of the material.

Use drying system: The drying system is used during the printing process to ensure that the print can dry quickly after printing, avoiding the phenomenon of dirt and flying ink caused by the ink is not dry.

In summary, dealing with the flying ink phenomenon in the printing process of self-adhesive labels needs to start from the ink performance, printing environment, printing process and equipment, and adopt comprehensive measures to effectively reduce the occurrence of flying ink phenomenon.