In package printing, consistent, high resolution print quality is vital. Bar codes, lot numbers, expiration dates, and other variable data must be easily readable, identifiable, and scan-able. When printed packages contain pharmaceutical items, the coding requirements are amplified because of the associated health and safety risks. The FDA actually mandates the printed data. An accurate, reliable code can be the difference between success and failure, and this is something with which Bell-Mark has experience.

Since 1959, Bell-Mark has been successfully designing, manufacturing, and servicing high-performance coding, marking, and printing equipment for the industrial marketplace, reaching over 15,000 companies throughout the world.  A significant portion of Bell-Mark's business is in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Like many package printing customers, Bell-Mark's customers are looking for a printing technology that can meet the rigorous demands of packaging environments, print high resolution images quickly, and  employ a small equipment foot-print. "High definition inkjet technology is a perfect fit, due to its high quality of print, as well as its versatility," says Bob Batesko, Director of Sales for Bell-Mark. When evaluating the different digital ink types, Bob says that they decided from the beginning to integrate piezoelectric printheads using UV curable inkjet inks. "One of the major problems with inkjet technology is clogged jets. By utilizing UV, we all but eliminate the ink drying in a nozzle, and this results in less cleaning, flushing, and downtime," says Bob.

Bell-Mark's InteliJet HD Inkjet Printer

 Bell-Mark approached Collins regarding a Tyvek  printing installation  utilizing the Kyocera KJ4A  printhead, where dry time was an issue. Muslim  Contractor, Collins' Lead UV Chemist, recalls that "the  existing ink wasn't formulated specifically for a UV-  LED curing lamp,  so in order to run, the production  line needed to slow down  significantly." Upon  receiving the customer's stock samples, Muslim  formulated a custom black UV-LED curable ink that  both cured  quickly and created a permanent, dark  image on Tyvek. "Having the  ability to jet and cure  UV/LED inks through Kyocera printheads, gives us  some certainty that the ink would perform as required  on Bell-Mark's substrate," he adds. After receiving the customized black, Bob reports, "We have had excellent results. I would certainly recommend Collins' UV-LED curable black ink. The company has been excellent to work with and the product has performed as advertised."

Collins has built its business on formulating and manufacturing  industrial inkjet inks that are tailored for specific applications. The new UV and UV-LED industrial printing spaces are no different. Unfortunately, there isn't a "one size fits all" fluid that will do everything for everyone on every substrate; for those new adopters of digital printing who come from traditional printing, this is a difficult learning curve. Each situation is different, and, in most cases, the ink is the afterthought and therefore the variable. Similar to Bell-Mark's case, the ideal solution is collaborative communication between integrators, printhead and UV lamp manufacturers, ink and substrate suppliers, customers, etc. This allows everyone to do what they do best to quickly create a successful situation. Often times, this is not the case, and the successful ending takes a while longer to reach.

Today, Collins' customers are pioneering UV Curable technology into new markets and applications, challenging its capabilities and limitations. This is an exciting time for the digital printing industry and UV is leading the charge. Collins will continue to welcome customer's challenges and formulate exceptional UV inks that push the envelope into the future of print.

• Fleet graphics for vehicle wraps
• Automotive appliques
• Post-formed parts (see image)
• Shrink wraps
• Blister packaging
• Flexible materials for signage
• Embossed parts