New Linx Ink Finds the UV Cure for Chemical Resistance

Coding and marking specialist Linx Printing Technologies has launched an innovative new ink - Linx Black UV-cure ink 1370 - for industrial Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) applications.

The ink uses a superior UV curing process to deliver outstanding resistance to chemicals used in the automotive, aerospace, military and other markets.

Conventional industrial ink jet inks dry by evaporation of solvent after printing, to leave a solid ink film.  A UV-cure ink jet ink differs in that it essentially remains in a liquid form after printing, and only becomes solid after exposure to intense UV light.  This curing process causes the constituents of the ink to react together to form a solid ink film that, once fully cured, exhibits excellent resistance to most aggressive solvents and offers superior abrasion resistance compared to conventional CIJ inks.

Linx Black UV-cure ink 1370

Offers excellent adhesion to a range of substrates including aluminium, stainless steel, tin plate, ABS, polycarbonate, PCB and glass.  More important, it delivers excellent resistance to a range of aggressive chemicals including MEK, Xylene, petroleum ether, glycol ether and kerosene.

Typical markets for this new ink include the automotive industry, where engine parts and brake pads often come into contact with chemicals during the post print process, or aerospace applications, as the ink has excellent abrasion and heat resistance to offer permanence under harsh operating conditions.  The ink also passes the military standard MIL-STD-202G for solvent resistance on most substrates.

In developing Linx Black UV-cure ink 1370, Linx’s first UV cure ink for the Linx 6900 and Linx 4900 CIJ printers, the company has chosen cationic curing over the more familiar free radical method used to cure other inks available on the market.  Cationic curing is considered the superior process because it continues to cure to completion even after the UV curing source, usually a lamp, is removed, and is not affected by the presence of oxygen on the surface of the ink film, which is proven to inhibit free radical curing.  As a result, end users benefit from more consistent resistance than with rival UV-cure inks on the market.

The correct choice of a UV lamp system is critical to achieving a fully cured ink.  Compromises made to the quality of lamp will result in under-cured ink and will eventually defeat the purpose of the application.  As a result, Linx Black UV-cure ink 1370 has been tested with the major lamp suppliers in the industry, including Fusion, GEW, Nordson & Integration Technologies. 

In addition to offering the ink, Linx can recommend lamp suppliers who can provide a complete package, comprising lamp and essential safety equipment such as UV shielding equipment.

“Linx’s first UV-cure ink meets the requirement for strong chemical resistance and durability from a number of industries,” comments Rajiv Narayan, Product Executive at Linx.  “Unlike other inks available on the market, the choice of the superior cationic curing process ensures that Linx Black UV-cure ink 1370 delivers exceptional results.”