Corrugated box ink additives should be selected after separating board wetting from press foam and finished-print rub. CHLUMIWE® 3280 is the documented water-dispersible wetting route. CHLUMIAF® 3062 is the documented printing-ink defoamer route. CHLUMIAG® 3501 is removed from the first shortlist because its public page provides no dosage or quantified corrugated-print result.
Board grade, liner coating, moisture, ink viscosity/pH, anilox delivery, press speed and drying must be controlled before an additive is credited.
Corrugated ink decision map
| Observed evidence | First check | Route if confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Ink beads, skips or retracts on a controlled liner lot | Print side, treatment/coating, contamination, viscosity and film delivery | 3280 wetting ladder |
| Foam builds through pumping, chambering or return | Foam generation/decay, density and printed voids | 3062 defoamer ladder |
| Print scuffs, blocks or transfers after stacking | Drying, residual water, stack pressure, temperature and rub | Correct ink/process before surface additive |
| Variation follows board moisture or liner lot | Condition and characterize the board | No additive ranking yet |
| Produk | Published facts | Use in this guide | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3280 | Polyether-modified polysiloxane; 100% active; 0.2–3%; water/UV/solvent | Water-dispersible substrate-wetting screen | Avoid mixing; corrugated-board performance still requires a press trial |
| 3062 | 100%-active nonionic silicone defoamer; printing inks 0.1–0.5%; water/UV/solvent | Measured process-air control | Solvent dilution requires stability and defoaming tests |
| 3501 | Printing, screen-ink, overprint-varnish and anti-sticking categories listed | Supplier-evidence request only | No public recommended dose or corrugated rub/block endpoint |
Characterize the board before the ink
Record liner type, recycled fiber content, clay or polymer coating, print side, surface contamination, moisture and storage history. Compare a passing board lot with the failing lot. Porosity and absorption can change color density, dot gain, drying and rub without any formulation change.
Test production geometry and flute profile. Print pressure that crushes the board or changes contact area can create skips that resemble poor wetting.
Separate wetting from absorption
Wetting failure leaves retraction, beads or uncovered areas; excessive absorption reduces surface color and can increase strike-through without the same edge pattern. Compare a non-absorbent control drawdown with conditioned production liner. Record contact/penetration timing, color density and print definition rather than using gloss alone.
If the failing board absorbs faster, correct ink holdout, viscosity, drying or liner specification before increasing silicone. More wetting can spread ink into a porous structure and worsen color strength even when the surface looks uniformly covered.
Use 3280 for confirmed wetting failure
3280 is 100% active, water-dispersible and published at 0.2–3%. Its page reports low surface tension, substrate wetting, anticrater support and no increase in slip or loss of recoatability. These are useful screen properties, not proof on every liner.
Start at the low end after viscosity, pH, surface condition and delivery are fixed. Measure coverage, edge definition, color density, foam, drying, rub, blocking and overprint or adhesive compatibility.
Use 3062 only for measured foam
3062 is a defoamer, not a board-wetting agent. Standardize pump speed, chamber level, return height and mixing time; then record foam height/decay, density and printed voids. Distinguish bubbles from board pinholes and dewetting.
Select the lowest passing level within the printing-ink guidance. Check craters, color, gloss, adhesion and plate/anilox cleanliness. Follow the supplier’s stability test if the product is diluted.
Why 3501 is not a first screen
3501 names printing and anti-sticking applications but publishes no recommended dosage. It also supplies no defined board, rub cycles, stack load, temperature or blocking result. Do not invent a starting point from a category label.
Reproduce the press sequence
- Condition board and ink to defined temperature and humidity.
- Lock viscosity, pH, anilox, plate, impression and line speed.
- Sample at startup and after sustained circulation.
- Dry at the real air/heat setting and stack under defined load.
- Repeat color, rub, block and converting checks after conditioning.
Condition paper and measure rub
ASTM D685 defines conditioning atmospheres and handling for paper, paperboard and containers; temperature and relative humidity materially affect their properties. ASTM D5264 provides a Sutherland rub comparison for printed packaging.
Record the printed side, conditioning, rub weight/cycles and transfer or image-loss rating. Add blocking, water resistance, fold/score cracking, glueability and customer-specific color checks.
Verify sustained press stability
Run long enough for return-line foam, temperature, evaporation and viscosity correction to stabilize. Record additions of water or amine and sample at fixed intervals. A startup result does not prove that 3280 remains compatible or that 3062 suppresses foam through the production shift.
Inspect plate, anilox, chamber seals and filters after the trial. Deposits or changed transfer can create delayed print defects. Repeat the chosen dose on a second board lot before approval.
Common corrugated-ink errors
Changing additive and board lot together
Board absorption can overwhelm the formulation effect.
Calling all white spots foam
Use defect timing and microscopy to separate air, dewetting and porous liner.
Approving fresh prints only
Rub and block can change after stacking, humidity exposure and converting.
Request a press-specific shortlist
Send board/liner specification, moisture and conditioning, ink resin and pigments, viscosity/pH, anilox and press speed, drying, circulation/foam data, defect photos, color, rub, block and converting requirements. Ask Longchang Chemical to choose between 3280 and 3062 from the measured corrugated-print failure.