What is the solution to ink skinning?
Ink skinning is not only a problem that causes trouble in printing, but also a waste of materials to some extent, because it is difficult to dissolve the skinned ink and it is usually poured away. It is estimated that the waste is 1‰ in minor cases and nearly 1% in severe cases. This tangible consumption has increased a heavy economic burden on packaging and printing companies. [1]
In order to prevent this phenomenon, it is necessary to understand the root cause of ink skinning in detail to avoid such failures.
1
Causes of ink skinning
The causes of ink skinning during storage or before or during printing are oxidation, penetration, volatilization and evaporation at room temperature. This causes the surface layer of the packaging printing ink to come into contact with the air during storage or printing, and the oxidation of vegetable oil or the volatilization of organic solvents causes the ink system to polymerize and other effects, forming a gel – commonly known as the skinning of printing ink.
When the concentration of the printing ink increases to a certain value, its surface will be covered with a layer of molecules. At this time, even if additional solvents or oils are added to reduce the concentration of the ink, the surface that has already formed a skin (gel) cannot accommodate any more molecules. [1] There are many reasons for the formation of ink skin, but they can be mainly classified into the following categories:
1. The drying oil content in the ink is too high
This kind of mistake may sometimes occur during the manufacturing or printing process of the ink. When adding the drying agent, it is important to add the right amount according to the printing conditions and ambient temperature, otherwise the ink will dry (skin) at an inappropriate time.
2. Due to temperature
The phenomenon of ink skin formation is mainly caused by excessively high temperatures. Under high temperature conditions, the unsaturated molecular activity in the ink is intensified, especially on the surface exposed to the air, which is prone to conjunctival oxidation in the presence of oxygen.
3. Due to prolonged contact between the ink and air
The binder components in the ink have redox properties. When they react with oxygen in the air, prolonged exposure to air may intensify the oxidation process, resulting in skin formation.
2
Ink skin solutions
During the production or printing process, ink manufacturers or printing operators often take measures such as manual stirring, stirring with a polyethylene tube inserted, and adding anti-skin agents to save the skin phenomenon and minimize printing costs.The following are some measures to prevent ink skin during printing:
- Avoid using inks that dry too quickly
- Add slow-drying solvents and other supplements
- Replace deteriorated inks
- Continuously stir the ink in the ink pan
- Equipping the ink pan with a closed lid
- Adjusting the angle of the hot air blow
Anyone with basic printing knowledge knows that when the ink dries too quickly, is too thin, has poor flow, is thixotropic or generates static electricity, the problem of ink skin formation in packaging printing can be solved by increasing the operating speed of the printing press to prevent the ink from drying prematurely on the printing plate, thereby eliminating the image and pattern defects.
3
The existence of ink skin has driven the ink market
With the rapid development of the publishing industry, printing technology has been improving day by day. In this process, it is necessary to solve the problem of ink skinning and improve the quality of printed products according to market demand, thereby enhancing the reading experience. Conversely, it is also because of the shortcomings that the market is constantly stimulated to move forward.
1. The impact of ink skinning on the industry’s competitive landscape
- Ink skinning makes manufacturers increase investment in research and development, production and sales, which raises industry barriers. New companies need to have strong technology, capital and market competitiveness, which encourages companies to enhance their innovation capabilities and improve product quality.
- Ink crusting may increase the operating pressure on some small and medium-sized enterprises, which is conducive to the integration of resources within the industry and an increase in industry concentration. Large enterprises can expand their market share and improve their competitiveness through acquisitions and mergers. At the same time, industry consolidation helps to optimize the structure of the industry chain.
- Ink crusting makes the performance and environmental protection of ink products more differentiated, and companies need to increase R&D investment to improve product competitiveness. Enterprises with core technologies are more likely to stand out, and market competition is intensifying. Companies are paying more attention to brand and channel building to expand market share.
2. The implications of ink crusting for industry development
- There is an urgent market demand for high-performance, environmentally friendly ink products. Enterprises should increase technological innovation, develop products with independent intellectual property rights, and the government should provide policy support.
- Enterprises should strengthen brand promotion and channel construction to increase market share and better cope with market competition.
- Ink crusting may lead to market disorder, so enterprises should strengthen self-discipline, formulate unified industry standards, regulate market behavior, abide by laws and regulations, and operate with integrity.
Ink crusting has had a profound impact on the ink market. Enterprises should increase technological innovation, focus on brand and channel construction, and strengthen industry self-discipline. The government should provide policy support to promote the sustainable development of the ink industry.
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