1. Afford Inks – Madrid, Spain InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015
Development of Novel Inkjet Fluids for Durable Decoration of Home Furnishing & Building Materials
Pedro Martínez
Afford Inks – Madrid, Spain
Tel: / Mob:
InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015

2. InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015
AGENDA
Brief introduction to Afford Inks
Defining some of the manufacturing and market segments which require enhanced performance inkjet inks and coatings
Wood Laminate Decoration, Ceramic Tiles, Glass Decoration, Metal Surface Decoration, Building Cladding
Limitations of conventional inkjet inks and coatings for durable substrates – and some solutions
Conclusions & Partnering
InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015

3. InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015
About Afford Inks
Privately-owned ink manufacturer based in Madrid, Spain
One of only two Spanish manufacturers of inkjet inks
Also manufactures screen inks, pad inks, coatings and varnishes
Inkjet ink range includes:
UV curable inks
Solvent and eco-solvent inks
Aqueous inks and “latex” inks
Textile inkjet inks
We custom develop inkjet inks with specific properties and performance attributes for our OEM partners
We have some novel capabilities and access to unique technology
InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015

4. Target Industrial Markets
HOME FURNISHINGS & EXTERIOR DECORATION
Wood laminate decoration
Ceramic tiles
Original decoration
Third fire technique
Glass decoration
Metal surface decoration
Exterior building cladding
SPECIAL NEEDS
Non-standard colours
Exceptional durability and toughness
External building products may require year non-fade outdoor life
Outstanding adhesion, abrasion and weather resistance
OFTEN – the ink or coating needs to match the durability and performance of the substrate
Must pass a range of standard industry tests (DIN, ASTM, etc.)

5. Ink & Coating Challenges [1]
CMYK colour gamut is often not good enough
Many colours required for building products and home décor lie outside the achievable CMYK colour gamut
Also even the best C, M, Y pigments still fade after two years outdoor, or when installed close to exterior windows
Rate of colour fading tends to be Y > M > C
Black (Pigment Black 7 – carbon black) tends not to fade
These sequential colour changes result in fading - combined with a colour shift in the decorated product
This might be tolerably acceptable for wood laminates, because natural wood also changes colour with age
But it is rarely acceptable for glass, ceramics and metal decoration

6. Ink & Coating Challenges [2]
Durable substrates demand Durable Inks & Coatings
Simply getting the ink to print, dry and stick is not enough
Industrial customers and home users expect the ink and coating to last as long as the substrate
Printed inks and coatings must pass extensive tests for adhesion, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, impact resistance, weather resistance, water resistance, temperature resistance
These tests are defined and controlled by international standards (DIN, ASTM, BS); specific industry standards and individual manufacturer standards
An example – Developing an Ink for Metal Building Cladding
Substrate is usually coil-coated aluminium or stainless steel
Exterior durability without noticeable fade should be 15 – 20 years
This can be achieved by inkjet with certain mineral pigments
But then the UV-curable inkjet chemistry degrades before the pigment…
Hence new polymer binder chemistry is also required
Afford Inks is developing such chemistry for high-speed single-pass inkjet

7. Some Ink & Coating Solutions
Overcoming colour gamut limitations
Take CMYK colours and extend gamut with additional ink colours orange, green, violet, red or blue
This does increase gamut and range of Pantone colours achievable
However it does not overcome fade and colour-shift issues
Nonetheless – a common practice for home textiles printing
In inkjet, this results either in (a) need for more expensive printheads = much higher machine investment cost, or (b) slower print speed, since partitioned heads must print more than one colour ink
Colour fading and colour shift
Use conventional organic pigmented inks (CMYK + extended gamut colours) and reduce the fade problem
by adding UV absorbers (particulate or dispersed) and free radical scavengers to the ink
by overcoating with a UV / weathering / oxygen barrier varnish or coating
by removing undesirable or reactive agents from the print substrate materials (e.g. anatase pigment which catalyses colour pigment fading; formaldehyde present in wood composite materials)
Use inorganic (mineral) pigments in the ink formulations which do not fade
Use fireable mineral pigments
This is the approach taken with ceramic tile manufacture, some decoration of tempered glass, and enamelling of metals
After drying and subsequent high-temperature firing, the mineral pigment dissolves in and becomes part of the glaze
The surface of the decorated product is actually a coloured glass
Although (physically) all glasses are actually liquids – they flow slowly over time – they are very tough and abrasion resistant materials
Afford Inks is developing certain appropriate technology
Route 1 – by investigating incorporation of UV absorbers or radical scavengers, and providing overcoatings
Route 2 – by developing inkjet inks based upon mineral pigments, under a project part-funded by the Spanish government and with a mineral pigment partner

8. InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015
Inkjet Decoration of Glass Manufacture of Glass Wall Panels, Shower Screens and Pictures
AFFORD INKS can offer:
Primers for glass
UV curable inkjet inks
Pictures courtesy King Tau (China), Longier (China), Tecglass (Spain) & Teckwin (China)
InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015

9. InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015
Inkjet Decoration of Wood & Laminates Manufacture of Flooring, Kitchen Furnishings, Furniture & Blinds…..
AFFORD INKS can offer:
Primer / undercoats
UV curable inkjet inks
Gloss or matt varnishes
Pictures courtesy Barberan (Spain), Longier (China), Picture Line (Germany) & Teckwin (China)
InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015

10. InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015
Conclusions
Decoration of substrates and materials for home decoration, furniture manufacture and external building claddings demands inks and coatings with exceptional properties
Conventional pigmented inks alone, even UV-curable pigmented inks, will struggle to satisfy the needs of all these applications
These different applications often require custom-developed solutions comprising primers or undercoats, special inks, overcoats and varnishes, and special durable chemistry
Afford Inks is developing some unique technologies to satisfy some of these demanding applications. We cannot do everything, but we are responsive and interested to accept new challenges from OEM partners, system integrators and industrial companies
We pride ourselves on our in depth experience of finding solutions for industrial applications, learnt in the screen, pad and analogue printing industry, and now being creatively applied to inkjet and supporting materials.
InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015

11. Partnering with Afford Inks
Afford Inks seeks OEM’s and industrial corporate partners that require development of special inkjet inks and coatings / varnishes with special performance characteristics
High opacity
Exceptional durability
Specific functionalities
We also have opportunities in some countries for Distribution Partners with good technician support, to distribute our aftermarket ink ranges (inkjet, screen printing and pad printing, varnishes)
We are open to develop and manufacture specific pigment dispersions in UV monomers for competitive ink manufacturers and other clients
InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015

12. Afford Inks – Madrid, Spain InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015
Thanks for listening!
Pedro Martínez
Afford Inks – Madrid, Spain
Tel: / Mob:
InPrint Conference – München Nov 2015