The new product is derived from oil-based ink used in décor printing as part of Ricoh’s collaboration with German equipment manufacturer, Olbrich.
The ink has excellent rub resistance and set-off performance for corrugated brown and white boards, as well as carton board. The plant oil component creates a sustainable and environmentally friendly ink that dries quickly without heat or fixative; eliminates the drying system and reduces energy consumption because the oil penetrates porous substrates, leaving the pigment near the surface; uses no monomers, which means it is odour-free with improved food compatibility; supports deinking, is biodegradable and requires no biocides to maintain the ink because it is not water-based.
‘Brand owners and printer manufacturers are increasingly focused on reducing their environmental impact and applying sustainable practices wherever possible,’ said Graham Kennedy, Director of Industrial Printing for Graphic Communications at Ricoh Europe. ‘With our new plant-based ink they can seamlessly introduce positive changes that make a big difference without impacting their high quality, printed results.’
‘It is easier to clean the printheads,’ said Vaughan Patterson, Head of Commercial and Industrial Print at Ricoh South Africa. ‘They are less likely to clog because they are open for longer, which improves reliability, performance and the printhead lifespan. And they use 50% less ink to achieve the same optical density.’
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