Wide format inkjet printer manufacturer Mutoh Belgium nv announces immediate availability of a new set of CMYK stretchable UV inks, called 3D UV. Specifically developed for Mutoh’s Zephyr 65 UV inkjet printer, the Mutoh 3D UV ink offers 200 % elongation capabilities, making outputs fit for wrapping on 3D curved, riveted or corrugated surfaces. This new non HAP, zero VOC and odourless ink will cover the widest possible range of roll-to-roll applications and is also suited for rigid printing. Available in one litre bottles, the new 3D UV inks are already covered by Avery Dennison’s® ICS Performance Guarantee. Certification by other media manufacturers will follow. Mutoh will market the inks all over Europe, the Middle East and Africa through its authorized distributor channel.
“The new 3D UV inks are an addition to our existing 2D UV and dedicated Traffic Sign inks for the Mutoh Zephyr printer platform. The new 3D UV inks are the result of Mutoh’s ongoing commitment to develop innovative and sustainable printing solutions for large format print providers”, says Arthur Vanhoutte, President of Mutoh’s European operations.
“The new inks are ideally suited for existing solvent users or industrial users with focus on 3D wrapping, looking for a productive machine offering best print quality, roll and rigid compatibility and last but not least offering the flexibility to immediately laminate and apply prints. Thanks to their extreme stretchability, they will allow the same application flexibility for fleet applications as conventional solvent printers, a feature not available on competitive high-end industrial UV systems. As our 3D UV inks do not contain any VOCs and finished prints are odour-free, they will offer the same possibilities as water-based printers for indoor applications such as in-store decoration, branding, promotion and wayfinding”, Vanhoutte concludes.
“The fleet market is worldwide growing business”, says Nico Jansen, Avery Dennison’s GRPD – OEM Alliance Manager. “During the past years, we have been witnessing a new trend whereby print providers are looking for alternatives for their existing solvent printers for fleet and architectural applications, offering more environmentally friendly features. Mutoh’s 3D UV ink is a great alternative to solvent for fleet applications. Apart from their 200 % elongation capabilities, the inks also offer the unique advantage that prints are immediately ready for lamination and application. This makes them a perfect solution too for architectural prints”
“We have extensively tested the performance, durability and applicability of Mutoh’s 3D UV inks. Tests included lamination tests, UV fading tests, application tests on different surfaces including simple curves, compound curves and riveted surfaces, 3D wrap testing, leaving prints for 4 months on a car and removal tests.
Today, we are pleased to confirm that Mutoh 3D UV inks qualify for Avery’s ICS Performance Guarantee program for high quality 3D fleet wrapping applications. Depending on the Avery digital media and graphics protection used, warranties up to 4 years are possible.”, Nico Jansen concludes.
