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Gravure Ink Production Line
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USD 10,000.00 ~ USD 100,000.00/set
1/ set (Min. Order)
1. Introduction
Gravure ink is a sophisticated liquid formulation designed for high-speed printing. Its performance hinges on the quality of its raw materials and the precision of its manufacturing process. Here’s a breakdown of what goes into it and how it’s made.
2. Key Raw Materials
The formulation of gravure ink is a complex balance of four main components:
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Pigments
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Function: Provide the color, opacity, and overall visual properties of the ink. They are solid, finely divided particles that do not dissolve but are dispersed throughout the ink.
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Examples:
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Organic Pigments: Phthalocyanine (blue and green), diarylide (yellows), quinacridone (reds and violets). Used for vibrant colors.
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Inorganic Pigments: Titanium dioxide (brilliant white, also used for opacity), carbon black (jet black), iron oxides (yellows, reds). Often used for durability and opacity.
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Resins (Binders)
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Function: The most critical component. The resin binds the pigment particles together and, most importantly, adheres the dried ink film to the substrate (e.g., plastic, paper, foil). It determines the ink's key mechanical properties like gloss, toughness, and resistance.
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Examples (vary by ink type):
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Nitrocellulose: Common, versatile resin with good adhesion to many films.
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Polyamide: Excellent adhesion to untreated polyolefin films (like PE and PP).
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Polyurethane: Offers excellent flexibility, chemical resistance, and heat sealability.
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Acrylics: Often used in water-based inks for stability and adhesion.
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Shellac & Maleic Rosin: Used in alcohol-based inks for paper and board.
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Solvents
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Function: Dissolve the resin and control the ink's viscosity (thinness). This allows the ink to flow into the tiny gravure cells and transfer to the substrate. They then evaporate completely in the printing press's dryer.
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Function: The choice of solvent system directly defines the ink type:
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Solvent-Based Inks: Use organic solvents like Ethyl Acetate, Isopropanol, Propylene Glycol Ether, Toluene.
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Water-Based Inks: Use Water as the primary solvent, often with a small percentage of co-solvents like alcohols to aid wetting and drying.
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Energy-Curable Inks: Use Reactive Monomers/Oligomers (e.g., acrylates) that act as the carrier liquid but do not evaporate; they polymerize (cure) under UV light.
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Additives
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Function: Used in small quantities (1-3%) to modify specific ink properties and ensure performance on press.
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Common Types:
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Wax & Lubricants: Improve rub and scratch resistance.
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Defoamers: Prevent foam formation during manufacturing and printing.
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Dispersing Agents: Help break down pigment agglomerates and ensure a stable, uniform dispersion.
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Wetting Agents: Improve the ink's ability to spread on and adhere to non-absorbent substrates like plastic films.
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Anti-setting Agents: Prevent pigment from settling during storage.
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3. The Manufacturing Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
The primary goal of manufacturing is to achieve a perfectly smooth, stable, and consistent dispersion of pigment within the vehicle (resin/solvent solution).
Step 1: Pre-Dispersion (Mixing)
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The resin binder is dissolved in the appropriate solvents to create a clear varnish or vehicle.
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Pre-measured quantities of pigments and additives are added to this vehicle in a high-speed mixer. This creates a rough, premixed paste. This step ensures all pigment particles are wetted by the vehicle.
Step 2: Dispersion (Grinding/Milling)
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This is the most critical step for achieving color strength and gloss. The premix is pumped through a milling device that applies intense shear forces to break down pigment agglomerates into primary particles.
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Key Equipment:
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Bead Mill (Sand Mill): The most common equipment. The paste is pumped through a chamber filled with tiny grinding media (e.g., zirconia beads). The intense agitation and collision between the beads grind the pigment to the desired fineness.
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Ball Mill: A rotating cylinder filled with grinding media used for longer, slower grinding of more viscous inks.
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Step 3: Let-Down (Thinning & Final Mixing)
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The finely ground pigment concentrate (called a "chip" or "base") is transferred to a larger let-down tank.
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Additional vehicle, solvents, and specific additives (e.g., wax for rub resistance) are added. This step adjusts the final ink to the exact viscosity, color strength, and tack required.
Step 4: Quality Control (QC) Testing
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Samples are taken from the batch and tested against strict standards. Key tests include:
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Fineness of Grind: Measured using a Hegman Gauge to ensure no large particles remain.
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Viscosity: Measured with a Ford Cup or DIN Cup.
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Color Density: Checked against a standard using a spectrophotometer.
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Adhesion, Rub Resistance, Gloss: Tests are performed on lab-coated samples.
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Step 5: Filtration and Packaging
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Once the batch passes QC, it is pumped through a filter (e.g., bag or cartridge filter) to remove any potential contaminants or oversized particles.
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The finished ink is then packaged into approved containers (drums, pails, or totes), labeled, and prepared for shipment.
3. TGM Factory Profile:
TGM Chemical Machine Co., Ltd is a group enterprise. We have brands like TGM, Pengchang and Tongpeng.
We are a leader in the field of chemical machine industry, with 18 years of industry experience.
We have professional R&D design team, strong technical support, skilled production team, reliable after sales service, flexible customized solutions,
to meet your various standards and non standard equipment procurement needs. We committed to providing the complete and professional chemical equipment solutions.
We integrate, design, development, production, sales and training together.
Our products scope: Disperser, Bead Mill, Basket Mill, Mixer, emulsifier, Mixing kettles, Reactor, Filling machine, Bag filter, Pumps, Zirconium Bead, 3 roll mill, and other accessories.
Our machines help you to make ideal products: paints, coatings, inks, pigments, dyes, thinner, hardener, emulsions, varnish, spin finish, putty, glues, adhesives, viscous pastes, concrete Admixtures,
PCVC solvent cement, liquid resins, sealants, silicone sealant, lithium battery, electronic slurry&paste, pulps, silicon dioxide, liquid rubber, pesticide, liquid fertilizer, disinfectant, liquid detergent, gel,
lotions, shampoo, body wash, liquid soap, hand sanitizer, liquid wash, nail polish, creams, and so on.
We could offer individual machine or full production lines for your plants.
4. What are advantages of your factory?
1) Our factory is a leader manufacture of Chemical machine With 18 years of Industry experience. We have a lot Technology Patents & Product Patents;
2) Our factory has Professional R&D Teams, High Technical Supports, Skilled Production Team, Reliable After Sales Service, Flexible Customized Solutions;
3) Our factory is the leader of this industry, named with high and new technology enterprise;
4) Our factory has plenty of industry experience, we could offer you the complete palnt planning.
5. Who are your factory's clients? Could you list some of them?
AKZONOBEL, JUNTON, PPG, NIPPON, DABAO, BURGER, MAYDOS, RAINBOW, HITECH COATING, CHINA PAINT, CHANGJIANG COATING, TOA, LYNWON PIGMENT,
PEONY INKS, TL INKS, ZR INKS, SAKATA INKS, KINGSWOO INKS, DIC INKS, ANLI, ACHILLES, REPOW GROUP, SHINETSU ADHESIVES, JUSHI, XINGLONG PESTICIDES...
6. What certificate your factory could offer?:
CE, BSC, CNEX, ISO, patents.
7. Manufacture Processing:
Our Chemical Machines are strictly quality control at every single production step, after quality past, we will move to do next step production.
Our Chemical Machines production process: raw materials preparing-cutting/bending materials-welding-polishing-assembling-coating-testing-packing-loading.
8. Packing And Shipping:
