Innovative On Demand print specialist Hapa reports rapidly increasing demand and sales for inks developed individually.
An increasing number of companies are looking for an ink supplier ready to design or tailor inks to their specifications and volume needs, specifically when their quantity ordered is particularly low. Hapas new division, Hapa Ink, develops, produces and delivers inks customized to clients' applications, substrates and volume needs, no matter how small.
Optimal results
Both the division's standard range and its tailored inks deliver significantly higher print quality. "Our inks are developed for optimal printing on plastic, aluminum, glass, and labeling materials of all types," explained Mathias Theiler, Head of Hapa Ink. They feature exceptional adhesion, bleed control, fastness against light, jetting quality and stability. "We are particularly proud of the opacity of our white inks, which we believe is unsurpassed in the industry," he added. From launch, late in 2013, Hapa Ink has fulfilled orders of any size, no matter how small. Long-term availability of all inks is guaranteed.
Sophisticated development
The Hapa Ink development team employs a range of sophisticated analytical methods and tools to optimize viscosity, rheology, jet-ability and surface tension. They conduct precise UV Vis-analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy analysis, develop specialized UV dispersions, as well as quantify color vibrancy and opacity. Hapa Ink has also developed a range of cleaning agents specifically designed for UV inks. "Evident trends towards just-in-time production, lean batch processes and ever more specialized and complex packaging are all relevant to the demand for our inks," explained Theiler. "The bottom line is that quality needs to be 100 per cent correct on each and every production run to extract maximum cost effectiveness. Specialized inks specifically developed for the process and materials involved guarantee best results every time and reduce the risks of packaging error," said Theiler. "Quite simply, it's more efficient to tailor ink to process than the other way round," he added.
