Think a single print error is just a minor annoyance? On a high-speed press, incorrect ink behavior can halt multi-million dollar production lines instantly.
Managing the sticky properties of advanced UV ink is a major operational burden. This challenge often drives manufacturers to overspend on premium testing brands. We believe you can protect your margins and achieve high-end accuracy without draining your equipment budget.
In this article, we look at how brand authentication leader Crane NXT did exactly that with our support. Read on to see how they eliminated press downtime using a highly cost-effective testing approach.
Securing Global Brand Authentication
As a major leader in the space of authentication and secure printing, Crane NXT produces materials that must be virtually impossible to counterfeit. Because of the high-stakes nature of their products, which include banknotes and advanced security labels, any minor issue in their print process can quickly turn into a costly operational bottleneck. From our perspective, success in this demanding field is entirely about aligning microscopic physical behaviors with high accuracy.
The Challenges of UV Ink Tack Control
This advanced UV ink offers high performance because it cures almost instantly under ultraviolet lamps. But getting it to have the right level of stickiness, commonly referred to as tack by technical teams, is an ongoing technical hurdle.
If the ink is excessively sticky (or 'grabby' in pressroom terms), it risks tearing the paper sheets or yanking the previous color layer right off the page. On the other hand, if the ink is too slippery, the final print becomes blurry.
In our opinion, when you are running a large-scale manufacturing facility, unpredictable ink behavior is highly expensive. An unverified batch of ink is more than an inconvenience; it can bring multi-million dollar machinery to a halt and waste piles of valuable substrate. No operator wants to watch their production lines freeze over a preventable ink issue. In our opinion, implementing a reliable testing workflow is the most straightforward way to prevent these setbacks.
Selecting a Cost-Effective Testing Solution
Crane NXT required a dependable testing instrument to replicate high-speed roller dynamics and monitor ink behavior before committing to a full press run. They turned to our Inkometer Ink Tack Tester.
We built this machine to measure how sticky conventional and UV inks get at various speeds and heat levels, and we believe it delivers highly consistent results. When they first evaluated our catalog, we focused entirely on matching their exact technical specifications without recommending unnecessary features.
Here is why we believe this setup made so much sense for them:
- Engineered for fast-drying UV ink: Standard testing units often struggle with the unique flow properties of UV inks. We engineered the Inkometer specifically to handle these sticky situations.
- A seamless fit for established workflows: We believe equipment should integrate seamlessly into established routines, rather than forcing a laboratory to alter its entire testing schedule. Our device integrates smoothly into laboratories with minimal friction.
- Pragmatic pricing that hits the mark: We hold a strong opinion on this: you do not need to spend a fortune on overpriced legacy brand names to get highly accurate data. We believe smart business leaders appreciate getting exactly what they need without paying extra for a fancy logo. Qualitest provided a top-tier laboratory machine that checked every box on their list, while keeping their capital expenditure balanced.
Eliminating Press Downtime
While we did not observe their testing processes firsthand, our technical experience indicates that utilizing the Inkometer removes the guesswork from the printing operation. Technicians can easily verify the tack of each batch beforehand, preventing paper damage and keeping the production line running cleanly.
From our perspective, the real value we deliver isn't just the physical hardware, but the peace of mind that comes from knowing your production line is backed by dependable science. We believe this proves that achieving high accuracy and maintaining your budget can go hand-in-hand. We are proud to support Crane NXT as they continue to secure high-value products globally.
Are you struggling with sticky ink or tired of your presses grinding to a halt?
We believe our budget-friendly testing setups can get your daily QA routine running like a dream. Check out the Inkometer Ink Tack Tester or drop us a line to see how we can match your exact checklist.
