Printing Glass More Energy-Efficiently with Marabu’s New UV-LED-Curable Screen Printing Inks

The printing ink manufacturer Marabu specializes in organic UV-curable glass printing inks and presented several innovations from this field at this year’s glasstec. In addition to UV-LED-curable screen printing inks and a new digital printing varnish, there were also other screen, digital, and pad printing inks for the glass industry on display.

UV-LED-Curable Ink System with Energy-Saving Potential

The organic UV-curable glass printing ink system Ultra Glass LEDGL has an energy-saving potential of up to 65%. With it, it is possible to save energy and CO2 emissions. These savings result mainly from the fact that UV LED lamps can be used instead of classic UV lamps to cure the inks. The benefit: UV LED lamps have a long service life. Additionally, they save time and power by not requiring a warm-up time like common UV lamps. This also means that they allow for a high printing speed while reducing costs.

Furthermore, UV LED curable technology involves no quicksilver and no ozone extraction, which makes this technology both economically attractive and very sustainable. Sustainability is also promoted because glass printed with Marabu’s invention is fully recyclable.

Digital Printing for Personalized Print Products

Also, the other novelty Marabu has introduced to the market supports the recyclability of glass products, as its coating oxidizes during melting so that no residue is left on the glass product.

The Mara® Shape DUV-HBV “High Build Varnish” digital ink, introduced at glasstec, is a new digital varnish that offers further opportunities for the digital decoration of glass bodies. This varnish enables reliefs to be reproduced with a high build while maintaining contour sharpness, making it possible to print the finest haptic details on convex and concave surfaces as well as for taller and thicker graphic elements.

By pairing it with Ultra Jet DUV-C digital ink, it is possible to combine visual color and tactile effects. 

In all areas of life, the desire for personalized products is growing and with the new varnish and the opportunities it offers, Marabu aims to address this demand. The flexibility of digital printing is the ideal means for this.

Versatility of Color Systems and Digital Coatings

Marabu’s ink systems and digital coatings can be used in various fields. Their solvent-based printing inks are mainly used for multicolor glass decorations. In the case of screen and pad printing, these inks ensure a wide range of substrates and exact color shades. 

In addition to these solvent-based printing inks, there are also single-component stoving inks that are mainly used in first and second-surface applications on containers and flat glass. Thanks to its BPA-free formulation, it is also an optimal solution for sensitive applications such as medical equipment. The UV-curable ink systems are best suited for front panels made of glass (glass touch) and flat input systems, the printing of automotive display cover glass, or high-quality operating panels, for example on kitchen appliances, as well as outdoor operating surfaces, like jet skis.

In addition to this classic glass printing, Marabu’s products also play a major role in digital glass printing. The ink Ultra Jet DUV-C enables, for example, individual decorations of beverage bottles in filling lines or cosmetic flacons in digital direct printing. The ink is also used in digital printing for advertising materials and interior design. In addition, Mara®Shield liquid coatings can be used as primers, for finishing and for protecting high-value digital prints. And with the UV-CGL opaque white, digitally printed surfaces can be backed.

Digitalization is having a certain impact on the printing industry. UV-LED-curing ink systems and digital varnish are just two examples. Do you know of other pioneering digital printing solutions? We look forward to your input!