SOUTH NORMANTON, UK – April 5, 2023 – Under the theme of “Transform with Sustainable Packaging,” Sun Chemical will exhibit at interpack 2023 (Hall 7a, Stand B03), highlighting its unique position as a provider of inks, coatings, adhesives, packaging design, colour management and sustainability analysis. Sun Chemical will demonstrate its solutions for the challenges faced by the packaging market now and in the future across five key packaging themes – flexible, paper, folding carton, labels and metal deco, showing visitors how it is constantly working with its parent company, DIC, to develop and promote sustainable solutions.

Solutions on the Sun Chemical stand will include:

Plastic Packaging & Mono-Material

• Polyolefin films coated with SunBar™ Aerobloc chlorine-free oxygen barrier varnish can replace PET in flexible packaging whilst retaining same level of food protection up to pasteurisation conditions. Combining Aerobloc oxygen barrier varnish and Paslim lamination barrier adhesive is an alternative to EVOH for mono-material laminates for enhanced recycling.

• High heat resistant SunSys surface varnishes reinforce the thermal resistance of PE films, ensuring optimal packing lines’ performance when converting mono-material structures.

• Combined heat seal/anti-mist varnish Vistaclear in a single layer is now opening new solutions for mono-material PET lidding and trays packaging.

• SunStrato® Duratort polyurethane inks offer a PVC- and nitrocellulose-free solution suitable for flexo and gravure lamination, with high temperature stability to meet even demanding sterilisation conditions, exceptional bond strengths, and low solvent retention. A new line of versatile polyurethane set of ink bases is now also available, coupled with tailored technology varnishes, which may include polyurethane and other resins. The versatile system allows inks to be prepared on-site covering the full range of packaging applications with both lamination and surface printing. The on-demand ink preparation offers multiple sustainability benefits, including minimisation of waste and inventory, and the high temperature performance provides benefits in recycling.

• SunStrato® Aqualam is a range of water-based inks for flexible packaging intended to be printed on films and laminated with other films or aluminium foil. This technology allows printers to reduce the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and reduce insurance costs & regulatory pressure.

• Sun Chemical will present primer free washable recycling-friendly inks for crystallisable PET (cPET) shrink sleeve and labels for PET bottles, and for Polyolefin shrink collation films. These inks include SolvaWash™ (solvent based) and SolarFlex™ CRCL (UV flexo ) systems. cPET sleeves can be deinked and recycled together with PET bottles in existing recycling processes. SolvaWash inks have received APR recognition.

• SunBeam® Advance 5 electron beam curing offset inks, coatings and opaque flexo whites demonstrate their functionality and flexibility in both mono-material laminates and mono-layer polyolefin packaging, benefiting from the high temperature and product resistance of EB cured inks and coatings. A monolayer PE pouch will be presented including a printed barrier layer and heat-seal resistant EB coating. SunBar barrier primer can be applied before printing in such packaging structures to enhance barrier properties.

 Paper Packaging

• Formulated with significantly higher levels of bio-renewable sourced resin content compared to other previous market offerings from Sun Chemical, the SunVisto® AquaGreen™ range of water-based inks delivers the critical performance attributes required across a range of paper packaging applications to meet the needs brands have for truly sustainable packaging in quick service supermarkets and restaurants.

• Comprising ingredients that are suitable for Direct Food Contact, the SunPak® DirectFood Plus series of sheetfed offset inks and SunSpec™ SunStar overprint varnishes are ideal for use by folding carton converters to print on the inside of food packaging where direct food contact is an option. By using SunPak DirectFood Plus and SunSpec SunStar, plastic liners/layers, trays, and inserts can be removed from inside a box of chocolate, biscuits, for example, or from food service devices such as paper plates, thus enhancing recyclability. This also allows for introducing printing on the inside of the packaging, bringing exciting new designs to offer new messaging and marketing options, and enhance the consumer experience. The inks are designed to deliver high quality print and high productivity, seamlessly integrating into a typical production environment. Similar technology is available for water based flexo printing with SunVisto AquaSafe inks.

• Natural materials-based water and grease resistant formulations are including non-chemically modified natural polymers which are directly Single Use Plastic Directive compliant with up to 100% Biogenic Carbon Content. This is to complement the full range of SunSpec SunStar portfolio with solutions from frozen food up to traditional oven cooking and recyclable in standard paper stream.

• Polarseal cold-seal and release lacquers are newly optimised for paper confectionary packaging. High speed, non-blocking, Thermaseal heat-seal adhesives for fast packing line are combined with water and grease resistance properties within the SunSpec SunStar range.

 Compostability

• Certified by Vincotte-TÜV for use on ‘OK to compost’ packaging, Sun Chemical’s SunUno® Solimax multi-purpose ink system is suitable for surface printing and lamination for various end-use applications, such as lidding materials, medical laminates and food packaging for confectionery and snack food, and provides a single platform that can cover multiple end-use applications.

• SolarWave™ FSP our leading UV LED curing UV flexo system for food compliant packaging and labels is now independently certified for plant toxicity and thus suitability for compostable structures. The inks capabilities will be presented at interpak through a compostable stand-up pouch.

• The SunLam™ family of compostable lamination adhesives consists of water-based and solvent-free adhesives designed to meet the needs of all the major flexible packaging applications for food packaging. These adhesives are based on the ultra-low monomer technology to enhance safety in use for operators and consumers.

• SunSpec SunStar water and grease resistant heat seal adhesive is available as certified home and industrial compostable for paper-based packaging. Learn also how Sun is getting ready for the future changes in compostability standards in its resistant and barrier varnishes and adhesives range by visiting our stand.

 Productivity

• Offering multiple sustainable benefits, such as reduced ink waste, substrate waste and energy consumption, Sun Chemical’s SunColorBox offers a unique set of tools and services – from site assessments and full colour audits to matching and validating colours to hosting digital libraries of spot colours, all of which enable consistent, accurate digital colour communication and provides colour data connectivity across the entire packaging supply chain. A menu of added-value services, SunColorBox offers every customer – whether printing spot colour, CMYK or extended colour gamut – a tool to manage colours with best efficiency and ensure their consistency across substrates and geographies. It also allows each customer to select the most suitable services based on the size of their business and the investment required.

• SunLam ULM ultra-low monomer laminating adhesives are providing excellent stability in laminating machines and in-line laminating presses, high laminating speeds, and excellent wetting of the film, even in humid environments. They improve productivity by reducing curing time, reducing production waste, and speed up the delivery of packaging to end-users.

• Sun Chemical will showcase its class-leading range of UV LED curing SolarWave flexo and SunWave offset inks. The fully EuPIA compliant SunWave Lumina offset inks are suitable for use on all sheetfed UV LED press types, including those equipped with low energy mercury lamps, and deliver leading lithographic performance that helps printers to achieve increased productivity. Our SolarWave Integra and SolarWave FSP UV LED flexo process inks are complemented by the highly versatile SolarVerse blending system which allows the production of multiple ink profiles from one system including standard and food packaging compliant, UV LED and other bespoke profiles, offering significant press room efficiencies.

• Metal Deco highlighting SunDuo®, SunTrio® and SunAltec® including a design of metal deco cans that highlight our SunColorBox tools.

• Sun Chemical laser marking technology non-ablative SunLase and ablative laser lacquers offer digital on-demand last stage differentiation including for high quality codes, alphanumeric and graphics, both for primary and secondary packaging.

Specialty / Services 

• Digital – in line with the general growth in the take-up of digital technology, Sun Chemical is also increasingly focusing on providing sustainable products and solutions that are compatible with digital equipment to enable printers and converters to take full advantage of the benefits of the digital printing process.

• • SunJet, Sun Chemical’s digital inkjet brand, will showcase SunEvo™, a broad range of digital coatings, and its complementary range of SunJet inkjet inks.
• • With the SunEvo range of digital primers, overprint varnishes and lamination adhesives, Sun Chemical can help customers in flexible packaging, labels, folding carton and corrugated, unleash the full power of digital printing.

• Sun Chemical also offers customers a strong sustainable value proposition with SunEvo and SunJet – Digital printing not only helps minimise waste during printing but also reduces unnecessary printed output.

• SunInspire, late-stage consumer purchase decision remains a top target for packaging designers, whilst the paradigm change in packaging structures is challenging it, Sun Chemical is continuously innovating in special effects for shelf appeal. Sun Chemical will be showcasing the whole range of effects not only to differentiate but also to transform with changes of substrates whilst always maintaining safety and compliance for sensitive packaging.

 DIC

• Developed by DIC, Sun Chemical’s Paslim adhesive system eliminates the mid-web metallised layer of packaging structures and increases the oxygen barrier when used with mono-material plastic, enabling durability and protection for the packaged goods from micro-organisms, corrosion, moisture, air and odours. This results in the increased shelf-life of food and minimises wastage at retail level.

• DUALAM system is a «very unique» solvent-free laminating process technology in which the two films are coated separately so that they provide immediate adhesion when laminated together. Compared to solvent-based adhesives used in conventional laminating processes, DUALAM does not require any drying process nor heat curing, so that VOC emissions can be reduced to zero, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 78%, and energy costs can be reduced by 76%. Furthermore, the ULM ultra-low monomer adhesives technology can be applied to the DUALAM and Paslim laminating adhesive systems.

• Polystyrene recycling only available in Asia Pacific…DIC will be introducing the world’s first closed loop recycling technology for polystyrene plastic food trays in Japan.

• Deinking technologies for flexible packaging will also be displayed on stand.

Mehran Yazdani, president of Sun Chemical Packaging and Advanced Materials, comments: “We’re delighted to be exhibiting at interpack 2023 – a flagship show for the packaging industry. Sun Chemical offers a choice of creative packaging solutions to help brand owners meet their obligations to cut raw material consumption, reduce costs and limit their environmental footprint while continuously providing high performing brand-enhancing packaging.”

Russ Schwartz, Chief Technology Officer, Sun Chemical, adds: “Sun Chemical’s sustainability approach guides the way we develop, manufacture, and distribute products – as well as how we work with our customers and suppliers. Working with industry leaders, we are reducing global CO₂ emissions by increasing the use of bio-renewable and recyclable materials, while promoting the value of these activities throughout the supply chain. We are dedicated to creating sustainable solutions that align with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development. Through active engagement with European associations, Sun Chemical validates its products’ recyclability and generates market-appropriate items with a focus on recyclability and resistibility.”

Sun Chemical strives to promote a circular economy and achieve its own sustainable goals, as outlined within its sustainable growth guide. The guide showcases principles on how to become more sustainable, based on Sun Chemical’s ‘5R’s: Reuse, Reduce, Renew, Recycle, and Redesign. By adopting these principles, businesses can play a crucial role in reducing waste, lowering global CO₂ emissions, cutting costs, boosting growth, and improving public perception.

For more information on Sun Chemical’s sustainable solutions, visit Sun Chemical at interpack 2023 on Stand B03, Hall 7a, or visit: https://pgo.sunchemical.com/interpack2023.