INK RANGES

COLOUR RANGES

ADDITIVES

The ink range TP 300 has been one ofthe market leaders in the pad printinginks industry for several years. This inktype shows excellent printabilityproperties and is easy to process undervarious application conditions. The padprinting inks TP 300 are suitable for awide variety of substrates, e.g. mostthermoplastics including pre-treatedpolyolefines (PP/PE), duroplastics, manycoated surfaces, metals and wood.

Therefore there are also many applicationpossibilities of TP 300: promotional items(pens, lighters etc.), packaging materialsuch as PP/PE containers and caps/closures, domestic appliances (razors,coffee machines etc.), various toys,sports equipment parts like ski fittingsand tennis rackets, high quality car andtrain models and also various technicalarticles. As TP 300 inks are certifiedaccording to USP Medical Class VIthey can be used for printing on medicaldevices. This ink type can be processedwith or without hardener.

Processed as 2-component systemTP 300 shows increased resistances andbetter adhesion on difficult substrates.TP 300 inks are available in all colourshades offered for pad printing.

We also offer a cyclohexanone-freeadjustment, TP 300/111580-NT.

Gloss level: highDrying speed: mediumHardener: 4:1 TP 219High resistances,multiple applications

Gloss level: highDrying speed: mediumAlternatively: hardener 10:1 TP 219Universal application,very good printability

TP 300The Universal

TP 218The 2-Component System

TP 218 is an excellent choice for difficultprinting materials requiring high re-sistances. This ink type shows excellentresistances even on difficult substratessuch as polyester, polyurethane, coatedsurfaces, pre-treated polyolefines(PP/PE) duroplastics and metals. TP 218inks are mainly used for demandingtechnical and industrial applications, e.g.various automotive or medical technicalcomponents. As TP 218 inks are certifiedaccording to USP Medical Class VI theycan be used for printing onto medicaldevices.

INK RANGES

TP 218/GLThe One for Glass, Ceramics andMetals

Gloss: highDrying speed: slowHardener: 20:1 TP 219 /GL air drying

20:1 TP 219 /02-GL oven curing20:1 TP 219 /03-GL

air drying or oven curing

Water resistant,good dishwasher resistance,good corrosion resistance

Gloss level: highDrying speed: mediumHardener: 2:1 TP 219Outstanding resistances,highest abrasion resistance

TP 260The Extremely Resistant

TP 260 is an excellent choice if youneed prints with the best possibleresistance against organic solvents,acids and alkalis as well as excellentabrasion resistance. The binder base ofthis ink type permits a high addition ofhardener at a ratio of 2:1. This results ina high degree of cross-linkage, thereason for the aforementioned goodproperties. TP 260 inks are mainly usedfor technical-industrial applications,primarily on thermoplastics, duroplasticsand coated surfaces.

TP 260 inks are certified according toUSP Medical Class VI and can thereforebe used for printing onto medical devices.

Gloss level: highDrying speed: fastAlternatively: hardener 10:1 TP 219Good resistances,fast production speed

TP 313The Fast

Fast drying pad printing inks TP 313 showgood printability properties even onmodern fast running pad printingequipment. This ink range is mainlysuitable for thermoplastics such as PS,ABS, PVC, PC and PMMA as well asvarious coated surfaces. TP 313 can alsobe processed with or without hardener.

One special feature of this ink range isits excellent abrasion resistance, thusmainly recommending this ink for theprinting of articles requiring highmechanical resistances.

In addition TP 313 inks are certifiedaccording to USP Medical Class VI andcan therefore be used for printing ontomedical devices.

TP 247The Front Panel Specialist

Front panels of household appliancesoften are formed parts produced throughcomplex injection moulding technology.Adjustment scales, functions andcompany names are often applied by

Since approx. 2007 there is a trendtowards “Green Electronics” in theElectronics Industry with the aim torefrain from the use of halogen inproducts such as computers, television,mobile phones etc. as much as possible.Thus there is also a requirement forprinting inks completely free ofhalogens. For the pad printing inks thisapplies to very low contents of chlorinecompounds in binders and somepigments.

To meet the requirements of the “Guideto Greener Electronics” campaignCoates Screen Inks GmbH hasdeveloped an ink system free ofhalogens, TP E-HF. In addition TP E-HFdoes not contain PVC, aromatic orcycloaliphatic solvents.

The TP E-HF inks can be processed as1- or 2-component system, even on fastrunning machines. This range is suitablefor polystyrene (PS), ABS/SAN, PMMAand polycarbonate (PC) substrates. Asa 2-component ink TP E-HF is alsosuitable for pre-treated polyolefines,e.g. bottle caps.

Gloss level: highDrying speed: fastAlternatively: hardener 8:1 TP 219Fast production speed

TP E-HFThe Halogen Free

TP 307The Outdoor Specialist

The TP 307 inks are very resistant 2-component pad inks for polyolefines(PP/PE), coated surfaces, PMMA andpolycarbonate (PC). In addition to themechanical and medium chemicalresistances main feature of these inksis their excellent weather resistance,even for long-term outdoor applications.

Soft-Touch is up-to-date. Promotionalmaterials (pens) and toys (soft-ball),sports articles (handles), automotiveappliances and also tools (handles) areavailable as soft elastic and flexibleobjects or with velvet like soft-touchcoatings. These are diverse and variousplastic mixtures, called TPE (thermo-plastic elastomer). TPU (thermoplasticurethane) is one well-known type within

TP 273/T · TP 253The Flexibles

Gloss level: highDrying speed: mediumAlternatively: hardener 10:1 TP 219/NVery flexible,good adhesion onto TPE and TPU materials

pad printing. These markings areessential for safe operation thus theyshould adhere for the whole long-lifeperiod of such equipment. Another basicrequirement is resistance againstaggressive cleaning agents, grease, oilsand textile detergents. Easy and safeprintability onto these partially large andbulky parts is also essential.

A number of white goods manufacturershave been using TP 247 as 2-componentink for years.

Gloss level: highDrying speed: fastAlternatively: hardener 10 :1 TP 219 or

TP 219 /NGood resistance against cleaning agents

Gloss level: very highDrying speed: mediumHardener: 4 :1 TP 219/NHigh resistances,suitable for outdoor applications

this group of plastics. Due to theirvarious compositions and quite scratchsensitive surfaces one property theseTPE substrates have in common istheir difficult printability. Coates Screenink ranges TP 273/T and TP 253 showgood results in that respect. Final choiceof ink type however, depends onthe results of tests carried out onindividual substrates. Both ink typescan be processed with or withouthardener, however we recommend the2-component process using hardenerTP 219/N onto TPE materials.

TP 253 is also suitable for natural andsynthetic textiles and artificial leathermaterials.

TP 212The Oven Curing

TP272 · TP287 · TPIThe 1-Components

These form a group of 1-component padprinting inks for printing on thermo-plastics such as polystyrene (PS), PVC,polycarbonate (PC), PMMA, ABS as wellas on copolymers of these materials.These inks can also be used on variouscoated surfaces. There are many possibleapplications: promotional items, toys,household appliances, casings, etc.

The special properties of these ink

ranges are:

TP 272High gloss level, weather resistant,limited alcohol resistance.

TP 287Semi-gloss level, hard surface, very goodadhesion on ABS.

TPIMatt finish, excellent alcoholresistance.

INK RANGES

Generally polypropylene (PP) materialsare difficult to print. Usually PP materialscan only be printed after pre-treatmentsuch as flame treatment, Coronatreatment or coating with a primer likeour adhesion promoter PP.

TP/PP-NT-A is an alternative for printingthis difficult material without any pre-treatment.

This ink system can be processed wellon fast running pad printing equipment(even rotary equipment). Being a 1-component ink type TP/PP-NT-A haslimited resistances against chemicals,water and hand sweat and is thereforemainly used for promotional articles ordisposables like measuring cups orsyringes.

Gloss level: highDrying speed: mediumHardener: -Printing onto untreatedpolypropylene

TP/PP-NT-AThe Polypropylene Specialist

TP 253 LThe Silicone Rubber Ink

Plastics such as polystyrene (PS) andpolycarbonate (PC), especially thoseproduced through injection mouldingmay often have inherent tensions in thematerial. Printing with conventional inkswill release such tensions, resulting intension cracks. One typical example forthis phenomenon are polystyrene cups,which are produced in a fast and verycost saving manner.

TP 249 inks are used for such appli-cations as the formulation of this inkrange is based on especially mildsolvents and thinner VD 10 (mild thinner)is used to adjust the printing con-sistency.

Gloss level: highDrying speed: fastHardener: -For printing onto plastics sensitive tosolvents, e.g. polystyrene, injection mouldedpolycarbonate, PMMA

TP 249The Mild

UV-curing inks dry by high-speedpolymerisation reaction initiated byexposure to UV-light. The wet printed inklayer becomes a rigid and dry ink filmwithin only a split of seconds. Most UVinks cure by so-called radical reactionwhere ink curing/polymerisation takesdirectly and completely place duringthe exposure to UV light. While UV-curinginks are commonly used for many appli-cations in other printing technologies,they are not yet that popular within thepad printing industry. The main reasonfor this is that solvent based pad printinginks already exhibit quite fast dryingproperties allowing printing wet on wet.Often also pad prints are applied ontovarious three-dimensional objects whichmay be a technical problem for thefollowing curing process.

Therefore to-date TP-UV inks are mainlyused for industrial serial production whenshort and compact elements aresufficient for UV-curing. In-line production,e.g. injection moulding, printing, furtherprocessing or immediate packaging isno problem at all. Depending on the inktype the 1-component TP/UV systemsshow the same resistances you canotherwise only achieve using 2-component solvent based pad printinginks.

At the opposite to UV-inks used in otherprinting technologies TP/UV inks are notcompletely free of solvents. A certainamount of solvent content in pad inks isessential to achieve a good transfer fromplate to pad and then to the substrate.

The curing energies of the followingTP-UV ink ranges are based uponmeasurement with a Kühnast UV-integrator within a wavelength of 250-410 nm (maximum 365 nm).

TP/UVCuring by UV Radiation

TP/UV-R

TP/UV-R inks are suitable for polystyrene(PS), polycarbonate (PC), PMMA andvarious lacquer-coated surfaces. This inksystem shows very good chemical andabrasion resistances. The required curingenergy is approx. 500 -1000 mJ/cm2.

TP/UV-P and TP/UV-P2

As the TP/UV-P ink range largely coversthe same application possibilities asTP 300 inks it can be considered to bethe UV alternative to this solvent basedsystem. TP/UV-P inks can be used forthe same range of various substrates,mainly thermoplastics, however appli-cations focus on decoration of ABSmaterials.

For printing on the more demandingsubstrate polyamide (PA), modificationTP/UV-P2 is available. The requiredcuring energy for both ink systems isapprox. 500 - 1000 mJ/cm2.

For curing of TP UV-Inks a UV dryer is required.To achieve effective and secure ink curingprints applied on three dimensional objectsneed specially designed equipment.

(Photo: Technigraf)

TP/UV-D

This ink range was mainly developedfor uncoated and also coated golf balls.TP/UV-D is processed as a 2-componentsystem with hardener TP 219/D (ratio8:1). In addition to polymerisationinitiated by UV-exposure the hardenerwill cause a further chemical crosslinkage reaction of the binder systemcontained in the ink. This dual crosslinkage will result in very high chemicaland mechanical resistances.

Furthermore TP/UV-D is suitable forpolystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC)and PMMA. The required curing energyis approx. 500-1000 mJ/cm2.

TP/UV-K (cationic curing)

TP/UV-K inks are UV cationic curinginks based on epoxy resins. This epoxybinder system results in excellentmechanical and chemical resistances.TP/UV-K is suitable for a variety ofplastics as well as metal surfaces. Asan alternative to 2-component solventbased inks TP/UV-K ink range is mainlyused in industrial applications, mostlyonto metal surfaces (front panels, nameplates etc.).

Originally the curing energy was approx.2000 mJ/cm2. Now TP/UV-K has beenadjusted to be more reactive andonly requires a curing energy of approx.500 mJ/cm2.

COLOUR SHADES

C-MIX 2000

Bronze Colours

The 12 semi-opaque or transparentcolour shades of the C-MIX 2000system are suitable for the exact mixingof shades of various colour systems orof specific corporate colour shades.They show special suitability for matchingof brilliant Pantone or HKS colours. Dueto this mono-pigmentation, i.e. everybase colour only contains one pigment,easy and quick matching of any colour

sample is possible. Our databaseFormula Management C-MIX 2000,which is available free of charge,contains guide-formulations of Pantone,HKS and RAL colours. There are separateformulations for 1- and 2-componentinks. Just like Pantone and HKS colourswatches, formulations of C-MIX 2000shades are suitable for printing on whiteor very bright surfaces.

Gold, silver, bronze. We offer fourdifferent ranges: B, AB, MG and MI.

B-Bronze Colours are highly opaque,and available as ready-to-print adjust-ment or in paste or powder forms. Thesepastes and powders are used for mixingwith our E50 varnish, also availablewithin our ink ranges.

AB-Bronzes are available as ready-to-print adjustments. They show goodresistance against smearing and leafingas well as good opacity and brilliance.

MG bronzes (= metal gloss) are verybrilliant and have a medium opacity.

MI bronzes are mirror gloss inks forprinting behind glass. Contrary to otherbronzes MI bronzes are only availablein one ink range, TP-MI.

Brilliant, mono-pigmented

colour shades, for mixing

of Pantone (PMS), RAL, HKS and

other colour shades.

4 Colour ProcessShades

4 colour process pad printing technology(CMYK) is very suitable for reproductionof high resolution images. We offerprocess colours within almost all our padprinting ink ranges.

These Colours are:Process yellow 180 (= Y),Process red 181 (= M),Process blue 182 (= C)and black 65 (= K).

Also transparent paste “TP” is offeredin case adjustment (= brightening) ofcolour brightness is necessary.

Special shades for

four colour process printing

(CMYK).

Standard HDColour Shades

Pad prints are often applied to a varietyof transparent, black, very dark objectsor onto substrates of any other colour.To achieve good results the printing inkhas to exhibit the best possible opacity.Our 12 colour shades (10 colours, blackand white) of our standard HD colourrange have been formulated with a very

Colour shades exhibiting

unsurpassed opacity.

All that glitters is not gold...

StandardColour Shades

Our standard colour shades 10, 11, 12etc. represent our classic colour range,developed before Pantone and othersbecame popular systems. Printers canchoose any colour from several yellow,red, blue and more shades. The coloursof this standard range mostly contain

The classic colours.

Strong colour shades with

medium opacity.

For technical reasons the colour shades printed in thisbrochure do not show their exact colour strength andshade. Exact colour shades are shown on our colourcards, which can be obtained upon request!

Further ink ranges are available upon request.

..-HD-NT-NEU

SINGLE PRINT DOUBLE PRINT

Available in ink ranges:

For more than 40 years pad printing inks offered by Coates Screen Inks GmbH

have been successfully processed under different environmental conditions

(climate) on various pad printing equipments at varying production speeds.

Our pad printing inks are not delivered in a ready-to-print viscosity adjustment

so that printers all over the world can adjust inks to their specific local

requirements. Below please find a summary of our most important thinners,

hardeners and other additives.

Thinnersand Retarders

● ADDITIVE AAdditive A is a universal thinner for all ourpad printing ink ranges. Due to its balancedmixture of solvents Additive A is the firstchoice for all “regular” pad printingapplications.

● ADDITIVE UAlternative to Additive A, free of cyclo-hexanone.

● ADDITIVE CThe fastest thinner we offer for pad printinginks. Inks adjusted with Additive C can beprocessed on very fast running printingmachines.

● ADDITIVE BFast thinner, speed between Additives Aand C.

● THINNER VD 10Thinner VD 10 is a very mild thinner forsensitive substrates with a low solubility.It is suitable as a mild alternativefor 1-component inks such as TP 287or TP 272.Standard thinner for ink range TP 249.VD 10 can also be used as mild cleaningagent, e.g. to remove faulty prints.

Thinners used for pad printing inks areorganic solvents with a fast to very fastevaporation rate. The addition to ourinks, mostly between 15 and 30%, willadjust the inks to a ready-to-printviscosity.

Standard thinner is our Additive A, whichis the best choice as a thinner for approx.70% of all applications.

Retarders are slow or very slowevaporating thinners. They are rarelyused alone, but as an addition to thethinner if the printing process requiresslow drying for technical reasons.

The following chart lists the mostessential properties of thinners andretarders offered by Coates Screen InksGmbH. In addition to evaporation ratemost important characteristics aresolubility of the binder system and ofsolvent sensitive substrates as well assuitability of these additives for ourvarious ink ranges.

AUXILIARYAGENTS

Product Factor Evaporation Rate Solubility Application

Additive C 0,25 very fast medium universal

Additive B 0,5 fast medium universal

VD 10 0,6 fast weak, mild all 1-component inks and TP 218/GL

Additive A 1 medium medium universal

Additive U 1 medium medium universal

VD 40 1 medium strong universal

VD 60 5 slow medium universal

TPD 25 very slow medium universal

TPV 50 vey slow mild all 1-component inks and TP 218/GL

● THINNER VD 40VD 40 is an “aggressive thinner” with ahigh solving power which may improveadhesion of pad printing inks onto solublesubstrates.

● THINNER VD 60This thinner can be used for slowerprinting speeds.

● TPDTPD is a very slow retarder with a goodsolubility. It is only used for very slowprinting speeds, often in combination withother fast thinners.

● TPVTPV is a mild retarder, slower than TPD.

● RETARDER PASTE

LAB-N 111420/VPAs an alternative to liquid retardersLAB-N 111420/VP is supplied in paste form.Approx. 5-10% can be added to all padprinting inks. Will retard but not thin the ink.

All thinners and retarders listed abovecan also be added to our inks asproportional mixtures.

● TPCAntistatic agent in liquid form, which can be added to all our inks in order to increase conductivity of the pad printing ink.

● Antistatic Paste LAB-N 111420Antistatic paste LAB-N 111420 is a slightly yellow, clear and gel-type paste, which can be easily processed. It is suitable for all ink types from our range and mustbe thoroughly mixed into the undiluted ink.Addition is approx. 5-10% depending on static charge.

Hardeners are the second constituentof the 2-component inks. They are addedto the ink at ratios individually calculatedfor each ink range. This mixing ratio,e.g. 10:1 (10 parts ink : 1 part hardener)always refers to undiluted ink. Thinneris then mixed in after hardener addition.The chemical reaction of both com-ponents starts as soon as the ink ismixed with the hardener. For that reasonthe ink has to be processed within acertain period of time (pot life), a fewhours mostly.

Hardeners

Static charge is often quite problematicwhen printing onto plastics. Electrostaticcharge mainly shows in form of inkspots or stringing (“spider threads”) atthe edges of the printed image. To avoidstatic charge the surface of the materialsand the surrounding area have to besufficiently conductive.

Anti Static AgentsAdequate thinning of the ink and arelative humidity of 55% and more inthe print room are essential in suchcases. A further possibility is the additionof antistatic agents to the ink, theseagents are offered in two different types.

Potlife may vary from ink type to inktype. Inks should not be printed afterthis period of time as printed ink filmwill not exhibit the required resistancesdue to the progressed cross linkagereaction with the hardener. After initialdrying 2-component inks will requireup to 6 days (depending on curingtemperatures) to achieve a completecross linkage. Hence, store roomtemperatures are essential as thedifferent hardener types require minimumtemperatures to react (see information

below). Resistances can only beevaluated when the curing reaction iscomplete. Please refer to the detailedinformation in our product data sheetsof the individual ink ranges. Hardenercontainers must always be tightly closedand stored in a dry environment ashardeners may react with humidity.

Form Addition Add using Overprintable

Flow agents / Defoamer

- VM1 liquid 1-5% mixer/stirrer, 2 minutes no- VM2 liquid 0.3 -0.5% mixer/stirrer, 2 minutes no

Flow agent

- VM3 liquid 1-5% mixer/stirrer, 2 minutes yes

Antiflotation Agent liquid 3 -5% dissolver*, 10 minutes yes

Antistatic Agent

- TPC liquid 1-2% mixer/stirrer, 2 minutes yes- LAB-N 111420 Paste 5-10% manually yes

Thickening Powder solid / powder 2-3% dissolver*, 10 minutes yes

Matting Powder solid / powder 3 -5% dissolver*, 10 minutes yes

Additives used to

improve abrasion resistance

- LAB-N 560469 solid / powder 1-3% mixer/stirrer, 5 minutes no- LAB-N 561645 solid / powder 1-3% mixer/stirrer, 5 minutes limited- LAB-N 561644 liquid 1-3% mixer/stirrer, 2 minutes no

Flow AgentsCaused by interactions betweensubstrate, printing ink and printingconditions problems such as bubbles,pinholes, orange peel or the like mayoccur on the surface of the pad printingink film. In order to avoid these un-desired effects certain additives, so-calledflow agents, can be mixed into the padprinting ink.

However, the flow agents should beadded carefully and the amountsindicated below should not beexceeded.

Mostly only small amounts of addi-

tives are mixed into the inks. There-

fore it is essential that these auxiliary

agents are stirred in very thoroughly

to achieve the required effect. Most

additives should be mixed into the

inks using efficient mixers/agitators/

dissolvers or shakers (see chart be-

low).

AUXILIARYAGENTS

Summary Additives

Efficiency Overprintable Addition

VM1

good no 1-5%

VM2

very good no 0,3- 0,5%

VM3

medium yes 1-5%

Dissolvers are extremelypowerful disc mixers allowingvery effective mixtures ofcertain additives with printing inks.

*

SUITABILITY CHARTINK-SUBSTRATE

Compact Discs

Duroplastics

Glass

Rubber, TPE,Synthetic Leather

Silicone rubber

Wood

Coated Surfaces

Leather, Textiles

Metals

Polyamide PA

Polyacetal(post-treatment required)Polyethylene,Polypropylene (pre-treated)

Polycarbonate

Polyester

PMMA

Polystyrene

ABS, SAN

Polyurethane

PVC rigid

PVC plasticized

Polypropylene(untreated)

TP 260-NT + TP 219

TP 272-NT

TP 273/T-NT + TP 219

/N

TP 287-NT

TP300-NT + TP 219

TP305-NT + TP 219

TP313 + TP 219

TPI-NT

TP/PP-N

T-A

TP/UV-K

TP/UV-D

+ TP 219

/D

TP 247-N

T + TP 219

TP 249-N

T

TP 212-N

T

TP 218/G

L-NT + TP 219

/GL

TP 253-NT +

TP 219/N

TP 218-N

T + TP 219

20:1

TP/UV-R

TP/UV-P

TP 287-NT

TP307 + TP 219/N

TP E-HF +

TP 219

● preferred for the application● suitable■ oven-curing▲ air-drying● UV-curing

processing as 1- and as 2-component inks

2-component inks

20 minutes/140 ˚C

15 minutes/160 ˚C

This information is no guarantee for thesuitability of pad printing inks for certainsubstrates but is intended to help the userto choose suitable pad inks. Pre-tests arealways necessary. This information is basedon our present experiences.

TP 253 L + TP 219/L

10:1 2:110:1 10:1

▲10:1 10:1

▲4:1 10:1

▲■ ● ● ● ●8:110:1

▲ ▲4:1

▲8:1

▲■

05.2015 - Vers. 8

SAFETYANDQUALITY

Coates Screen Inks GmbH is a certified“Sony Green Partner”.

Naturally Coates Screen Inks GmbHalso has ISO 9001

and ISO 14001 certification.

All our pad printing inks are in conformity with the following guidelines:

REACH New European Chemical Regulation

EN 71/3 Safety of Toys

RoHS European Directive 2011/65/EU (recast of RoHS directive 2002/95/EG), restriction on the use of certainhazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

GADSL Global Automotive Declarable Substance List. GADSL list of forbidden substances and duty of declaration for automotive products.

EuPIA Raw material exclusion list for printing inks of the European Printing Ink Association.

Pad printing ink ranges TP 300, TP 313, TP 218 and TP 260 are certified according to USP Medical Class VI for applicationon medical articles.

02.2015 - Vers. 8

Uvoznik:GREC d.o.o.Cesta Andreja Bitenca 681000 LjubljanaTel.: 00 386 1 519 05 03e-mail.: info@grec.si