Wesel, Germany - ACTEGA, manufacturer of specialty coatings, inks, adhesives, sealants and compounds for the print and packaging industry, showcased its extensive product portfolio of innovative and sustainable solutions for the labels and packaging industries at Expografica 2024 earlier this month. It also launched its new ACTExact® ShrinkFlex UV Inks for shrink sleeve applications at the show. ACTExact ShrinkFlex UV Inks stand out for their UV curable properties, ensuring superior adhesion to shrink films and making them ideal for high-speed printing operations.

ACTExact ShrinkFlex UV Inks can be applied seamlessly on press speeds up to 500 fpm and exceeding 300 fpm on BOPP labels, enabling high productivity combined with exceptional print quality. This ink portfolio also offers high-opacity whites, line black, and a four-color process tailored for shrink sleeves, providing the unique benefit of full 360º coverage and remarkable flexibility to fit various container shapes.

Mell Bishop, Vice President of Flexible Packaging North America & Global Market Manager Labels, ACTEGA explains, “ACTEGA's global success, especially in North America, exemplifies our unwavering dedication to innovation and expertise. As market leaders, we set new benchmarks by delivering cutting-edge, high-quality products and solutions. We’re excited to introduce ACTExact ShrinkFlex UV Inks to the market at Expografica and are confident these new inks will help us to further support the needs of our customers across America.

ACTEGA also showcased numerous innovations designed to foster a sustainable future for the industry. ACTKote UV wash-off primer, launched in September 2024, was developed to increase the recyclability of shrink sleeves by easily removing the ink from the sleeve in the recycling process. ACTKote UV Wash Off Primer has been formally recognised by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) for meeting the highest criteria for recyclability according to the APR Design® Guide for Plastics Recyclability. This high-quality primer not only provides the quality ink adhesion needed for shrink sleeve applications, but customers can be assured that choosing ACTKote Primer leads to less waste, more efficient use of natural resources and increased supply of high-quality post-consumer recycled content.

ACTExact® SafeShield LED-UV low migration inks also impressed Expografica attendees. This extensively certified product line is designed for low-migration applications, including indirect food contact, cosmetics, and nutraceutical and pharmaceutical packaging. Leveraging ACTEGA’s expertise in regulatory compliance, these inks comply to a rigorous set of global and regional standards, including the Swiss Ordinance Annex 6 A & B, Nestlé 2018 Exclusion List Compliance, EUPIA and FDA Migration Models.

ACTEGA demonstrated its LED-UV Coatings, too, which support an energy-efficient and emission-free printing process. The coatings, available in Matte, Gloss, MotionCoat®, or Release finishes, create unique visual effects that elevate the appearance of shrink sleeves or pressure-sensitive labels.