Page 42 - Plastics News July 2020

BOBST launches drive to fully digitise Clariant Launches Hostatint SI Pigment
packaging print Dispersions Line

B OBST has announced a new 'industry vision' as it C dispersions engineered for exact color matching,
lariant has launched a new line of pigment
adapts its business to a Covid-19 world and beyond.
reducing the time and costs related to batch-to-batch
The packaging print equipment giant said it is focusing
reformulations. This novel approach answers a direct
its packaging production technology on connectivity, need of formulators who work on industrial,
digitalization, automation and sustainability. Jean- automotive, maintenance and other demanding
Pascal Bobst, chief executive of Bobst Group, said the protective coatings. New Hostatint SI pigment
current packaging value chain remains fragmented dispersions address one of the top challenges for North
where every phase in the process is isolated into 'silos', American manufacturers of solvent-based paints and
and is showcasing its 'end-to-end' offering. BOBST coatings, the majority of which are used in industrial
applications. “Through discussions with customers,
Connect is being heralded as key component of the we saw a real need in this region's extensive industrial
one-stop platform, to offer printers and converters
coatings market for pigment dispersions that can
new services to optimise equipment performance, deliver consistent color eliminating or minimizing
increase the overall plant productivity and avoid formulation adjustments between batches," said Dr.
unexpected downtimes Brand owners, converters, Romesh Kumar, senior Technical Sales manager, North
toolmakers, packers, and retailers will all be part of a America. "Hostatint SI's unmatched, broad
seamless supply chain, accessing data across the entire compatibility will provide welcome relief from this
headache, and it's easy to make the switch. No
workflow, and all machines and tooling to 'talk' to each
reworking means great news for optimizing
other. “The digitalization of printing processes is the
manufacturing time and costs, and maximizing color
most visible element of progress in the packaging
performance too.” Hostatint SI pigment dispersions
industry,” said Jean-Pascal Bobst. “The coming years are the first “drop-in ready” solution for alleviating
will likely see a major acceleration of digital printing problems frequently caused by a dispersion's
and converting. While the solutions are becoming incompatibility with the diversity of industrial
available, the biggest challenge for printers and coatings bases, namely inconsistent tinting and
converters is not the individual printing machines, but finished product color float or post-application color
rub-up. Their unmatched compatibility with the
rather the entire workflow, encompassing converting.”
broadest range of base chemistries and high-quality
“At BOBST we have a fully automated and controlled Clariant pigments make for a less complex tinting
workflow from file to the final label, pouch or box, and process. This results in easier batch-to-batch
this vision answers Brand Owners' and converters' consistency in the finished coating product and fewer
needs. With the innovations completed to date and potential issues for the end-user. Color performance
others to come from BOBST and other industry and shade consistency are also boosted thanks to best-
partners, we are moving in the right direction. “Our in-class, tighter tint strength and color shade. The
vision is simple, bold and ambitious with the objective pigment dispersions are suitable for producing or
tinting RAL shades, OSHA safety shades, and industrial
to shape the future of the packaging world, with point-of-sale standard shades in a wide variety of
passion and proximity to our clients.”
coatings systems.

July 2020 42 Plastics News