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We understand that perfecting these processes can be challenging, so we have equipped our Customer Service and Testing Facility with laboratory, pilot, and production models of our most popular equipment. Customers are encouraged to work with our team of experts and run trials to determine the optimal parameters for their product. Furthermore, we offer free initial testing!

The equipment used during the deagglomeration, dispersion, and milling of the pigments for printing inks makes all the difference in achieving an efficient processing method and the quality of the final product. Through innovative mixing, dispersing, and milling solutions, it is possible to make efficient, consistent, and reliable products.

Avoiding foaming problems in waterborne ink formulas is crucial for improving efficiency and increasing profits. Recirculating vacuum dispersion and milling offer a solution by reducing process times, increasing yields, and eliminating air entrapment.

The NEXGEN™ equipment line addresses the issue by removing air from the product, ensuring a pure and stable dispersion without the inconvenience of air bubbles in the feedstock. The NEXGEN™ RotorStator disperses the pigment and eliminates trapped air, enabling faster and purer particle size reduction and deagglomeration. The NEXGEN™ Vacuum Recirculation Mill further reduces the pigment’s particle size, resulting in a tight size distribution, ultimately yielding a high-quality dispersion ready for letdown and final ink production.

In ink manufacturing, pigments are the most expensive component, and selecting and processing pigment is crucial for efficient production. The ink-making process involves two fundamental physical processes—wetting and deagglomeration of pigments and their uniform dispersion in the vehicle, known as dispersion. Milling is the step that reduces the particle size to a specified metric. The quality of the product and its profitability largely depend on optimizing these two processes.

Printing ink is available in paste or liquid form and is made up of dyes or pigments derived from nitrogen-rich sources that determine the ink’s color. The ink’s base, called varnish, includes linseed oil or soybean oil, resins, solvents, and other materials and serves as a binding agent to enhance gloss and protect printed surfaces. Resins improve the ink’s binding and adhesion to printed surfaces, and additives, like lubricants, surfactants, alkali materials, and drying agents, are incorporated into the ink to modify its properties for different applications, providing rub resistance, improving printability, adjusting pH levels, and promoting faster drying.