German Marabu ink TPU series food grade medical catheter special transfer printing ink
application area

base material

TPU is suitable for the following substrates:

Pre treated PE and PP materials PU、PA、 Melamine resin, phenolic resin, anodized aluminum surface, coated material surface, sprayed metal, wood, and glass surface.

It should be noted that TPU printing on glass surfaces can only serve a decorative purpose and cannot achieve the purpose of waterproof and dishwasher resistance testing.

Good adhesion can be achieved on the surface of co formaldehyde POM, such as Hostaform C or Delrin, by hot air drying (3-4 seconds at 300-400 ° C).

Before printing on PP or PE materials, please perform flame or corona pre-treatment. When the surface tension reaches 42-48mN/m, TPU has good adhesion.

For PP materials, pre-treatment can be carried out using P2 water.

When multi-color printing, please do not perform flame treatment on the material during multi-color printing to avoid reducing the adhesion between ink layers.

Due to differences in manufacturers and production batches, the surface properties of the substrate may vary. It is recommended to conduct ink printing tests on the substrate before formal production.

Scope of use

TPU ink can achieve high resistance to mechanical wear and chemical corrosion, mainly used on thermosetting plastics, PE, PP, and metal surfaces.

Through appropriate printing methods, TPU ink can be used on non food contact surfaces of food packaging. Of course, it is necessary to ensure full compliance with the EU's (EC) Nr. 2023/2006 regulations. If you have any questions, please contact the product safety department of Malibu.

characteristic

Mixing ratio

Before using ink, the correct proportion of curing agent H1 or H2 must be added. In addition, thermal reactive curing agent HT 1 can also be used.

The mixing weight ratio is as follows:

4 parts ink: 1 part curing agent

3 parts of varnish: 1 part of curing agent

service life

At room temperature of 20 ° C, the operation period for adding curing agent H1 to the can opening ink is about 7-8 hours, and the operation period for adding H2 is 3-4 hours. The higher the temperature, the shorter the operating period.

If the specified time is exceeded, although there is no significant change in the appearance and shape of the ink, its adhesion and future performance will decrease.

After using the heat reactive curing agent HT 1, there is no need to worry about the storage period of the ink. Because HT 1 only reacts during the heating process. (For example, 30 minutes at 150 ° C)

dry

Unlike natural drying (i.e. solvent evaporation), the actual curing of the ink layer is caused by a chemical cross-linking reaction between the ink and the curing agent. High temperature can accelerate cross-linking reaction.

The following values assume the continuous cross-linking reaction between the ink layer and the hardener:

High temperature will accelerate the cross-linking reaction of chemical substances. The drying time of the ink layer mentioned above may vary depending on the printing substrate, ink layer thickness, drying conditions, and the use of different additives.

For printing processes that require speed and continuity, we recommend hot air drying (at 200 ° C for 2-3 seconds) after each layer of color is printed.

For multi-color printing, there is no need to wait for the previous layer of ink to completely dry before starting to stamp the next layer of ink.

At room temperature, after adding curing agent H1, the printing time between the previous layer of ink and the next layer of ink should be within 48 hours; When using curing agent H2, the printing interval should be within 8 hours.

The printing process and curing temperature must not be lower than 15 ° C.

Otherwise, it may cause irreparable losses.

Similarly, within a few hours after printing, printed products should be avoided from being placed in high humidity environments, as curing agents are highly sensitive to moisture in the air and are prone to reactions that can reduce their performance in the future.

light resistance

The TPU series ink uses high sun resistant pigments.

After adding varnish or other colored inks (especially white), the sun resistance of the ink may decrease due to different mixing ratios. In addition, if the ink film thickness decreases, its sun resistance will also decrease accordingly.

When used outdoors, please add curing agent H 1.

The pigments used in TPU series inks have the functions of resisting chemical solvents and plasticizers.

physical property

After the ink is completely dry, its adhesion, friction resistance, scratch resistance, and adhesion resistance can achieve future effects, and it can achieve good resistance to various chemical cleaning agents, oils, and chemical solvents.

When printing on glass surfaces, it can only serve a decorative effect and cannot achieve good dishwasher washing resistance. If such requirements exist, please use MARABU glass ink.

movePrinted steel plate

All commercially available transfer printing steel plates made of polyester, thin steel, and chemically hardened steel (10mm) are suitable. We recommend using steel plates with a depth of 20-28 μ m.

Transfer printing adhesive head

Suitable for pad printing heads made from various chemical cross-linking reaction materials in the market.

printing machine

TPU is also suitable for closed oil cup systems and open oil basin systems. This depends on the type and usage of the printing machine, and can be used to adjust the type and amount of diluent used.

Color Range

Base Color

(Please refer to the System Tampacolor color chart)

(* Translucent/Transparent)

High coverage color

TPU 122 light yellow

TPU 130 vermilion

TPU 152 Gungreen

TPU 162 Grass Green

All basic colors in this series can be mixed and used together. TPU series ink cannot be mixed with other types of ink to ensure its stable ink properties.

All basic colors and high coverage colors based on the Tampacolor system are included in our computer color matching system Marabu ColorFormer. By using these basic colors and adjusting them according to the blending ratios provided by the Malibu color matching software (MCM2), all ink colors in systems such as HKS, System 21, and PANTONE can be produced.

The formula for high coverage colors is also stored in the Malibu color matching software MCM 2 and marked with a++symbol after the corresponding color name. These formulas use regular and high coverage base colors (without using semi transparent and transparent base colors).

Used for four-color dot printing colors

Mixing metallic colors

TPU 191 Silver

TPU 192 Blue Gold

TPU 193 Gold

varnish

TPU 409 varnish

TPU 910 gold oil/gloss oil

Metal color powder

(Used in combination with gold oil TPU 910)

Metallic colors should be mixed before use and must be mixed within 12 hours

Used up. The service life of the red gold S 184 and bronze S 186 is only 4 hours.

The pigments used for the standard base colors mentioned above, based on their chemical structure, comply with EN 71/parts 3: Safety Guidelines for Toys - Regarding Ink Penetration, as regulated by the EEC. Therefore, all these basic colors are suitable for toy printing.

auxiliary agent

Please add curing agent to the ink in the correct proportion before printing.

To adjust ink viscosity, typically add 5-15% diluent TPV. TPV 2 is used for fast printing, while TPV 3 is used for low-speed or manual printing.

Add matte powder MP (2-4%, for white TPU)

970 (up to 2%) can reduce the glossiness of TPU series to semi gloss or matte, while also reducing ink coverage.

To achieve a very delicate printing effect, you can add slow drying paste VP or slow drying agent SV 1 in proportion. Excessive addition can cause ink transfer drying problems.

pay attention to

For formulated inks that already contain slow drying agents, only diluents without any slow drying agents can be added to achieve additional dilution effects.

Adding light blocking paste OP 170 (with a large addition amount of 15%) can significantly improve the ink's covering power without affecting its chemical resistance and friction resistance. OP 170 is not suitable for use with white ink.

Defoamer ES contains silicon component, with a large amount added at 1% of the ink weight. If excessive ES is added, it can cause problems such as poor flow and reduced adhesion, especially during multi-color overprinting.