Consumables

MUTOH BELGIUM ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF ITS NEW UMS INKS

Wednesday 15. May 2013 - Innovative ink formulation for long-term outdoor sign & display applications combining key benefits of resin-based, eco solvent and mild solvent ink chemistries

Mutoh Belgium announces availability of its 4th generation mild solvent inks, called UMS. UMS stands for “Universal Mild Solvent”. Developed specifically for Mutoh’s roll-to-roll sign & display printer portfolio and available in bulk 1 liter bottles & 440 ml cassettes, these new inks offer compatibility with both installed-base Mutoh mild solvent printers as well as Mutoh’s ValueJet series outdoor sign & display printers. Mutoh CMYK UMS inks will replace the Mutoh MS and MS+ first and second generation mild solvent inks.
The UMS inks offer an outdoor UV resistance of up to three years without lamination. They are virtually odour-free and do not require any forced ventilation. They offer an unrivalled colour gamut and a unique gloss preservation. The inks cover 83 % of the Pantone C colour chart. They also hardly require any printer maintenance. The inks are fixed and dried at regular heating temperatures and are suited for both high quality and high speed printing.
“Mutoh UMS inks have been specifically formulated for Mutoh and offer a unique and innovative blend of high quality durable colour pigments, a new mix of resins and, last but not least, a new combination of milder and non-aggressive solvents,” says Arthur Vanhoutte, Mutoh Belgium’s General Manager.
“The new inks are yet another result of Mutoh’s ongoing commitment to develop environmentally responsible ink solutions, fully compliant with the most stringent health & safety regulations, which at the same time perfectly address the application needs of the outdoor sign & display industry”.
“The UMS inks are compatible with our latest generation ValueJet sign & display printer family and are also fully compatible with installed-base Mutoh mild solvent printers. This way, Mutoh is offering installed-base users an opportunity to upgrade to a new more environmentally responsible ink without having to invest in new hardware”, Vanhoutte concludes.
Key Characteristics of Mutoh UMS inks :
Target Public & Application Features
? Suited for exterior and interior prints to be viewed at close distance ? Suited for high quality and high speed printing ? Specifically targeted at typical sign & display applications :
o Posters, banners, backlit signage, fleet signage,…
o Wall coverings, fine art, POS displays, … ? Prints on a wide range of uncoated and coated substrates ? Outdoor UV resistance up to 3 years without lamination (*) ? Excellent application scuff : minimal superficial damage during application ? Excellent resistance against alcohol based cleaners ? Wide colour gamut, covering 83 % of the pantone C (**) colour chart ? Low maintenance
(*) For heavy-duty applications where mechanical stress is involved (floor and vehicle graphics), lamination is required. Stabilisation is required prior to lamination.
(**) Calculations made by Caldera’s Easy Media.
Unique & innovative ink chemistry
? Highest quality colour pigments grinded to nano-size level o High quality colour pigments determine not only the colour gamut, but also are the
basis of long-term outdoor durability. o The UMS colour pigments are grinded to nano-size level for optimum jettability and
reduced maintenance.
? New combination of milder and non-aggressive solvents Compared to “classic” – more aggressive – solvent inks, the UMS inks will only partially diffuse into the media. The solvent selection and the solvent quantities are fully adapted to the new REACH regulations with regards to PVC chemistries.
? Multi-resin mix Mutoh UMS inks use a combination of different and carefully selected resin types. The UMS resin mix will enable optimum adhesion of the pigments to the substrate and create a uniform and smooth ink layer. Each individual colour pigment is moreover encapsulated (coated) by the resin mix, to optimally address the typical requirements for outdoor sign & display prints : gloss preservation, scuff, abrasion & chemical resistance and to safeguard long-term outdoor durability of the colour pigments.
Safety Aspects
? UMS inks do not spread any harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the working environment and therefore do not require any forced or special ventilation.
? Non ODP inks (non Ozone Depleting), meaning the inks do not contain products, which are considered as harmful to the earth’s protective ozone layer.
? Low maintenance – same ease of use as Mutoh Eco Ultra inks. ? UMS inks are virtually odourless in the print environment.
Compatibility
? Spitfire 65/90/100 (Extreme) series ? Blizzard 65/90 series ? Rockhopper II, Rockhopper 3 and Rockhopper 3 Extreme series ? ValueJet outdoor sign & display printer series
Availability / RRP
? Immediate availability, exclusively through Mutoh Authorised Resellers ? 440 ml cassettes or 1 liter bottles, CMYK ? Liter bottles can be used in combination with Mutoh’s Bulk Ink system ? RRP UMS 440 ml : € 69
? RRP UMS liter bottles : € 99 ? Average ink consumption ± 8 ml/m2 @ 720 dpi on uncoated PVC. Coverage 67 % (*)
(*) The actual ink consumption may vary, depending on the graphic content of the output, the choice of substrate and the decisions taken during the creation of the output profiles in the RIP software.
Mutoh’s Bulk Ink Refill System (BIS)
Mutoh’s BIS system was developed for speed-intensive, volume-oriented users requiring a high-volume ink delivery and refill system. The bulk ink system offers unattended printing options along with minimum user intervention (easy to refill, even during printing).
Each bottle can provide 1.2 liter of ink to the bulk feed cassette before requiring a refill.