Inkcups Solution to UV Printing on Metals

Rattle your brain around and recall the Periodic Table of Elements from your high school Chemistry class days. The Periodic Table contains 94 different metals. Today, we’re going to explore a small portion of that when it comes to UV printing on metals. Many industries rely on parts manufactured out of metal, as well as the expanding field of drinkware relying on stainless steel vessels. The demand for printing on metal for signs, tools, machined parts, metal housing cases, and drinkware is continually rising. Luckily, Inkcups has a complete solution for UV printing on metals whether it be by UV flatbed printer or cylindrical inkjet printing machine.

Pre-Treatment for Printing on Metals

Some metals, like stainless steel require pre-treatment for optimal adhesion. Stainless steel is one of the most used metals used today for drinkware and promotional products, followed by aluminum. The recommended practice for stainless steel is flame pre-treatment followed by a primer wipe.

What is Flame Pre-treatment?

Flame pre-treatment increases the surface energy of the substrate. Optimal adhesion is achieved when the surface of the vessel has a higher surface energy than that of the ink tension.

Primer Wipe for Stainless Steel

A wipe on primer is the most basic form of pre-treatment, with the operator manually wiping a lint-free towel loaded with primer onto a vessel. For stainless steel, we recommend loading the towel with GB primer, ensuring that your product will pass the scratch, tape and wash tests. The GB primer is a great option for stainless steel as well as various coated metals.

UV Ink for Printing on Metals

Pre-treatment and the correct choice of ink should be considered as a dynamic duo for superior abrasion resistance.  Like pre-treatment, ink is specific to the material of substrate. After flame and primer wipe, decorate your stainless steel product with S1 UV inkjet ink for wear resistant, high resolution print results. The S1 ink line is made up of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, White and Varnish to achieve full color graphics on metal products, suitable for industrial industries and drinkware companies alike.

Printing Machines for Metals

Metal substrates are a tricky surface to print on. However, Inkcups has an option to ease the journey each step of the way. Join the other businesses basking in Inkcups’ innovation when it comes to printing on metal. Pre-treat with specially formulated primer for metals. Print with specially formulated inks for metals on any of Inkcups’ digital printing machines. Whether you’re looking to print on cylindrical, flat or slightly curved objects, we have you covered. The Helix® line of printers, (Helix®, Double Helix®, and Revolution®) will produce stunning graphics on assorted cylindrical products. Meanwhile, the collection of Inkcups’ UV flatbed printers can accommodate any other product you need to print on. Print stunning graphics on unique products, print important safety instructions on industrial parts, or print barcodes directly onto objects for ease of packaging.

Whatever your need for printing on metal, Inkcups has a tried-and-true solution for you, contact us today.