Innovations in EB Printing Technology

Abstract

Radiation curable inks and coating have supported the growth of printing industry since the 1970s. Initially, the technology aimed to improve productivity to ensure instant curing; however, the trend is now shifting to support sustainable packaging innovation. This shift is attributed largely to the “global plastic pollution problem”; therefore, stakeholders in supply chain of flexible packaging are focusing on achieving global visions such as SDGs and COP. Thus, electron beam curable products have been proposed because photoinitiator is not an essential raw material in them, and their formulation is more flexible than that of UV or LED-UV curable products. Herein, we review the history of radiation curable product development, an overview of EB technology, and recent trends in the flexible packaging segment.