Direct screen printing onto containers has traditionally held a strong position in the decorating market, but with changing market conditions and competition from alternative decorating technologies, direct screen printing technology needs to be reinforced to compete successfully. Traditionally, ceramic enamels have been used for screen printing of glass containers. These so-called thermoplastic enamels flow at a temperature of 60-90 deg C, and are printed with electrically heated screens, solidifying immediately when printed on a cold glass container. However, after printing they have to be fired in a lehr at temperatures of up to 620 deg C and slowly brought back to room temperature for handling. This process can take several hours and is both expensive ad energy intensive. A recently developed UV ink system, produced by ISIMAT can replace traditional coating methods.
