This is a big step for Varcotec, which specialises in varnishes. This German company launched, two years ago, Lock 3, a varnish for prints that is unique in the world: it is antibacterial . And with the coronavirus epidemic, innovation quickly found its audience, even if printed surfaces are not a great danger. In France, The Manufacture d'Histoires Deux-Ponts located in Isère was the first to offer antibacterial printed matter This was quickly followed by other printing companies. Until now, however, printers in France have had to buy directly from the manufacturer.
Today, Siegwerk, one of the leading manufacturers of printing inks for packaging and labels, announced the signing of a commercial partnership with Varcotec for the European-wide distribution of Lock 3.
"We are very pleased that a leading player in the printing ink and packaging industry like Siegwerk is our partner and is integrating our unique and innovative coating technology into a considerably larger and international sales structure" commented Jens Frings, Varcotec's managing director.
Developed in cooperation with the University of Regensburg in Germany, Lock 3 has shown its antimicrobial effectiveness in several tests from different institutions.
"So far, it has not been possible to apply a reliable coating on absorbent substances - such as paper and cardboard - that would destroy germs continuously and permanently" says Jens Frings, Varcotec's Director of Sales and Development. "With Lock 3, we've been able to develop a varnish that can reduce germ load on a wide range of printed products under ambient lighting conditions."
The Lock 3 water-based overprint varnish contains a patented substance based on the principle of photodynamics: the photocatalyst is activated by visible light and transfers the energy absorbing the surrounding oxygen.
Tests have shown that this varnish can kill bacteria (according to ISO 22?196 mod on paper and cardboard) and infectious viral particles (according to ISO 21702 mod) by more than 99%. Additional tests against other virus strains, including three members of the coronavirus family, are currently in the testing phase.
Lock 3 can be applied to paper and board using all commonly used printing machines and coating equipment. Tests for applications on plastic films are in progress.
