Pump and valve fill the White Ink IBC from each solvent IBC, the mixer blends it in place, then the finished ink transfers through the pipe to the press.
The same fill → mix → transfer sequence, as an operator actually sees it — recipe percentages, valve/pump status, and tank levels on one screen. No manual metering, no paper batch sheets.
Each solvent runs on its own SS316 line into the press, metered by valve to the percentage the active ink recipe calls for. Lines for solvents not used in the current recipe simply stay closed.
How the system above actually prepares each ink type, and why running it as a closed automatic system matters on the floor.
NC resin needs two things to stay in solution: a fast "true solvent" and a "latent" alcohol that keeps the resin stable. Left with only one, the resin either won't dissolve cleanly or dries too fast on press.
White NC ink base is metered into the IBC alongside this blend at a recipe-set ratio (typically around 50% EA / 30% ETH / 20% NPA, adjusted to your supplier's resin), mixed to spec, then held ready for transfer.
PU resin is chemically simpler to hold in solution than NC — it dissolves cleanly in ester without needing an alcohol component — which is part of why PU inks are the standard choice for lamination-grade printing (better bond strength, heat and chemical resistance).
Because PU doesn't need the alcohol component, the ETH and IPA lines simply stay closed for this recipe — same IBC, same pumps, different valve set opened by the control panel.
Both recipes run through the same physical station: white ink base and the recipe's solvent blend are pumped into the White Ink IBC, agitated by the in-tank mixer until uniform, then held at the target viscosity until the press calls for it. Once mixed, ink transfers directly through dedicated SS316 piping to the press — the batch is never opened, decanted, or handled by hand.
A separate viscosity trim line, drawn from the same bulk solvent supply, doses small live additions directly into the press-side ink feed during the run — countering solvent evaporation so viscosity holds in spec continuously, not just at the moment of mixing.
PLC-sequenced pumps and valves run the entire fill → mix → transfer cycle without an operator metering anything by hand.
Closed SS316 pipe transfer end to end — no open pouring, no exposed containers at any stage of the process.
Batches are mixed to the exact volume the press needs, so there's no leftover mixed ink sitting around going out of spec.
The live trim line corrects for solvent evaporation through the run, instead of drifting until someone notices and re-mixes.
Chemically resistant to ester/alcohol solvents, rated for continuous industrial duty without degrading over time.
Every batch's recipe, timing, and solvent ratio is logged automatically by the control panel — no paper batch sheets to lose.