Catherine Diamond, Associate Editor01.25.16
Suppliers say that 2015 was a good year for milling equipment, as well as for improvements in the printing ink industry as a whole.
Dave Peterson of EMI Mills said that the equipment market for 2015 seemed to be similar to 2014, though with some additional interest in nano milling “to possibly improve some ink dispersions and provide a competitive advantage.
“Inkjet and security type inks continue to be of interest,” Peterson continued. “Ink companies are always looking at new product research and their suppliers are also looking to provide technical support. In this area we continue to provide laboratory bead mills and dispersers for small sample production.”
Hockmeyer Equipment’s Tim Mizell reported that Hockmeyer Equipment saw a marginal increase in business and in capital investments during 2015. He added that the packaging market enjoyed the strongest growth, and he sees significant interest in nanotechnology. Mizell noted that the upcoming US presidential election is having an impact on capital investment.
“It is an election year, so people are a little uneasy about spending their money regarding the uncertainty of the future,” Mizell said.
Christine Banaszek of Charles Ross & Son Co. said that 2015 was a year of double-digit growth in overall mixer sales throughout the process industries, just as 2014.
“The ink and coatings industry remains in the top five of all the markets we serve. There is increasing demand for high-performing yet economical equipment such as high speed dispersers, high shear mixers, paddle blade agitators, dual-shaft mixers and three roll mills,” she said.
In addition to improvements in the printing industry, suppliers reported improvements in capital investments as well. Patrik Maeder of Buhler said that in general, companies have been evaluating their production processes to lower production cost, improve process quality, safety and overall efficiency.
“Investments have been made into technology upgrades on existing equipment, replacement of outdated, obsolete technology and adding new production processes,” he said.
Specialty inks, like electronic and 3D, were “robust” in 2015, according to Tim Milligan of Exakt Technologies. The market was driven by flexible and transparent electronics, PV and solar applications, he said.
Milligan added that in 2015, capital seemed to be easier to get, or the projects were delayed long enough to reach critical mass. “We are hopeful the pace will be maintained,” he added.
Peterson said that he expects 2016 to be similar to 2015, as requests for budget quotes seem to be strong. “It appears companies are still gearing up for future business,” he said.
A representative of Sunin Machine Ltd. Co. said that while a few customers invested in renewing equipment to produce non-organic/water-based paint, the company believes that in 2016, the main market for architectural and wood paint will be in Southeast Asia.
“Mainland China and Taiwan will turn their focus on lithium iron phosphate or thermal isolation material,” the official added.
According to Sunin Machine, Southeast Asia - especially Thailand, Vietnam and Laos - are developing countries where the ink and paint industries see big opportunities.
The markets that indicate the strongest growth areas vary by specialty, but suppliers as a whole are expecting positive changes in the coming year. Peterson, of EMI Mills, said that for bead milling, “the market of most interest is the digital ink market, whether it is for product research or full-scale production.”
Ink manufacturers often have a list of specifications for their equipment, and milling and mixing is no different. Milligan said that he finds most customers are looking for “performance, the ability to achieve the desired dispersion or particle size distribution; consistency, the ability to reproduce the same material time after time; quick and complete clean up with minimal liquid/solvent; and minimal cleavage loss.”
Maeder, of Buhler, said he believes that ink manufacturers will be interested in retrofits and updates to existing equipment in order to increase equipment efficiency and safety.
“Also of interest will be new milling technologies for improved dispersion, increased production, production quality improvements and automation,” he said.
Peterson of EMI Mills said, “We find most manufacturers are looking for suppliers and partners that will not only provide the equipment but be available to provide technical support going forward.”
New Products
Milling and mixing equipment manufacturers are constantly developing new products for their ink customers. Exakt Technologies has introduced enhancements to its E-Series three roll mills. EMI Mills has introduced a new laboratory mill that can use bead sizes less than 0.3 mm diameter and is convertible from a self-contained recirculation mill to keep volumes to a minimum, but can be converted to a higher volume mill with the addition of an external feed system. The mill also includes an internal pre-milling step to refine the material as it enters the milling chamber.
Sunin’s traditional equipment can now adopt a high-chromium steel as its milling/grinding interface. The company can now provide different material such as ceramic, SiC, YSZ and PU to meet different type of inorganic printing ink.
Buhler has introduced its MicroMedia agitated bead mill for the use of micro beads. It has been developed for the production of high-value nano-dispersions as well as significant increases in product throughput. The wide application spectrum of the MicroMedia mill comprises both the conservative treatment by soft dispersing and the true grinding in high-energy mode.
Ross now offers explosion-proof high speed dispersers with NEMA 7&9 operator panel and special grounding provisions. Suitable for use in hazardous environments where flammable vapors, liquids, solids and/or dusts are present, these mixers include grounding systems designed to ensure that the vessel is properly grounded before the agitator is allowed to operate. The control panel features start, stop and emergency stop push buttons, a speed potentiometer, digital readout for agitator speed and a 16-foot grounding clamp device. Also supplied on the mixer are explosion-proof limit switches for locking out the motor if the blade is in a raised position or a mix vessel is not in place.
Dave Peterson of EMI Mills said that the equipment market for 2015 seemed to be similar to 2014, though with some additional interest in nano milling “to possibly improve some ink dispersions and provide a competitive advantage.
“Inkjet and security type inks continue to be of interest,” Peterson continued. “Ink companies are always looking at new product research and their suppliers are also looking to provide technical support. In this area we continue to provide laboratory bead mills and dispersers for small sample production.”
Hockmeyer Equipment’s Tim Mizell reported that Hockmeyer Equipment saw a marginal increase in business and in capital investments during 2015. He added that the packaging market enjoyed the strongest growth, and he sees significant interest in nanotechnology. Mizell noted that the upcoming US presidential election is having an impact on capital investment.
“It is an election year, so people are a little uneasy about spending their money regarding the uncertainty of the future,” Mizell said.
Christine Banaszek of Charles Ross & Son Co. said that 2015 was a year of double-digit growth in overall mixer sales throughout the process industries, just as 2014.
“The ink and coatings industry remains in the top five of all the markets we serve. There is increasing demand for high-performing yet economical equipment such as high speed dispersers, high shear mixers, paddle blade agitators, dual-shaft mixers and three roll mills,” she said.
In addition to improvements in the printing industry, suppliers reported improvements in capital investments as well. Patrik Maeder of Buhler said that in general, companies have been evaluating their production processes to lower production cost, improve process quality, safety and overall efficiency.
“Investments have been made into technology upgrades on existing equipment, replacement of outdated, obsolete technology and adding new production processes,” he said.
Specialty inks, like electronic and 3D, were “robust” in 2015, according to Tim Milligan of Exakt Technologies. The market was driven by flexible and transparent electronics, PV and solar applications, he said.
Milligan added that in 2015, capital seemed to be easier to get, or the projects were delayed long enough to reach critical mass. “We are hopeful the pace will be maintained,” he added.
Peterson said that he expects 2016 to be similar to 2015, as requests for budget quotes seem to be strong. “It appears companies are still gearing up for future business,” he said.
A representative of Sunin Machine Ltd. Co. said that while a few customers invested in renewing equipment to produce non-organic/water-based paint, the company believes that in 2016, the main market for architectural and wood paint will be in Southeast Asia.
“Mainland China and Taiwan will turn their focus on lithium iron phosphate or thermal isolation material,” the official added.
According to Sunin Machine, Southeast Asia - especially Thailand, Vietnam and Laos - are developing countries where the ink and paint industries see big opportunities.
The markets that indicate the strongest growth areas vary by specialty, but suppliers as a whole are expecting positive changes in the coming year. Peterson, of EMI Mills, said that for bead milling, “the market of most interest is the digital ink market, whether it is for product research or full-scale production.”
Ink manufacturers often have a list of specifications for their equipment, and milling and mixing is no different. Milligan said that he finds most customers are looking for “performance, the ability to achieve the desired dispersion or particle size distribution; consistency, the ability to reproduce the same material time after time; quick and complete clean up with minimal liquid/solvent; and minimal cleavage loss.”
Maeder, of Buhler, said he believes that ink manufacturers will be interested in retrofits and updates to existing equipment in order to increase equipment efficiency and safety.
“Also of interest will be new milling technologies for improved dispersion, increased production, production quality improvements and automation,” he said.
Peterson of EMI Mills said, “We find most manufacturers are looking for suppliers and partners that will not only provide the equipment but be available to provide technical support going forward.”
New Products
Milling and mixing equipment manufacturers are constantly developing new products for their ink customers. Exakt Technologies has introduced enhancements to its E-Series three roll mills. EMI Mills has introduced a new laboratory mill that can use bead sizes less than 0.3 mm diameter and is convertible from a self-contained recirculation mill to keep volumes to a minimum, but can be converted to a higher volume mill with the addition of an external feed system. The mill also includes an internal pre-milling step to refine the material as it enters the milling chamber.
Sunin’s traditional equipment can now adopt a high-chromium steel as its milling/grinding interface. The company can now provide different material such as ceramic, SiC, YSZ and PU to meet different type of inorganic printing ink.
Buhler has introduced its MicroMedia agitated bead mill for the use of micro beads. It has been developed for the production of high-value nano-dispersions as well as significant increases in product throughput. The wide application spectrum of the MicroMedia mill comprises both the conservative treatment by soft dispersing and the true grinding in high-energy mode.
Ross now offers explosion-proof high speed dispersers with NEMA 7&9 operator panel and special grounding provisions. Suitable for use in hazardous environments where flammable vapors, liquids, solids and/or dusts are present, these mixers include grounding systems designed to ensure that the vessel is properly grounded before the agitator is allowed to operate. The control panel features start, stop and emergency stop push buttons, a speed potentiometer, digital readout for agitator speed and a 16-foot grounding clamp device. Also supplied on the mixer are explosion-proof limit switches for locking out the motor if the blade is in a raised position or a mix vessel is not in place.