THE COST BENEFITS In the data supplied to us by L&E, Vice President Glenn Thore gave us a glimpse of the potential cost savings. In the year 2000, the cost for shipping solvent waste off site was US$8,925. When Thore compared the cost of the 7 percent surfactant used for the water wash solution against that of solvent he found that the savings would amount to US$16,598. We can speculate that there would be other cost reductions associated with the use of this type of waterless ink: Solvent and soiled shop towel storage costs would be eliminated since special containers or enclosures for storing them would not be needed. Property and casualty insurance costs might be reduced since there are no flammability hazards associated with solvents. Shop towels could conceivably be laundered on site or at less cost off site. Air pollution control devices could be eliminated Regulatory compliance and paperwork costs could be reduced or eliminated. Permitting fees could be reduced or completely eliminated. These potential savings add to the already substantial cost advantages of having eliminated the labor and materials expenses connected with press dampening systems.

L&E LOOKS TO HUGE VOC REDUCTIONS WITH WATER WASHABLE INKS

According to estimates based on year 2000 chemical usage, L&E Packaging's use of a water washable ink system will cut volatile organic compound (VOC) releases by 86 percent. This reduction adds to the already considerable environmental advantages offered by the waterless printing.

The reduction would be even higher if it was not for the fact that L&E continues to use several duplicator printing presses for specialty work. In addition, L&E still needs to use substantial but shrinking amounts of VOC containing solvent-based varnishes and water based coatings for its customers. Other totally dedicated waterless printers around the world could conceivably cut VOC emissions by more than 95 percent by using these new inks.

L&E Packaging of Greensboro, North Carolina was one of the first American printers to embrace waterless printing. Unlike many printers who adopted waterless printing for ultra high screen rulings and high ink densities, they chose the process to help reduce spoilage and improve color consistency. L&E prints what are commonly known as hang tags for clothing manufacturers.

Now, with nine years of waterless printing experience, L&E Packaging is one of America's biggest producers of waterless printing. The firm's waterless printing presses include three 40 inch (102cm) machines totaling 17 printing units, one half-size six-color press, a two-color 36 inch and a four-color two page press.

Beginning in 1991, L&E took a studied approach to waterless printing. The firm used data collected from a six-color press before it was converted to waterless, then L&E compared it to the same press which had been running waterless for a year. After the waterless conversion there was a 54 percent increase in total impressions, a 28 percent decrease in average makeready time and a 57 percent reduction in non-chargeable time. Since 1991, they have achieved a remarkable 84.7 percent reduction in spoilage caused by color variation. This reduction was achieved at the same time sales or turnover more than doubled.

Nearly three years ago L&E agreed to trial water washable inks for Sun Chemical. After hundreds of hours of press time devoted to testing different ink formulations L&E is now using the four color process set full time.

Passing the Tests

The product has passed every compatibility test from hot stamping to coatings and it has performed exceptionally well on press. Another strong benefit inherent in the new ink set is an overall reduction in ink tack. Waterless inks have long been associated with higher tack ratings than conventional offset printing inks. With the advent of Sun's new ink, tack ratings are from three to five units lower than their standard waterless ink. According to a Sun official they range from 9 to 13 tack units. Under certain conditions these lower tack ratings will reduce picking problems with some substrates.

What's Wrong with VOCs

The solvent based inks and blanket wash are composed of VOCs or volatile organic compounds that readily evaporate into the air. In addition to contributing to air toxicity and urban smog, VOC emissions contribute to the Earth's greenhouse effect and, in so doing, are said to be a cause of global warming. Not only are these products threats to the environment, they also represent human health hazards (see Toluene).

Greener Than Ever

Although it is too early to assess the overall cost and productivity impact on L&E's operations, we can definitely conclude that VOC emissions will be slashed dramatically. With high solvent inks and press washes, L&E's year 2000 VOC release estimates are 5.38 US tons (4.9 metric). They are relatively low for a printer of its size, due in part to the fact that all their larg

er sheetfed printing presses are waterless.

Because of the printing industry's inherent need for VOC laden solvents, many environmental regulatory agencies have targeted printers for regulation and control. In Switzerland, for example, VOCs are taxed at the rate of one Swiss Franc per liter. Specific emission control standards are required in the United States for "major sources" that release more than 10 tons of VOCs per year.

There are printers throughout the world emitting thousands of thousand of tons of VOCs annually (see side bar about toluene). There are nearly 50,000 graphic arts establishments in the United States alone. The adoption of waterless printing and water-washable inks would make a significant impact on the printing industry's contribution to VOC emissions.

Will the Industry Respond?

Widespread use of waterless printing is not likely to happen unless there are more than the Presstek and Toray brands of waterless plates on the market. The availability of waterless plates is presently limited and the costs for them are higher compared to conventional plates. On the other hand, many printers have already demonstrated the economic advantages of waterless printing.

Although there are a significant number of waterless plate patents filed in the past few years, none have yet reached the market (for details see the May 2000 issue of Waterless Currents).

At least one industry pundit has touted the development of this new ink product as the most significant in the history of printing, it remains to be seen if the rest of the printing world will respond. Meanwhile L&E and other waterless printers can take great comfort knowing that a giant environmental leap forward has been made.