UV cured inks have traditionally been considered unsuited to car wrapping, due to their brittle nature causing cracking and flaking when moulded into curves and contours. However, Mimaki's latest, more flexible, LED-UV curable inks offer car wrappers an exciting alternative to eco-solvents and latex/resin, the company claims.
The global vehicle wrapping industry’s estimated value (including paint replacement films) surpassed a whopping USD$4.3billion at the end of 2021 and is forecast to increase over the coming years, with a predicted CAGR of 21.8%, representing USD$25.49 by 2030. Evidently, there has been huge momentum in the industry, and the various inroads that have led to this come from advancements in the technology and materials used, from the film, ink, adhesives to the printer itself. (source: Straits Research)
Custom wrap designs are now common on the streets, fleets and racetracks around the world. Personal expression above 'factory paint' is a major growth driver, as are advertising opportunities on trucks, trams and trains.
Newer forms of customisation are now dominating the scene and gone are the days custom paint jobs - wraps can provide more dynamic graphics while preserving the underlying factory paint - and resale values of used cars.
Wrappers use large-format roll-to-roll printers to print colours, designs and now textures, onto a vinyl film (usually cast) with an adhesive layer, that is then fixed to the vehicle using a heat gun to trigger the adhesive, carefully squeegee'd into evey valley and contour of the car's body. Eco-solvent and latex inks are currently the staple for wrappers, renowned for their durability, flexibility and ability to penetrate the vinyls and bacome a part of the film. However, eco-solvent wraps require time to dry the inks before the lamination process can take place, typically between 6 to 24 hours depending on ink type. Latex inks are dry shortly after printing due to the high heat applied, but tend to fall short of eco-solvent's colour vibrancy.
Training in profficient wrapping is essential and this is mostly offered by the film manufacturers themselves, such as Orafol, 3M, Hexis, Avery Dennison, Arlon and others.
Printer and ink manufacturer Mimaki realised that, to save wrappers time and money, a new approach to UV curing was needed, as UV instantly cures the special inks by activating the photo-initiators in the polymers - but since the ink sits on the surface of the film, there was always the brittleness factor when stretched and moulded. Mimaki's R&D has resulted in the new LUS-170 and LUS-190 inks, which both flexible and UV-cured.
Thanks to Mimaki's LUS-170 and LUS-190 inks, originally developed for the decorating world, Mimaki is demonstrating that these UV inks are more than suitable for car wrapping. The company also claims that the results exceed those of existing methods, in terms of both quality and performance. When combined with one of Mimaki’s UV roll-to-roll printers, such as the UCJV-300, which cure the ink as part of the printing process, it was found that the end-to-end process was significantly faster.
With extreme flexibility and material adhesion, the LUS inks can achieve high detail accuracy and precision levels. In addition, different finishes can be realised where never before, such as glossy and matte, and even embossed effects, using multiple passes..
Mimaki also says that LUS UV-cured inks offer extreme resistance to external factors, such as weathering, washing, stones, etc. Despite this, the removal of the wrapping made with Mimaki's UV inks is easy to perform, unlike previous methods, and leaves the machine's bodywork completely intact.
To Wrap it Up
The continued popularity of car wrapping, bolstered by advancements in digital inkjet printing, will inevitably lead to further exciting developments and possibilities, enticing more and more companies and end-users in. What’s more, as the capabilities continues grow, innovative creatives are starting to look beyond wrapping only vehicles - boats for example. Whether for business or pleasure, vinyl wrapping will grow, and Mimaki will be there every step of the way.
