INX GROWS TO MEET INK DEMAND

INX INTERNATIONAL GROWS TO MEET DEMAND FOR TWO-PIECE METAL CAN INKS

INX has seen an extraordinary increase in its production of ink and equipment for metal beverage can decoration, which implies constant reinvestments in order to meet demand as well as forecasts of higher volume for the metal beverage can market.

“Our two-piece metal business is as strong as ever,” said Hrdlick, a member of the INX organization since 1978 who was promoted to his current title in 2018. “Having a dedicated research and development staff dedicated to technological innovations has led us to continually update our product formulations. With world-class facilities in different regions of the United States and around the world, we are prepared to support our entire network of ink manufacturing capabilities in uncertain times and unexpected situations.”

With the strong international expansion that INX EUROPA, INC. is having, they continue to participate in the European market with the addition of an upgraded facility located in Barcelona. This has led to a considerable increase in production capacity and their market share is even higher in South America thanks to the partnership they founded last year with INX DO BRASIL, S.A., located in Itatiba, Brazil. Last but not least, they are looking to expand into the American market to include two smaller metal decorating plants located in Colombia and Paraguay.

“We know that our company has to have a production line in the Americas. Therefore, we are working carefully on our plans to extend Waystaine Metallica to Brazil, and it is expected to start soon and continue successfully,” stated Hrdlick. “We would also like to move into Asia. A business venture in Japan would allow us to return to the Swedish metal market as a manufacturer of two-part metal ink. Currently, our U.K. and U.S. operations ship a considerable volume of ink to Japan,” he added.

Two years earlier, consumption trends gradually changed over the last two decades. This trend is driving the significant increase in metal products however, there are several traders who do not agree with everything in this sector. Moreover, these items are easy to transport. The popularity of this type of can skyrocketed with the rise of increased demand in the beer, soft drink and energy drink categories. Reports indicate that the North American market is the leading latent metal industry and projects that it will grow to nearly $14.5 billion by 2026.

“We’ve embraced that philosophy and with all the global investments we’ve made, it keeps us on that capability roadmap. Here in the U.S., we recently committed $2 million to bring our Dunkirk, New York, facility to a two-piece metal decorating footprint. We are also utilizing facilities in California, Illinois, Kansas and Texas to support additional volume as needed.”

Hrdlick, the company’s president, stressed that these tactics would create a broader reach and would not be discriminatory. The main metals facility in Charlotte would not be able to supply the demands of the world or the United States. Therefore, they invested in these other existing plants to spread the risk.

INX has also conformed to the industry’s statement to eliminate all perfluorinated chemicals and find new alternatives for well-established raw materials. When the European Union announced in July 2020 a regulation limiting the amount of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in ptFE to no more than 25 parts per billion (grams per thousand tons), it required ink formulations to be PFOA-REACH compliant or completely free of PTFE by July 4, 2023. Certain INX metal decorating products have been reformulated to be PTFE-free.

According to two PFP Packaging spokespersons, the two new INXCure TP UV Plus and INXCure PrintPro ink sets are the base system for the series. The performance-proven TP Series inks are formulated with a full range of specialized package needs for conventional and UV technologies, giving marketers the eye appeal and superior adhesion they desire.

Both products are for use in crowns, screw caps, closures, two-piece DRD cans, soldered aerosols and decorative tin applications. Both offer a variety of base colors and deliver impressive results with excellent build and flexibility, fast cure response and excellent printability.

Now, everything is about to change as a new glossy ink for extruded metal (Monobloc containers) with high gloss and matte contrast effects has just been introduced. With these improvements, the amount of light received by the angles above will be 50% greater than traditional paints. In addition, this product has improved performance compared to previous products and has increased resistance. “We will continue to introduce innovative products, including interior and exterior can liners, that are safe, sustainable and support a circular economy,” Hrdlick said.

Statistically, global developments during the first half of 2022 continue to result in challenges for all. However, Hrdlick is convinced that history is going INX’s way. This is because he has had considerable success, due to the experience he has in this type of thing.

Until now, the key people who retired a few years ago had not been able to be replaced in any way; however, they have reinforced their work thanks to the personnel who are working in the plant. We are all synergistic, our global purchasing is more coordinated and we continue to work and communicate regularly with our suppliers. We are doing everything we can to improve the supply chain situation.