INX INTERNATIONAL READY FOR METAL CAN INK DEMAND

INX International continues as a world leader in the metal decorating industry. Recognizing the myriad challenges that exist, the company’s president and CEO, John Hrdlick believes that after careful planning, strategic investments and hard work, INX is well positioned for the remainder of 2022.

Since 2020, INX has been expanding its two-piece metal decorating ink manufacturing facilities, laboratories, mixing centers and equipment by 45 percent, representing properties on three continents. These developments have allowed INX to stay ahead of the industry curve with increasing demand and higher volume forecasts for the metal beverage can market.

“Our two-piece metal business is as strong as ever. Having a 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 U.S. and around the world, we are prepared to support our entire network of ink manufacturing capabilities in uncertain times and unexpected situations,” says Hrdlick, a member of the INX organization.

In addition, as market leader in the United Kingdom, INX Europe has strengthened its efforts in Spain. The addition of an upgraded facility in Barcelona has increased production capacity. Market share has also improved considerably in South America since the merger in 2020 with parent company INX do Brasil. Its facilities in Itatiba, Brazil, serve as the main hub for two smaller metal decorating plants in Colombia and Paraguay.

“In the next few years, we plan to have a campus-style facility in Brazil that will include a metal decorating facility,” Hrdlick revealed. “Our business in Japan is considering re-entering the metals market in Asia, which would result in them investing in our facilities throughout Asia to directly supply two-part metallic ink. Currently, the U.S. and U.K. operations ship a considerable volume of ink to Japan.”

Research reports indicate that the North American metal can market alone was an $11 billion industry in 2020, and projects that it will grow to nearly $14.5 billion by 2026.

Addressing the recycling movement in the can market, Hrdlick said this is aligned with INX’s sustainability efforts for a circular economy. The creation of INX’s Coloring a Safe and Sustainable Future (CSSF) model results in every new product developed having a minimal impact on the environment. Driven by three specific areas, both process and product design for the environment and social responsibility, CSSF improves resource management and eliminates waste, including ink inventory management to help rework and recycle used inks.

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.

Also, two new PFAS-free flat sheet metal decorating ink sets from INX are the INXCure TP UV Plus base system and the INXCure PrintPro base system. 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.