The Metall Ink project: Sappi, Eckart and GT Trendhouse 42 join forces on sustainable finishing tech

28 Jul 2022 --- Sappi is joining forces with metallic and pearlescent pigments producer Eckart and finishing specialist GT Trendhouse 42 to create an environmentally sustainable alternative for metallic effects to existing finishing processes that require films. 

For the project – branded as the Metall Ink project – Sappi contributed its premium Algro Design Nature paperboard along with its expertise in coating substrates, in-depth knowledge of finishing capabilities and specific requirements in surface quality, printability, formability and processability.

Since the Metall Ink finishing alternative does not require any foil, neither as a carrier nor as the effect provider itself, fossil-based production materials and their costs can be saved. With this in mind, Sappi anticipates that the Metall Ink process for decoration applications will come at a lower CO2 footprint.

Combining expertise for consumer demand
In the face of the climate crisis, the demands made on materials for the packaging market today in terms of environmental sustainability, such as recyclability, carbon footprint and suitability for the circular economy, are “skyrocketing,” highlights Sappi.

At the same time, packaging needs to achieve a greater impact at point of sale, with attention-grabbing finishes such as metallic effects. This was the challenge that brought together Sappi, Eckart (part of Altana Group) and GT Trendhouse 42.

The Metall Ink finishing alternative does not require any fossil-based production materials.Beginning in September 2021, the three partners began to explore the possibility of whether a more environmentally sustainable, cost-effective and premium quality alternative to established foil-based finishing processes – such as hot-foil stamping and cold transfer – could be developed using printing technology.

“This project is about so much more than simply showcasing the partners’ products – be it paper, pigments or the latest printing and finishing technologies,” explains Lars Scheidweiler, head of packaging solutions at Sappi Europe.

“We decided to think well outside the box on this project – to create a better and more comprehensive solution with our synergistic expertise in different areas.”

A third approach for easier recycling
The companies combined their skills to create a third approach alongside the established hot-foil stamping and cold-transfer to achieve high-impact metallic finishing effects.

The three partners’ goal was to ensure that these print-based metallic effects are similarly attractive to other processes in terms of visual and tactile impact and relating to further processability, such as embossing or scratch resistance.

Another key objective is to ensure the refined packaging material retains its monomaterial character for easy recycling and hence the preservation of valuable resources for the circular economy while minimizing process waste.

In the case of conventional hot-foil stamping, for example, it isn’t only the metallic foil that produces waste. The packaging board refined in the process, which until now was a fiber-based monomaterial, also becomes a composite material that is difficult to recycle.

The state-of-the-art process is said to open up new opportunities for the industry: “With the traditional finishing processes, you can rely on suppliers who have the technology for hot-foil stamping or cold-transfer in addition to the required printing process,” says Christoph Sontheimer, global head of business development at Eckart.

“With the Metall Ink approach, finishing can be similarly premium but carried out via printing, opening premium metallic decoration to many more suppliers. This would guarantee widespread availability,” he concludes.

By Natalie Schwertheim

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