Sun Chemical opens coatings lab in New Jersey
Sun Chemical has reinforced its commitment to the graphic arts and packaging markets by opening a new coatings lab in its Carlstadt, New Jersey research and development facility.
The 11,000 square foot investment features new equipment and analytical support for studying migration, adhesion, permeability and other performance related coating phenomena. SEM microscopy, atomic force microscopy, IR surface mapping, surface energy measurement and many other techniques are used to advance the understanding of key coatings performance attributes.
A variety of equipment has been added to the new laboratory including gas transmission rate analysers, glass bottle testing instrumentation and coatings spraying equipment to develop new and improved water, solvent and energy curable primers, inks and coatings. A laboratory laminator will be added in 2017 to help study the interaction between ink, substrate, primers, overprint varnishes and laminating adhesives.
“The new Carlstadt coatings lab represents a major investment in our coatings business,” said Russell Schwartz, chief technology officer at Sun Chemical. “This enhanced capability will help us expand our product range offering into an evolving packaging market that includes laminating adhesives, glass decoration and printed electronics. The integration of coatings technology with ink, polymer and functional materials development within the same technical organisation and facility transcends product lines and geographical barriers. It will also help expand Sun Chemical’s Advanced Materials portfolio into industrial coatings applications.”
The lab is the fourth of its kind worldwide, joining similar laboratories located in the United Kingdom and DIC R&D centres in Japan. Sun Chemical’s global reach and understanding of global regulations, good manufacturing practices and specific food packaging regulations, gives the company the capability to develop and test water, solvent, energy curable coatings, including primers, overprints and materials in order to provide enhanced functionality, such as barrier properties.
“We’re excited about additional solutions we’ll be able to bring to the marketplace because of the new lab,” added Bob O’Boyle, product manager, coatings at Sun Chemical. “We’re developing new coating polymers. While many companies rely on commercially available polymers, Sun Chemical differentiates itself by developing proprietary polymers targeted for our specific industry and products. We’re also focusing on smart coatings for sensor enabled application equipment.”
