SAKATA INX (INDIA) LTD

Qs.-1What are the products being manufactured in your plant in India?

Ans. We manufacture both reverse and surface printing inks for gravure printing. The products for reverse printing are Lamiall & Lamitop and DX/DLO & DX-FR for surface printing.
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Qs.-2What is your standard packing size?

Ans. Standard packing size of our pails is 18 kg. for colours & 20 kg for white. We can also supply inks in drum packaging, if required.
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Qs.-3Which series of Sakata Inx is suitable for shampoo/Detergent jobs?

Ans. We have the entire range of ARSR (Alkali Resistant & Soap Resistant) inks in our range of products. For reverse printing, we recommend that you may use our Lamiall or Lamitop range of inks. In the case of surface printing, depending on the testing conditions specified by your buyer we may recommend our DX/DLO inks or specially made inks as per the substrate being used.
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Qs.-4Are Sakata Inx products highly priced?

Ans. Our inks have been found to be very cost effective and adds to the profitability of our customers. We have experienced higher mileage, lower wastages during printing, better ink transfer, longer cylinder life and fewer problems of streaking and cell filling. Moreover, the rheological stability of the inks are very good during long run or high-speed printing. In addition to this, higher bond strengths and much lower solvent retention properties have been measured. Another advantage is consistency achieved in our products. Sakata Inx products have no batch to batch variation and our customers can be sure that the inks supplied will be same in all properties, every time. We also do not have different series of inks for different customers! Our customer have experienced the above in some form or the other and feel that our inks have a very high level of quality and consistency and results into significant savings.
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Qs.-5How will I judge that your mileage/ink properties are better than competitor?

Ans. While it is difficult to ascertain the same, we have found that by using the same cylinders and printing moderate quantities of film under similar conditions it is possible to determine this. Of course, this involves accurate weighing of material used, maintenance of viscosities and correct estimation of the return inks after printing. In case you are interested in seeking our assistance to ascertain mileage, we shall be glad to do so. Kindly contact any of our offices for more details.
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Qs.-6Are your inks inter-mixable with the inks I am already using?

Ans. Our Lamiall range of inks is not inter - mixable with other inks. However, our Lamitop inks have been reported by users to be easily mixable. We suggest that before mixing our inks with any other brand of inks, that you check the compatibility to your satisfaction before usage. For best results, it is recommended that no mixing be done so that lowest solvent retention levels are attained on printed matter and higher bond strengths are achieved.
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Qs.-7Are your inks compatible with all grades of adhesives available in the market?

Ans.While it is impossible to check all grades of adhesives available in the market, we have found that our ink has no compatibility problems with adhesives commonly used for dry lamination. However, it is advised that compatibility of inks be thoroughly checked before solvent less lamination
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Qs.-8If I order inks now, when will you be able to deliver?

Ans. Sakata Inx dispatches all orders within 24 hours of order receipt. Of course, this excludes delays due to natural calamities, transporter strikes, breakdowns etc.
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Qs.-9If a special matching is required, how can/fast Sakata help me? What will I be required to do?

Ans.We normally match all colours given to us within 24 hours of receipt of complete information. Normally, we would require the target shade (both printed & laminated), the laminate structure, substrate to be used (in case of printing on non transparent films), heat resistant properties, ARSR properties and light fastness properties required. If additional information on cylinder configuration is available, it will greatly assist in achieving accuracy.
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Qs.-10Do you sell offset/flexo inks?

Ans. We manufacture only gravure printing inks in India. However, we assist in procurement of all grades of inks from our plants worldwide. For more information on our global range of products please click here or go to the products section mentioned above.
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Qs.-11If I face any problem in running your inks, how can you help me technically?

Ans. We have a very experienced team of engineers and technicians who can assist in trouble shooting & problem solving. The experience of our team ranges from ink formulation, films, adhesives, printing and lamination. Sakata Inx firmly believes in providing our customers with complete assistance with all areas regarding ink & its technology. For more details, please contact our representatives in our branch offices or email at info@sakatainx.com or call at 91-11-6416932/33.
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Qs.-12What is your ink kitchen facility? How can I get the benefit of it?

Ans. This facility has been encouraged by few of the leading converters in India. It exemplifies the close partnerships that converters & ink makers need and the synergy created which add value to the customer. We have experienced that this results into significant cost savings, effective ink management, controlled inventories and greater consistency while printing. Moreover, this provides a single window to the customer for all ink related issues and therefore enhances convenience.
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Qs.-13Which ink is better - the one which does not get transferred, or 50% transferred or the one which gets transferred fully to the laminated substrate?

Ans. We have found that the lower the transfer to the sealant layer, the better the bonding properties of ink. Of course, this is a comparative result of two laminates made under similar conditions and equal adhesive gsm.
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Qs.-14For surface printing on poly, I am facing high wastages due to non-adhesion of ink because in between the rolls, the treatment is very low. What can I do about it?

Ans. In such cases where the treatment level of film is suspect, you may use our DX 60 series of surface printing inks. These inks have been found to give good adhesion even on very low treated films. However, we recommend that you confirm the adhesion levels on such films before use.
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Qs.-15What bond strengths are achievable with Lamiall on PET/Poly structures?

Ans. We have experienced bond strengths in excess of 225 gm/15 mm on such structures on treated polyester. However, this may vary depending on the colour being measured.
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Qs.-16Can I use shallow etched cylinders with Lamiall for reverse printing?

Ans. Yes, because of the excellent resolubility and transfer properties of Lamiall, it is possible to use shallow etched cylinders. We have seen instances of dot transfer even in very low dot concentration areas. This is due to the high strength of Lamiall inks. In fact, leading cylinder manufacturers in India can now make specially designed cylinders, which are shallow etched especially for use with Lamiall.
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Qs.-17What temperature is to be maintained while printing with Lamiall, i.e. polyurethane inks?

Ans. Much lower temperatures can be maintained as compared with vinyl base inks. Generally, temperatures between 55 to 65 degrees centigrade can be kept at speeds ranging from 150 to 200 mm. On higher speeds, slight adjustments may be required depending on the design of print.
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Qs.-18Are inks available that do not undergo skinning during ink circulation while printing?

Ans. Our Lamiall range of inks tend to form negligible skin during ink circulation. However, this depends on ambient shop floor conditions. Our experience is that the tendency to form skin, even on prolonged usage, is very insignificant.
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Qs.-19Which grade of inks is suitable for boil & retort packaging?

Ans. Lamiall is suitable for both boil & retort packaging. For more details please contact any of our branch offices.
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Qs.-20What printing speeds are advisable for Lamitop inks?

Ans.    You can print at speeds ranging from 60 to 300 mpm by varying the viscosities of the inks.
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Qs.-21If I use your recommended solvent i.e. 50% Toluene in Lamitop inks, would I get odour problems?

Ans.   No, our Lamitop inks have been specially formulated to retain very low solvent levels. The basic property emanates from the binders selected, which tend to have excellent solvent release properties. If your requirement is to have solvent retention levels of lower that 3 mg/sq. meter, then we recommend that you use our Lamiall range of reverse gravure printing inks. Lamiall is polyurethane-based printing ink and is most suitable for food grade packaging or other applications that require low odour levels. We have a fully equipped laboratory and can check the solvent retained in your printed matter by gas chromatographic method. For more details please contact any of our offices or at info@sakatainx.com.
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Qs.-22Is it possible to do extrusion lamination of polypropylene directly on inks?

Ans.    Yes, we have ink on which this process can be applied. For more details please contact any of our branch offices.
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Qs.-23Which grade of PET films normally give the best results in terms of bond strengths?

Ans. Chemically coated films have been found to give the best bond strengths, followed by corona treated films.
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Qs.-24Can I get heat resistance properties of printed matter checked?

Ans. Yes, we have the facility in our laboratory to give you this result at varying temperatures, pressures and dwell times.
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Qs.-25Why do we get speckling (spot formation) while laminating printed matter with white undercoat to metallized films?

Ans. Normally, this tendency has not been observed with our Lamitop grade of reverse printing inks. The reason is the better wet ability property of Lamitop inks in relation to the surface energy of adhesives.
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Qs.-26Why is it necessary to shake ink containers before use?

Ans. Gravure printing inks tend to settle upon storage. This is more acute with whites & blacks. Therefore, shaking before usage is always recommended so that a homogenous mixture is formed and proper strength of ink is attained.
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Qs.-27Can you provide a food grade certificate for your inks?

Ans. Yes. Almost all our inks are designed for food grade packaging. Please contact any our branch offices for a food grade certificate.
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Qs.-28Which series of ink is suitable for packing masala & spices in laminates?

Ans. These products tend to be very aggressive in nature and can result in discoloration and poor bond strengths. We recommend our Lamiall and Lamitop range of reverse printing inks for these applications. However, it is essential to carefully select an appropriate laminate structure while designing such packaging.
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