Introduction
The key raw materials used in the production of flexographic inks are petrochemical products like carbon black, resins, mineral oils, solvents, and intermediates. In flexible package printing, flexographic printing is an important printing process. It is popular in terms of printing on a wide range of substrates because of its versatility. Flexographic inks are highly adhesive to the substratum and offer an excellent quality of printing regardless of the material.
The report provides analysis of global Flexographic Printing Inks market for the period 2015-2026, wherein 2019 to 2026 is the forecast period and 2018 is considered as the base year. According to Acumen Research and Consulting, the global Flexographic Printing Inks market is expected to grow at noteworthy CAGR around 3.7 % throughout the forecast period and reach around US$ 6.5 billion by 2026.
Market Dynamics
One of the most important traditional printing processes is flexographic printing. It uses flexible plates for printing on different substrates. Flexographic printing has traditionally been known as aniline printing mainly because of the fact that flexographic printing presses used aniline-based inks. The process of flexographic printing is used mainly for printing on flexible materials, including on-top boxes, paper and plastic bags, folding boxes, milk cartons, cups and tags. Plastic, rubber or photopolymer are used in the flexographic printing process. The flexibility and longevity is therefore high. Flexographic plates have raised images rubbed against the substrate in order to produce the required substratum picture. The ink reservoir contains flexographic inks to the ink rolls. These rolls also supply the ink to anilox rolls, which monitor the ink and apply it to the cylinder that contains flexographic plates in the required quantity. These plates are pressed to create the required image on the substratum against the substrate.
Strict VOC emission regulations have forced ink companies in the production of printing inks to respect environmental, health and safety standards. In order to determine the quantity of VOCs in the inks, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) developed the' EpA Test Method 24.' Printing inks has a negative effect on the environment using inorganic solvents and toxic metals such as cadmium, hexavalent chromium, plumes and mercury.
Another key factor likely to limit the market for flexographic inks during the forecast period is the volatility in crude oil prices. Crude oil is one of the most important raw materials used in printing tin production. In recent years the price of crude oil has fluctuated markedly and the prices of flexographic inks have been adversely affected.
Market Drivers
The demand for such flexographic inks in turn driving growth in flexographic inks during the forecast period will likely be driven by a low cost and environmentally friendly product offering. Another factor that will drive the growth of flexographic ink market is the increasing demand for flexographic inks due to the increase of the printing industry. Increasing FDI investments in emerging economies and the US economy's stabilization further optimize market growth chances during the projected period. However, in Europe and China, the recent downturn will likely hamper market growth over the projected period.
Market Insights
The global flexographic ink market is divided into a water, solvent and UV cure market, depending on the type. Due to the low prices and the eco-friendly features of water based flexographic ink, the water sector holds a major share in the global market. The market can be divided into packaging (including flexible packaging, toll boxes, folding boxes, tags & labels, etc.) and others, based on application. The application of flexographic inks is the most common packaging application. A major part of the global market is represented by the packaging segment. The packaging sector is dominated by flexible packaging and corrugated containers.
These types of packaging have been increasingly adopted in medical and food & beverages industries in the last few years. Resin is classified in the global nitrocellulose, polyamide, polyurethane, acrylic and more market for flexographic inks. In terms of resin The segment of polyurethane represents the market share, closely followed by the segment of polyamide.
The packaging segment in the world flexographic inks market dominated in the flexible packaging sub-segment in 2017 with a sub-segment of corrugated containers. In applications such as spent containern and flexible emballages, flexographic inks are most commonly used, with the latter mainly used in the food and beverage industries. In cartons, folders, labels and newspapers, flexographic inks are also applied.
With regard to resin, nitrocellulose, polyurethane, polyamide, acrylic, and more are the global flexographic ink market. Polyurethane is also the most common resin used, as flexographic inks based on polyurethane can be used with plastic packaging such as flexible packaging, folding boxes, tags and labels. Polyurethane is also a resin as plastic packaging is widely used. During the forecast period this trend is expected to continue.
Regional Snapshots
Regarding the region, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa have been classified into the global flexographic tink market. A large share of the global market took place in 2017 in Asia Pacific. The demand for food & beverage and personal care packaging is expected to increase in order to achieve better esthetic packaging in Asia Pacific during the prediction period to boost the regional packaging sector. The flexographic inks market in Asia Pacific comprises China, India and Japan collectively. The region's market is expected to grow at a faster speed than the other regions ' market. In order to comply with government regulations, North America and Europe are both actively investing in the development and production of VOC-free inks. There is therefore projected to be a significant increase in demand for UV-treated inks in these regions over the next few years.
Market Segmentation
Global Flexographic Printing Inks Market, by Type
Global Flexographic Inks Market, by Application
Global Flexographic Inks Market, by Resin
Global Flexographic Printing Inks Market, by Geography
The market research study on “Flexographic Printing Inks Market (By Type: Water-based, UV-cured, Solvent-based; By Application: Packaging [Flexible Packaging, Tags & Labels, Corrugated Containers, Folding Cartons, Others], Others (Including Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals); By Resin: Nitrocellulose, Polyurethane, Polyamide, Acrylic, Others ) - Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Opportunities and Forecast, 2019 - 2026” offers detailed insights on global Flexographic Printing Inks market segments with market dynamics and their impact. The report also covers basic technology development policies.
Increasing consumer expenditures for the acquisition of goods and services have led to improved supplies by manufacturing companies and various services providers such as retailers as well as logistical service providers. This makes it possible for players in the printer industry to offer attractive printing solutions. In the global flexographic ink market, packaging applications account for about 50 percent of the market share.
Key Players & Strategies
Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co., Altana AG, are the leading manufacturers of flexographic inks. Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., KG, Flint Group, Sun Chemical Corporation. These multinationals have been pursuing a key strategy of inorganic growth for the past years. By developing a broad network of distributors and suppliers, they have increased their market penetration. The competition for local players has been considerable.
Manufacturers also focus on using various strategies for various regions. In Asia Pacific, for example, a number of well-known actors have formed strategic alliances with local players to strengthen their market share. Companies focused on establishing research facilities for the development of regional products with regard to the Near East, Africa and Latin America. Flexographic inks such as UV cured inks in Europe and North America are a priority supplement for manufacturers. They are environmentally friendly.