Metal Coatings

SunColour's Metal Coating products include a range of base enamels, internal lacquers, overprint varnishes, and specialty inks for printing and coating metal packaging. These products are offered for food, general-purpose, decorative, aerosol, and aluminum tube applications, taking into account the metal type, forming process, curing conditions, required resistance, and end use.

Features of SunColour Metal Coatings and Inks

Good adhesion to aluminum, TFS, and ETP sheets

Suitable resistance to sterilization and pasteurization

High flexibility for metal packaging forming operations

Suitable resistance to impact, scratches, and manufacturing processes

Available in white, clear, gold, silver, and matte finishes

Suitable for food cans, general-purpose cans, lids, aerosols, tubes, and decorative packaging

METAL COATING SOLUTIONS

Metal Coating and Printing Products

Metal Base Enamels

Metal base enamels are applied as base coatings on metal sheets. They prepare the surface for printing while providing the required coverage, flexibility, and resistance.

Enamel Type	Product Base	Features and Applications
High-Resistance White Base Enamel	Amino Polyester	High sterilization resistance, good flexibility, and high opacity
White Enamel for Can Bodies and Ends	Polyester	Designed for metal packaging bodies and ends, with high flexibility and sterilization resistance
Clear Base Enamel	Amino Polyester	Clear coating with suitable sterilization resistance that preserves the metallic appearance
Matte White Enamel	Amino Polyester	Provides a matte white base coat for metal packaging and decorative applications
Clear Aerosol Enamel	Amino Polyester	Clear, glossy base coating for monobloc aluminum aerosols
Flexible White Enamel	Modified Polyester	Highly flexible white coating for surfaces subjected to forming during manufacturing
Silver Base Enamel	Amino Polyester	Provides a silver base coating for metal packaging and decorative applications

The appropriate enamel should be selected based on the metal type, forming operations, final color, curing conditions, and sterilization or pasteurization requirements.

Internal Lacquers for Metal Packaging

Internal lacquers protect the inside of metal packaging and provide suitable resistance to manufacturing processes, sterilization, pasteurization, scratching, and contact with the packaged contents.

Lacquer Type	Product Base	Features and Applications
White Internal Lacquer	Epoxy Phenolic	High sterilization resistance, good flexibility, and protection of the interior surface
Beige Internal Lacquer	Epoxy Phenolic	Beige internal lacquer with suitable scratch resistance
Easy-Open End Lacquer	Epoxy Phenolic or Polyester	Suitable for EOE applications, with high resistance to sterilization, scratching, and forming operations
Light Gold Internal Lacquer	Epoxy Phenolic	Light gold coating with high sterilization resistance
Dark Gold Internal Lacquer	Epoxy Phenolic	Dark-shade gold internal lacquer with high resistance during sterilization
Clear Internal Lacquer	Epoxy Phenolic or Polyester	Protects the interior surface while maintaining its metallic appearance and providing suitable resistance to heat treatment
Aluminum Protective Lacquer	Epoxy	Protects aluminum and provides suitable slip on the upper coating
White PVC Adhesion Lacquer	Polyester	White lacquer suitable for systems and components requiring PVC adhesion

BPA-NI Lacquers for Twist-Off Caps

Coating Types	Beige, Colored, and Clear
Product Base	BPA-NI Polyester
Application	Internal adhesive coating for twist-off caps
Features	High sterilization resistance and flexibility; made with raw materials suitable for the intended application

Metal Overprint Varnishes

Overprint varnishes protect inks, increase gloss or produce a matte finish, and improve the printed surface's resistance to scratching, heat treatment, and forming operations.

Varnish Base	Application Type	Features
Amino Polyester	WOD System	High sterilization resistance, good flexibility, and the ability to achieve high gloss
Epoxy Ester	WOW System and Food Can Bodies	Suitable pasteurization resistance and high flexibility
Amino Alkyd	WOD and WOW Systems	Pasteurization resistance for can bodies and availability of glossy grades
Matte Epoxy Ester	WOW System	Provides a matte appearance with suitable scratch resistance
Modified Polyester	Monobloc Aerosols and WOD System	High scratch resistance, with glossy or matte finish options
Polyester	General-Purpose Protective Coating	Forms a clear protective layer over the printed surface

METAL PRINTING INKS

Metal Printing Inks

Heat-Curing Alkyd Inks for Metal Cans

Ink Base	Heat-Curing Alkyd
Available Colors	Process, Pantone, and Custom Colors
Curing Conditions	150–170°C for approximately 12 minutes
Application	Three-piece industrial cans and cans subjected to pasteurization or retort processing
Features	Suitable impact resistance, high flexibility, and good overvarnishing properties

These inks are designed for decorating aluminum, TFS, and ETP metal sheets. To assist drying and control water emulsification, a fountain solution with a pH of approximately 5–5.5 is recommended.

Metal Inks for Food Packaging

Ink Base	Heat-Curing Alkyd
Colors	Process, Pantone, and Custom Shades
Curing Conditions	150–170°C for approximately 12 minutes
Overvarnishing Compatibility	Suitable for WOW and WOD systems
Lightfastness	Approximately 6–8 on the Blue Wool scale, depending on the shade

This product group is designed for printing on metal food packaging. The exact product must be selected according to the type of food, direct or indirect contact, thermal processing, and technical packaging requirements.

Specialty Inks for Aluminum Tubes and Monobloc Aerosols

Ink Base	Heat-Curing Alkyd
Colors	Process, Pantone, and Custom Colors
Curing Conditions	150–180°C for approximately 6–10 minutes
Application	Aluminum tubes and monobloc aluminum aerosols
Features	High color strength, suitable impact and scratch resistance, and good flexibility

UV Inks for Metal Printing

Product Type	Colors	Curing Conditions	Features
UV Acrylate Ink	Process, Pantone, and Custom	100–120 W/cm	Suitable curing, high impact resistance, and good flexibility
High-Strength UV Acrylate Ink	Process, Pantone, Custom, Color Pastes, Silver, and Gold	25–50 W/cm	High gloss and color strength, good printing efficiency, and suitable stability during printing and storage

UV inks can be used for two-piece and three-piece cans, industrial cans, and packaging subjected to pasteurization or retort processing. Depending on the shade, lightfastness may be approximately 5–8 on the Blue Wool scale.

Metal Printing Auxiliaries

Printing auxiliaries are used to adjust ink tack and viscosity, control drying, stabilize ink-water balance, and clean equipment.

Product Name	Usage Rate	Application and Usage Notes
Paste Reducer	Maximum 2–5%	Reduces ink viscosity and tack according to printing conditions
Softening Reducer	Maximum 1–3%	Excessive use may soften the ink, reduce color strength, and cause drying problems
White Ink Drier	1–2%	Accelerates the drying of white ink when needed
Ink Drier	0.4–0.6%	A drying catalyst; excessive use may cause ink to dry on the cylinder
Fountain Solution Concentrate	2% for water hardness of 12 dH and 3% for 18 dH	Controls ink-water balance, reduces corrosion risk, prevents mold growth, and protects the printing plate
Low-Alcohol or Alcohol-Free Concentrate	3–4%	Reduces or eliminates IPA, maintains a stable ink-water balance, and helps with rapid press cleaning
Offset Printing Alcohol	8–10%	Stabilizes ink-water balance, improves transfer over rollers, and enhances halftone definition and ink drying
UV Ink Reducer	Maximum 2–5%	Reduces tack and adjusts UV ink performance
UV Cleaning Thinner	As Required	Cleans blankets and rubber rollers in UV printing presses

Note: The percentages stated are maximum or recommended usage ranges. The exact dosage of each additive should be determined based on ink type, color, curing conditions, press speed, and print test results.

Metal Coating Auxiliaries

Product Name	General-Purpose Metal Coating Thinner
Compatible Products	Polyester and epoxy base enamels, gold lacquers, and overprint varnishes
Application	Adjusts viscosity and prepares coatings for the required production-line conditions

Main Applications

Three-Piece Food Cans

Three-Piece Industrial and General-Purpose Cans

Aluminum Tubes

Monobloc Aluminum Aerosols and Three-Piece Aerosols

Twist-Off Caps and Easy-Open Ends

Crown Caps and Metal Closures

Decorative Metal Boxes and Packaging

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Choosing the Right Metal Printing and Coating Product

Selecting the right product requires consideration of the metal type, packaging structure, printing and coating method, curing conditions, forming operations, contents, and expected resistance to sterilization, pasteurization, impact, and scratches.

SunColour specialists are available to provide technical consultation on selecting base enamels, internal lacquers, varnishes, printing inks, and auxiliaries suited to production-line conditions.

Products / Metal Coatings