Water-based gravure inks and lamination adhesives for flexible packaging
Flexible packaging is printed, laminated and converted — and each step taxes the one before it. chemlinkai supplies water-based gravure inks, overprint varnishes and solvent-free laminating adhesives as one system, engineered from in-house waterborne resins and tested for drying, bond strength and residual solvents on your structure.
Who it is for
Converters running gravure or flexo on flexible films and foils — food, pet and household packaging, labels and pouches — who print, laminate, or do both in one plant.
The hub is written for process engineers who measure drying capacity, residual solvents and bond strength, and for plants moving from solvent-based to water-based printing step by step.
Which production problems do flexible packaging converters bring to us?
- Residual solvent or odor limits on laminated structures — we match ink and adhesive to your drying capacity and measure the finished structure.
- Bond strength that dips after aging — we review the adhesive, surface treatment and cure schedule in that order, on your films.
- Adhesion on treated PE, PET or foil surfaces — surface energy, coating weight and binder selection are screened before anything else.
- Foam, pinholes or retraction at high speed in water-based gravure — the correction is formulation-level, not a press-side additive.
- Inconsistent white ink opacity and coverage on film — dispersion quality and strength management are treated as one workflow.
- Quick changeover to a new film structure — we qualify from a role matrix instead of starting from zero.
Recommended system
System roles across a print-and-laminate structure. The exact grade is selected per project during application testing.
| Layer / step | chemlinkai system | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Film / foil surface | Surface-conditioned ink system | Adhesion on treated film and foil without process-side additives |
| Gravure printed layer | Water-based gravure ink system | Color strength, dot definition, drying and rewind behavior |
| Flexo surface print | Water-based flexo surface ink system | Anilox transfer, coverage and drying on surface-print jobs |
| Overprint role | Water-based varnish system | Scuff, slip and barrier contribution where specified in your structure |
| Lamination adhesive | Solvent-free laminating adhesive system | Bond strength, cure speed and aging behavior in your film combination |
| Curing & slitting | Cure-matched adhesive matrix | Time-to-slit and bond development matched to your production flow |
System roles are described functionally and mapped to your structure during application testing. Current documentation is released after final verification.
From film unwind to release testing — printing, lamination and curing run as one controlled route.
Drying rate, residual solvent, bond strength and aging data is recorded per project on your film and adhesive combination, then published after verification and customer approval. Request the current summary for your structure and we will reply within 2 business days.
Trial process in four steps
Ink and adhesive are qualified together, so the trial matches the production structure.
Share structure
Films, print design, lamination conditions, line speed and the specification you must hold.
Lab matching
We select ink and adhesive roles and prepare candidates against your stated targets.
Sample & test
You run the print and lamination trial on your line, with agreed test methods.
Optimize & supply
Formulation is tuned from trial feedback, then batch supply starts with QC and traceability.
Case studies are published after customer approval. Ask us for reference conversations in your segment.
Documentation
Documents for each delivered system are released after final verification. Request the current version with your project scope.
Documents marked “pending” are released after final verification — request the current version through the form and we will send it with the applicable scope.
Common questions
Can water-based gravure ink hold the output of solvent-based ink on our line?
That depends on your drying capacity, cell geometry and substrate — not just the ink. We start from a drying-curve test on your press and report the real headroom before you change anything.
Do you supply ink and lamination adhesive as one matched system?
Yes. We treat ink, varnish and adhesive as one system, because bond strength and residual solvents sit at the interface between printing and lamination. Lab matching covers both steps together.
How is lamination bond strength validated before supply?
On your structure — films, adhesive, cure schedule and aging windows. Results are reported per test. We do not state guarantees that depend on your line conditions.
What changes when we convert from solvent-based to water-based?
Drying physics, substrate treatment demands and press-side viscosity control. We scope the conversion with you: which jobs convert first, what the oven must deliver, and what stays solvent-based.
Which documents come with a trial shipment?
TDS, SDS and batch COA, plus compliance declarations where applicable, released after final verification for the confirmed system. Request the current version through the form.
Where are your products manufactured?
Manufacturing bases are in Hangzhou, Lishui, Linyi and Guigang, with formulation and application development in the Hangzhou R&D institute. As of September 2026.
Send us your film structure and lamination conditions.
Describe your films, print process and the specification you must hold — our application engineers will recommend the ink and adhesive system, confirm documentation scope and set up the trial.