Markem-Imaje is on its way to having all its fluids (inks & solvents) Methanol free.
Some fast moving fluids have already been made Methanol free and the rest will be done so by September 2008.
As a leader in the marking and coding industry Markem-Imaje has the obligation to provide the highest quality products and eliminate hazardous substances whenever possible.
After our commitment to comply with the RoHS Directive, we are embarking on an initiative to replace methanol by IPA (Propan-2-ol) in our consumables.
Removing methanol improves the safety for all workers and anyone exposed.
This is something unique in that only Markem-Imaje fluids have proactively become Methanol free.
Our competitors’ inks & solvents do contain Methanol which is a highly toxic substance and many companies are looking at avoiding the use of Methanol in the materials they use.
Many of our competitors’ MSDS have toxic signs owing to the presence of Methanol, which is a risk in the demanding FMCG industry as it is highly flammable and any leaks of gas or spills of liquid can readily form flammable mixtures at temperatures at or above the flash point.
This is one workplace risk that no food manufacturer would readily accept as it can result in dire and costly consequences.
Methanol use has long been known to cause various harmful side effects including: irritation to eyes, skin dryness or cracking, drowsiness and dizziness which are extremely dangerous in any production-line environment.
Not only is methanol harmful to workers exposed to this toxic chemical but if not disposed of properly, methanol is harmful to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.
Considering the environmental impact of methanol and the risks it poses to both workplace safety and the food environment, it is no surprise that Markem-Imaje has taken the initiative to say “no” to using this potentially lethal product.
This initiative is not driven by the need to comply with an official legislation, but is a proactive process from Markem-Imaje to improve our product offering.
As a prominent coding supplier in the FMCG market, we will continue to provide the highest quality products while taking advantage of state-of-the-art formulation methods and materials.
This change will not impact the stability of the ink in the printers, the drying time on substrates or the marking performances.
All the new formulations are plug & play with no consequence on the run-ability of the printers.
Markem-Imaje prides itself on being an environmentally responsible provider of coding technology and we will continue to set the standard for providing the safest, most reliable and environmental friendly consumables to our customers and the food and beverage industry.
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