This weekly roundup highlights the adhesives, sealants and coatings news stories that garnered the most attention during the previous week on our website, as well as our eNewsletter and social media platforms.

Introduced in 1960, ultraviolet (UV) curable ink has resulted in increased automation, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Originally, water- and solvent-based inks were used for flexographic printing, textile printing, screen printing, and more.

Demand for converted flexible packaging in the U.S. is projected to increase 3.3% annually to $20.7 billion in 2019. Although advances will decelerate from the pace of the past decade, converted flexible packaging will remain a growth area in both food and nonfood applications due to the inherent cost and performance advantages of lightweight bags and pouches.

Downtime—both planned and unplanned—can have a pronounced impact on packing line efficiency and throughput. This downtime, caused by film roll changes, registration errors, catastrophic film failures, bottlenecks, and more, is costly and may seem impossible to avoid. Taking appropriate steps to streamline processes wherever possible can help to mitigate the repercussions of downtime, improving overall line efficiency and thus profitability.

Berry Plastics Group Inc. has selected Ecova, an energy and sustainability management company, to provide services that will assist in reducing its waste generation and consumption of electricity, natural gas, and water.