New safe to touch print tech helps reduce risk of transmission of microbes
Print Solutions
As fears increase over the rise of the Omicron variant, the latest Swiss HeiQ Viroblock technology delivers reliable antimicrobial protection. It minimises the risk of the spread of bacteria and viruses from treated surfaces – no matter who has handled products before.
ICP Industrial Solutions Group is the world’s first print coating manufacturer to incorporate the Swiss technology into its products.
HeiQ developed the technology to protect medical devices for frontline medical staff during the Ebola outbreak in 2013. Antimicrobial surgical scrubs and masks helped to reduce the risk of surface contamination. The technology continued to prove its value throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
HeiQ Viroblock gives added protection to more than one billion face coverings since the beginning of the pandemic. It also confers antiviral properties to many textiles, including Queen Elizabeth II’s designer gloves!
Today you can add this Swiss antimicrobial protection to your products, without breaking the bank. The innovation is thanks to a partnership between ICP Industrial and HeiQ.
The print coating can protect anything from schoolbooks to fast moving commercial goods. ICP coatings powered by HeiQ Viroblock creates an antimicrobial surface to magazines, delivery boxes or plastic containers. It works well with water based coatings on both paper/board and, plastic/films.
Based on independent third party testing, the combined ICP coating and HeiQ Viroblock technologies are low migration and acceptable for direct food contact applications. HeiQ Viroblock technology is clean, safe and uses recycled ingredients to reduce environmental impact.
Surfaces treated with HeiQ Viroblock technology reduce the risk of hosting viable viruses or microbes. Reducing microorganisms and inhibiting the growth on the surface of print and packaging materials helps maximise the surface protection and reduce the risk of surface contact and transmission. HeiQ Viroblock technology combines antimicrobial silver chloride and unique liposome vesicle technology.
Tests show HeiQ Viroblock technology actively inhibits microbes by up to 99.98%. Thanks to its technology, it does this is in a fraction of the time compared to other antimicrobial products. The coating uses existing print technology. There is no need to upgrade your equipment. Print staff need no extra training. And as it is safe to use. It is handled in the same way as traditional coatings. Consumers can handle your printed products with confidence for less than a tenth of a penny per unit. Though only microns thick, and invisible to the naked eye, HeiQ Viroblock is durable for the effective lifetime of the printed coating. HeiQ Viroblock technology uses biocidal active ingredient compliant with EU BPR (Biocidal Product Regulation) and has been approved for food contact materials. ICP Industrial’s division president Paul Grzebielucha said: ‘We are excited to offer this innovative Swiss surface protection technology to the print world. We have the global reach to provide this protection on billions of printed surfaces each year. ‘This game changing technology has proven to be superior to any other solution that is currently available. It has proven efficacy in minutes rather than hours – with an effective rate of 99.98%. Our partnership with HeiQ is providing a safer touch environment to the world.’
