Roland ECO ink not so ECO ???

[kustom.printing]

I keep hearing the fact that Roland Eco ink is harmful, I have the basic ventilation of windows at the minute.

I am moving into a unit with 2 industrial extractors, still with the yellow ink having the text may cause cancer I am a little worried.

I also stumbled across this which seams to say it is ok

http://pdf.directindustry.com/pdf/r...printers-and-printer-cutters/17942-69222.html

(Contains no harmful VOC's)

Also if there are any harmful VOC's is it from really long turn exposure,
10 + years or is it short term Months.

How bad are the VOC's ??

 

[MichaelAlmand]

I think if you break open the bag and actually touch it and ingest the fluid. I can't see them stating no harmful VOC's if it actually has harmful VOC's or else we would spend the money to have it properly ventilated. Mind you I am running a printer out of my house for the time being so I hope there is no harmful VOC's

 

[Mosh]

Look at the yellow cartridge. Says right there that it MAY CAUSE CANCER! Only the yellow one says this.

 

[MichaelAlmand]

yeah mosh so why just yellow? So what do you think?

 

[Mosh]

No idea, I looked the other ones over and over. We get our three 54" pirnters and our one30" one all going at the same time and it does get smelly in the shop. Not so much I notice, but people that come in the shop have said so. I guess I don't notice it from screen printing all these years with stuff that is WAY worse smelling than this.

 

[TresL]

Only does in California...

 

[Replicator]

I've never looked . . . Is this with the EcoSol Max Inks as well ?

 

[Mosh]

EcoSol Max Inks is what we have. Glad I don't live in California, otherwise I could get cancer! The Cyan says "may cause male excitment if used in Nebraska" WHAT?

 

[Replicator]

I'm definitely moving to Nebraska now . . . :LOL:

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Don't use the yellow cartridge. simple. I can smell my Mutoh inks and I don't really have a sense of smell probably due to smoking. Unless of course someone farts.

 

[cgsigns_jamie]

I do believe the ECO is for Economical... not Ecological.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

That's quite possible. At best it's documented the smell has been removed.. mostly. I have a window near the printer which I crack and another in the bathroom. This creates a small crossbreeze that helps. Still can't explain why the squirrel who sits outside the window now has 2 of everything and the birds on the nearby powerlines that ONLY an apple airport router can overcome can fly in....reverse. Buy hey.. it's Jersey.

 

[grafixemporium]

I wonder if one of those HEPA filter things might be any help in removing any toxins from the air?

 

[B-RAD Graphics]

Kinda F up...ventless they say..we are so used to the smell..But people always do comment about the odor. Funny even before digi...when weeding the adhesive is gota to be bad for us...like huffing rubber cement..

 

[kustom.printing]

The thing is in life everything is bad for us or like most things good then bad.

I really want to know how bad the VOC's in the Ink and Vinyl are, I can't see them producing a marketing leaflet like this and saying they don't need ventilation and no harmful VOc's if there are.

I usually see where companies would rather over estimate the health impact rather than underestimate it for future litigation.

The yellow ink may be harmful and cause cancer if I make a swimming pool out of it and swimming it every day.

The question is still do the inks have harmful VOC's for a fact and how much exposure is safe.

And what about the vinyl ???

 

[P Wagner]

Yellow inksets of all varities (including water-based) often carry warnings on yellow ink. This is due to the common use of Nickel compounds in yellow ink, and has nothing to do with VOCs or HAPs.

 

[RaptorRay]

ink questions

Ask for a MSDS for the ink. All manufacturers are required to supply them and the MSDS will list all the nasty stuff about the contents. On another note, I believe you are required by law to have MSDS sheets for all products you have in your shop. I know a small window cleaning service that was required to get a MSDS sheet for the Dawn liquid dish soap they use.

Ray

 

[Rooster]

The pigments used to color the different inks are derived from different sources. As mentioned yellow tends to contain a lot of nickle, cyans often contain some level of cyanide, etc.

The VOC's are a different animals as they're a by-product of the solvent carriers that keep the ink liquid rather than the actual ink pigment itself.

Carbon filters are available from your local hydroponic store. Combine them with a simple in-line duct fan rated for the size of your room and it's possible to build a carbon filter that will remove all smells and VOC's pretty darn cheap.

 

[National Sign Co. - Print]

No solvent inks contain any heavy metals as indicated above. the VOC's are the gas that is released by the print process. Not sure how the little machines omit the VOC's.

Out gassing in printing is as old as the first screen print. No matter what vents you have you will still smell and omit solvent into your workplace...

Put the machines in a isolated print room. That is the only solution / use the right extraction fans and you will have no issues unless of course you sit in that room and are exposed to the VOC's for a extended amount of time.

Otherwise it is a dead issue and you will never overcome the problems of solvents...

If you want to print solvent or what ever they call"ECO" you need to set your shop up for it....

 

[Mosh]

Put the machines in a isolated print room.

But if it is the out gassing what would that solve? Shouldn't you store printed items in an iso room?
Who cares, I can't smell it, and I don't like many of my walk in customers that can anyway!

 

[Techman]

Not sure how the little machines omit the VOC's.

They emit alcohols when teh ink dries. ITs alcohols that make it dry really fast and act as solvent for the pigments, and they melt the very top layer of the vinyl so the pigments can bite in..

REad the MDS sheets and it will tell you about the various different alcohols used. Some are very bad. Some are odorless to humans... Some of those bad ones cannot be detected by humans and do cause cellular damage.