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| Safer chemicals for a better environment | Le Présentoir Seiller is a French company specialising in POS products, located in a picturesque valley of the French Alps and employing 132 people in an area of over 18,000 sq. m. Because of their location in an environmentally sensitive zone, Seiller have always attached great importance to protecting and conserving the local surroundings and in particular the River Alberine, rich in wildlife and flowing close by.
Mr Jacquet, Director of Seiller's screen printing shop, explains: "Most of the displays that leave our factory are screen-printed with graphics, illustrations or text. Since we process a lot of orders for small runs of 30 to 50 copies, screen washing and stripping is a critical part of the production process. Our screens are washed manually and our Health and Safety Officer is very watchful particularly with regard to volatile products. As a result, we are constantly on the lookout for chemicals that may pose the lowest possible risk to human health and the environment, as well as reducing effluents. When CPS, a division of MacDermid Autotype specialising in environmentally friendly products for screen printing, announced the introduction of its latest generation of screen washes, that obviously caught our attention. The new Screen Wash V3, wasn’t only designed to be considerably safer than a conventional product, but could also meet the most stringent technical and economic requirements."
Mr Jacquet continues: "We have since tested CPS Screen Wash V3 and it meets our needs perfectly. It is easier to handle and environmentally friendly because it has a low evaporation rate. What's more, it enables efficient and economical removal of a wide range of inks from the screens prior to stripping. We also consider it the ideal technical solution. Its flash point is 62°C, compared with 42°C for a classical cleaning agent, its evaporation rate is 1:11 (acetone has a rate of 600, by way of comparison) and it maintains excellent cleaning performance in the CPS recirculation equipment. All in all V3 provides better cleaning results, with a significant reduction in the percentage of repeat cleaning. Its simple use is another crucial factor for preparing our screens, and the application method is no different from conventional screen cleaners."
CPS Screen Wash V3 complies with European directives on use in manual and automatic screen washing units, which specify a flash point of 55°C or more, and also meets the requirements for the Imprimvert label awarded by the French Chamber of Commerce and Federation of the Graphic Industries.
Its development is an important step towards safer working environments, in particular in relation to the activities undertaken in spring 2007 by the CRAM (French regional health insurance funds) to manage occupational health hazards. CPS Screen Wash V3 is hazard-label-free, non flammable for shipping and storage, and contains no aromatic components. In addition, VOC emissions have been reduced to 550 against 860 for a classic cleaning agent. V3 also offers substantial cost benefits. Thanks to its reduced evaporation and its long cleaning life in a closed-cycle system it is very economical in use. Big savings can also be made on insurance premiums, compared to storing classified products.
"CPS's expertise as one of the world's leading manufacturers of safer products for screen printing, combined with MacDermid Autotype's long experience in designing and developing specialist products for printing, provide us with high-quality solutions that are perfectly in line with our requirements, and at the same time reduce health risks and conserve the environment", Mr. Jacquet sums up.
CPS chemical products are distributed in France by Encres Dubuit.
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