Dip-Tech Release of Slip-Resistance Ink

Dip-Tech, the world-leading provider of digital ceramic in-glass printing solutions, today announced the release of its new Dip-Tech Slip-Resistance Ink, which has been proven to create smooth-surfaced glass that is anti-slip when wet or dry.  This new ink expands the applications for digital printing in glass, creating new opportunities for glass processors to add value to architectural projects.

Unlike screen printing and other slip-resistant coatings that create rough surfaces, Dip-Tech Slip-Resistance Ink leaves a smooth, non-abrasive finish on the glass. This ensures safety and comfort when walking barefoot, and the ink's chemical resistance protects it from being corroded by pool chemicals or seawater - making it ideal for a wide range of interior and exterior flooring applications.

In commercial and public sites, the new ink is ideal for shopping malls and office floors, walkways, food service areas, public bathrooms, stairs, ramps, and other areas. In residential settings, Dip-Tech Slip-Resistance Ink is also suitable for flooring in bathrooms, on stairs, balconies, patios, garden paths, in spas and around pools. The ink can also be used on surfaces such as glass roofs, ceilings and ducts, which are not classified as floors but are accessed for maintenance.

The Dip-Tech Slip-Resistance Ink, with its etch-like appearance, can be processed using industry-standard firing, tempering and laminating procedures. It may also be printed on top of Dip-Tech inks for a wide range of colorful anti-slip architecture glass applications.

M3 Glass Technologies worked with the U.S. National Floor Safety Institute and other testing sites to test the Dip-Tech Slip-Resistance Ink and found it achieved a significantly higher friction coefficient than the screen printing ink that M3 had previously printed with the same pattern. They also tested the friction coefficient when printing with different thicknesses of ink, and achieved excellent results with less ink coverage, representing a real opportunity for cost savings. "Dip-Tech Slip-Resistance Ink will be a much preferred product over inks previously available," says Mike Pfaffenberger, Specialty Glass at M3 Glass Technologies. "Current screen printing ink products for slip resistance are more expensive to print, and require longer lead times. Also, the other ink feels much rougher, almost like sandpaper; whereas the Dip-Tech ink is smooth and pleasant to walk on, even barefoot. The ink also has the added benefit of printing together with the wide array of Dip-Tech colors."