In recent years, the global packaging printing, industrial coatings and ink manufacturing sectors have been undergoing a profound transformation. Against the backdrop of progressively stricter regulations on volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions in major economies across Europe, the US and the Asia-Pacific region, water-based materials—with their advantages of low solvent content, low odour and compliance with environmental and safety requirements—have become the strategic direction for an increasing number of manufacturing enterprises.
According to an industry report published by QYResearch in 2025, the global market for water-based inks has exceeded US$13.8 billion and is projected to maintain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4 per cent over the next five years; meanwhile, statistics from Future Market Insights indicate that the broader market for water-based products, including coatings, was valued at nearly US$68.9 billion in 2025, with a growth rate significantly higher than that of traditional solvent-based categories.
However, the transition from solvent-based to water-based systems is not an overnight process. In practice, most ink and coatings manufacturers face a “dual-track” order structure: existing customers continue to purchase solvent-based products, whilst new projects and tenders are gradually shifting towards water-based formulations. Under these circumstances, whilst the technical implementation of establishing two separate production lines (one for water-based and one for solvent-based products) is straightforward, issues such as factory space requirements, capital expenditure on equipment, operational and maintenance teams, and idle capacity during off-peak seasons directly lead to a significant increase in overall costs. How to meet the production demands of both types of materials using a single set of automated paint dosing dispenser has become a key focus for the industry.
Core Differences Between Water-Based and Solvent-Based Systems in Relation to Paint Dosing Dispenser
Water-based products use deionised water as the primary dispersing medium, with a formulation pH typically ranging from 8.0 to 9.5, making them weakly alkaline; in contrast, solvent-based products utilise organic solvents such as esters, ketones and aromatic hydrocarbons as carriers, and are characterised by their flammability, volatility and tendency to cause swelling in polymeric materials. The fundamental differences in the physicochemical properties of these two types of materials dictate that automated blending equipment must be designed differently in the following four dimensions:
| Differences | Water-based | Solvent-based |
|---|---|---|
| Corrosion resistance requirements | Focus on preventing pH corrosion | Prevent swelling, ageing and leakage caused by organic solvents |
| Mixing requirements | High-viscosity products require high-speed dispersers | Sealed mixing equipment is required |
| Safety requirements | Non-flammable; less stringent explosion-proof requirements | Contains flammable solvents; high-standard explosion-proof measures are required |
| Environmental requirements | Rinse with clean water; dust protection required | Specialised cleaning agents required; fully enclosed structure |
These differences imply that sharing the same batching piping system without modification would pose multiple risks, including cross-contamination of materials, incomplete cleaning and mismatched explosion-proof ratings. Consequently, a viable shared-line solution must be systematically designed across four levels: hardware isolation, zoned control, independent cleaning and unified safety standards.
Engineering Practice in Shared-Line Production: A Case Study of a Zoned Independent Ink-Mixing System
An ink manufacturing company explicitly required that its automated paint dosing dispenser be compatible with both water-based and solvent-based products, whilst ruling out the construction of two separate production lines. The company’s annual output spans multiple product categories, including packaging inks and industrial coatings. Order volumes fluctuate significantly; during peak seasons, the line must operate at full capacity, whilst during off-peak periods, the company aims to minimise equipment downtime. In response to these requirements, Sightec provided a bespoke “single-system, dual-zone” solution.
The core concept of this solution is not simply to share piping, but to divide the ink-mixing system into two physically isolated, independent zones within a single paint dosing dispenser. Half of the mixing heads, along with the corresponding storage tanks and pump units, are dedicated to the metering and mixing of water-based raw materials, whilst the other half is dedicated to solvent-based materials. The two sets of piping do not intersect at any point from the feed end to the discharge end, ensuring that material mixing does not occur under any operating conditions.
In terms of safety and compliance, the protection rating of the entire unit has not been reduced simply because the water-based side is non-flammable; instead, it is uniformly equipped with ATEX & IECEx-certified explosion-proof components, including explosion-proof motors, explosion-proof sensors, earthing systems and static elimination devices. This design enables the entire production line to simultaneously meet the safety access requirements of multiple markets, including Europe, North America and South-East Asia.
With regard to cleaning, the paint dosing dispenser is equipped with dedicated cleaning devices: due to the inherent properties of water-based materials, manual cleaning with a cloth and clean water is sufficient; the solvent-based side, however, utilises roller cleaning, with solvent cleaning fluid required to be placed within the rollers. The two cleaning systems do not interfere with one another, thus preventing cross-contamination of materials.
In terms of hardware materials, the dosing valves and pipework are constructed from 304 stainless steel paired with high-precision PTFE seals. The equipment frame consists of a sheet metal housing with a powder-coated carbon steel finish. The diaphragm pumps are pneumatic models with aluminium alloy housings from either SANDPIPER or ARO.
Following the implementation of this solution, the client halved their floor space requirements, increased the overall utilisation rate of the paint dosing dispenser by nearly 40%, and passed the local environmental protection authority’s and third-party safety audits on the first attempt.
Customised configurations are key to the success of co-line solutions
The case study described above is by no means an isolated instance; it reflects a more general engineering principle: there is no one-size-fits-all standard paint dosing dispenser for the co-line blending of water-based and solvent-based formulations; only customised solutions based on specific operating conditions will suffice. Order structures vary greatly from one factory to another—in some, water-based orders account for less than 20%, whilst in others they reach as high as 80%; in some, product viscosities range from 500 to 5,000 cps, whilst in others they exceed 20,000 cps; some workshops already have explosion-proof isolation zones, whilst others require the entire machine to be fully explosion-proof.
Consequently, a highly adaptable co-line paint dosing dispenser must allow for adjustment and configuration in the following areas:
- Number and layout of dosing valves: Flexibly allocate dosing valves and corresponding pipework according to the number of raw material types required for both water-based and solvent-based formulations, whilst reserving expansion interfaces.
- Metering accuracy and range: For small-batch trial production and large-scale production of different formulations, mass flow meters or positive displacement metering units with different measurement ranges can be configured.
- Selection of agitation modes: High-viscosity water-based materials can be processed using variable-frequency high-speed dispersion, whilst low-viscosity solvent-based materials can utilise low-speed explosion-proof agitation; both can be controlled independently.
- Programming of cleaning parameters: Cleaning time, temperature, flow rate and solvent type can all be stored according to the formulation and automatically recalled when switching products at the touch of a button.
- Explosion-proof classification: Depending on the overall explosion-proof zoning of the workshop, either full-machine or localised explosion-proof protection can be selected to avoid excessive investment.
Sightec is based on a modular design and is custom-manufactured to suit the customer’s specific requirements, enabling enterprises to produce with flexibility.
Industry Trends and Investment Recommendations
Globally, the adoption of water-based systems has expanded from its early application in packaging and printing to multiple sectors, including automotive coatings, building protection and electronic chemicals. The revised EU Industrial Emissions Directive and the US EPA’s Clean Air Act have seen VOCs limit values reduced year on year, resulting in a continuously rising barrier to entry for solvent-based products in developed markets. However, as solvent-based products still offer unique advantages in certain performance metrics (such as drying speed, gloss and chemical resistance), they are unlikely to be completely replaced in the short term. Consequently, “flexible co-line production of water-based and solvent-based products” will become one of the mainstream options in the future.
For enterprises planning new factories or refurbishing existing formulation workshops, it is recommended that the following factors be comprehensively considered during the investment decision-making stage:
- The proportion of water-based orders currently and over the next three years, to determine equipment zoning capacity and reserve space accordingly.
- Explosion-proof certification requirements for export markets; priority should be given to suppliers capable of covering certifications such as ATEX and IECEx simultaneously.
- The configuration of cleaning systems: separate systems must be provided for water-based cleaning effluent and solvent recovery to avoid gaps in environmental compliance.
- The supplier’s experience in customisation and after-sales support: as co-line systems are highly complex, it is essential to select an engineering team with proven experience in implementing similar projects.
In summary, the shared use of a single set of automated paint dosing dispenser for both water-based and solvent-based products is now technically fully feasible, and its economic viability has been validated by established case studies. However, the key to success lies not in purchasing a “universal machine”, but in in-depth customisation based on the specific characteristics of the materials, safety regulations, and production rhythms. Only by organically combining hardware partitioning, unified safety standards, independent cleaning and flexible control can the dual objectives of flexible manufacturing and cost optimisation be truly achieved whilst ensuring quality and safety.
Summary
Sightec specialises in the research, development and manufacture of intelligent industrial fluid ink-mixing system, providing end-to-end services ranging from solution design and equipment customisation to on-site commissioning. We support high-precision automated mixing of water-based, solvent-based, and hybrid systems. Our paint dosing dispenser comply with international explosion-proof standards such as ATEX and IECEx, and we have served customers in the ink, coatings, adhesives, and fine chemicals sectors across numerous countries and regions worldwide. If you would like to find out more, please contact us. Our professional team is available 24 hours a day to assist you.
