Ink Tackmeter

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is a component of the Department of the Treasury that designs, engraves, and prints U.S. banknote currency and other U.S. security products. Banknote currency manufacturing occurs at the Washington, D.C. facility (DCF) and at the Fort Worth, Texas facility (WCF). BEP’s primary customer is the Federal Reserve Board (FRB).The BEP has a requirement for, new, three-roller, rotary Tackmeters to support quality assurance testing of BEP manufactured and vendor supplied inks/materials. The Tackmeters will be used to measure the physical, rheological, tack properties (i.e. Initial and Maximum Tack in Tack Units (TU) and set time, seconds) of intaglio inks, offset inks, letterpress inks, varnishes, and other inks or materials that are used to manufacture currency and other security products at the BEP. Tackmeters shall have roller components capable of testing non-ultraviolet inks/materials and shall have roller components capable of testing ultraviolet inks/materials.   The Tackmeters will be installed and used in the Ink Lab (DCF) and the Ink Mill