Environmental Sustainability Aspects of UV LED Curing

Today, all the major brands are requiring their suppliers to deliver more sustainable printing practices. The environmental benefits of UV LED curing in the printing process have proven to be a much more sustainable process compared to traditional mercury UV curing. This article will discuss some of the sustainability aspects of UV LED curing compared to mercury UV and why so many printers are upgrading to UV LED.

Phoseon pioneered the use of LED technology for UV light curing in industrial applications, offering equipment manufacturers a high-performance curing technology that also saves significant energy while eliminating greenhouse gases and dangerous mercury and ozone from the UV curing process. These UV LED products offer significant environmental improvements to current mercury-based products. UV LED technology brings energy savings, pollution prevention, significant waste reduction, and significant long term financial savings to the printing process.

LED is the only sustainable choice for UV curing.

• No mercury! Mercury ban in manufacturing processes is growing globally.

• No greenhouse gases or ozone produced or needed to be evacuated from the facility.

• Significantly reduced energy usage versus mercury UV and high-energy IR dryers.

Energy Savings

Phoseon Technology customers have experienced energy savings of up to 85 per cent by replacing mercury with UV LED lamps. With traditional UV curing processes, the tremendous heat associated with mercury UV lamps required a lot of electricity to operate. With traditional UV curing processes, the tremendous heat associated with mercury UV lamps required a significant amount of electricity to operate. Here is what some of them have to say.

“Phoseon UV LED technologies provides energy savings of between 75 and 85 per cent compared to prior drying systems. With Phoseon lamps, there is no need for fume extraction units to remove the gases generated by mercury-vapour UV lamps.” Javier Sequeiros, Technical Director, Impresos Gráficos – Mexico

“To reduce CO₂ emissions and to make production more efficient, Eticod decided to invest in UV LED technology. At the beginning of 2021, a Bobst M5 430, 10-color flexo printing press with UV LED curing was successfully installed and put into operation. The machine now consumes approximately 60 per cent less electricity, which corresponds to an annual saving of approximately 50 kWh, while eliminating 200 tons of CO₂. UV LED is not only good for the environment but also has a very positive effect on the finances, sustainability and health and safety of our company.” Eticod – Poland

“Phoseon UV LED solutions also help lower energy costs, as traditional UV mercury arc lamps use 70 percent more electrical power to operate than low-heat, low-energy UV LED technologies.” Sopano – France

“Phoseon’s technology uses significantly less power than its mercury counterparts, the company claims. With its instant on/off capabilities, Phoseon’s curing is ideal for South Africa’s power fluctuations. The press’ electrical consumption is currently 30 per cent less than GM Graphix’s other flexo presses, Massyn says. The solar panels at GM Graphix generate enough energy to run the press for 5.5 hours each day, which they would never be able to do with mercury UV. “ GM Graphics – South Africa

Pollution Prevention

UV LED lamps offer better than 50 per cent lower CO₂ emissions. UV LED lamps generate no ozone and offer the promise of eliminating toxic mercury in an entire category of industrial processes. With UV LED lamps, there is no need for fume extraction units to remove the harmful gases and Ozone generated by mercury-vapour UV lamps.

The mercury lamps produce ozone, which is dangerous to breathe, especially in a constricted space like a print shop. Air exhaust systems are required to extract the toxic fumes from the presses. These exhaust systems can be eliminated with UV LED curing, making it a far more environmentally friendly process than mercury. 

With LED systems, converters can diversify their product lines and enter new markets without having to expand their floor space or expose employees to Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) harmful UV-C ozone. By removing its mercury stations and upgrading them with 13 Phoseon FireJet™ LED lamps (FJ200), Indeco can reduce over 67 Tons of CO₂ annually. They also do not need to re-integrate into the building the 23.5 Million cubic meters of air extracted every year to remove ozone and the heat produced by the mercury lamps.

Waste Reduction

Conventional mercury lamps have a very short lifetime and need to be replaced every 1000-1500 hours. LED curing lamps extend beyond 60,000 hours if maintained properly. Upgrading to UV LED technology eliminates these replacement costs, offering significant environmental benefits with the elimination of mercury.

Phoseon is the only company in the industry that can say that we have a proven lifetime of more than 60,000 hours. 60,000 hours means, in UV LED terms, that we count only the ON time as turning lamps on and off is instant.

Before switching to Phoseon UV LED curing technology, Central Valley Label was spending close to $40,000 to $50,000 per year on spare parts for their old UV mercury presses. When the company switched to the Phoseon UV LED solution, that expense was eliminated. The presses were so productive they were able to eliminate their night shift.

“Operating expenses for a press with typical mercury vapour curing units, which generate plenty of heat, cost around $34,000 a year (and the mercury bulbs used eventually end up in a landfill). However, the cost for the same press installed with UV LED curing units add up to an energy-efficient $658 per year. “Empire Screen Printing – USA

Legislation

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.

Major highlights of the Minamata Convention include a ban on new mercury mines, the phase-out of existing ones, the phase-out and phase-down of mercury use in a number of products and processes, control measures on emissions to air and on releases to land and water, and the regulation of the informal sector of artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites contaminated by mercury as well as health issues.

·       Minamata convention became law in 2017 in the European Union and many other countries. Today, the Minamata convention is currently joined by 127 countries.

·       2020 was a key year for the Minamata Convention as the deadline for mercury-added products.

·       Parties shall not allow, by taking appropriate measures, the manufacture, import or export of mercury-added products listed in Part I of Annex A after 2020.

·       Some countries have already banned the mining of mercury.

·       Use of mercury in some products already banned.

Conclusion

At Phoseon Technology, we are fully committed to the wellbeing of the environment. We continuously work to reduce the environmental impact of the products that we manufacture. Phoseon LED solutions offer consistent and reliable power output, eliminate greenhouse gases, and remove mercury from an entire category of industrial processes. Phoseon started the LED revolution for UV curing in 2002 and its products have collectively saved millions of pounds of CO₂ emissions since its inception. Allow us to contribute to your corporate sustainability objectives TODAY.

For more information contact Rob Karsten.