How Phoseon UV LED technology is improving printing processes for labels and packaging
Phoseon UV LED curing products offer improved printing processes for labels and packaging. The intense UV output paired with UV LED flexo inks achieved record press running speeds. Due to the long wavelength range of UV LED, it has the ability to cure difficult inks with reliably higher quality at faster speeds. UV LED inks are available with colors matched to traditional inks for a smooth transition.
UV LED curing technology is ideal for a variety of label printing applications, enabling end users to print high-quality material at maximum speeds. Flexo label printing can be used for beverage, household, medical, personal, promotional, and many other industrial markets. UV LED curing shows measurable advantages in higher productivity, lower energy usage, while utilizing thinner substrates with improved adhesion along with clear environmental benefits.
UV LED curing technology is ideal for a variety of flexo packaging applications, enabling converters to print on a variety of packaging materials at high speeds. UV LED curing can be utilized for printing on flexible films, boxes, cartons, corrugated containers, and a wide variety of other packaging materials. Customers that own UV LED curing printers have discovered they can print on a wide range of materials while press manufacturers do not encounter any complication implementing the smaller UV LED systems.
Decorative printing applications enhanced by UV LED technology create product differentiation and increased visual impact, all while providing a return on investment unparalleled in today’s decorative printing market. Decorative printing processes allow for ultra-high gloss, matte and holographic effects. “Cast and Cure” is a fast-growing technology that creates a holographic style decorative finish on a variety of substrates for sheet-fed and web applications. “Cold Foil” allows the decorative printing application of metallic foil, in line, at press speed in an infinite spectrum of colors. These effects can be created in a variety of label and narrow web environments.
Phoseon UV LED offers the following advantages over mercury drying:
More Uptime: LED curing units have been proven to support trouble-free press operation. There is no warm-up time due to the instant on/off nature of LEDs. No moving parts, shutters to clean or bulbs to replace leads to higher press usage and operator efficiency. LED also offers higher yields due to consistent energy output.
Faster Throughput: Presses with LED perform at much faster speeds on average, assuming other portions of the workflow can operate at the higher speeds.
Less Heat
With no IR heat, converters using UV LED technology can add new capability to a press, previously unable to run thin and heat-sensitive films, eliminating the need for chill rolls.
Greater Stability
Because of the uniformity and long-term consistency of LED lights, designers can develop safer, more stable, and more reliable processes for low-migration printing. LEDs last more than 20,000 hours of operation, with only a minimal drop-off in power over the life of the curing unit.
High Quality Curing
Users report that LED light sources produce higher quality cures and better adhesion on a wide range of materials, including recycled materials. They can also achieve higher speeds with black and white inks. Tough opaque whites and dense blacks are easier to cure as the LED wavelength provides deep through-curing. UV metallic range inks are stable and print well. UV adhesives for lamination and pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA), as well as for cold foil perform well. Inks do not cure prematurely in the press when exposed to overhead lighting.
Environmental Sustainability
UV LED technology reduces energy consumption for the drying by more than 50% on the flexographic printing process. It eliminates the need of toxic mercury from the UV curing process and does not require a fume extraction system to remove the gases generated by mercury-based UV lamps. UV LED lamps offer about 50 percent lower CO2 emissions and thus a more sustainable process assisting companies to meet their sustainability targets.
UV LED curing technology improves process performance with the following:
Higher quality opaque whites & dense blacks
Multiple thick layers cured all the way through with good inter-layer adhesion
Low/high Coefficient of Friction (COF) whites for shrink application
UV Metallic range
Fluorescent colors without fading
Wide range of coatings
UV adhesives, both for lamination and Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSA), as well as for cold foil
Low migration/food packaging