Smart UV LED Curing, Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0

We are now in the fourth industrial revolution, also referred to as Industry 4.0. Characterized by increasing automation and the employment of smart machines and smart factories, informed data helps to produce goods more efficiently and productively across the value chain. By collecting more data from the factory floor and combining that with other operational data, a smart factory can achieve information transparency and better decisions.

Customers increasingly require process control via real-time monitoring of UV LED curing lamps to better support Industry 4.0 manufacturing. Many of them are running "dark factories" that have no lights and no humans during processing, so 24x7 remote performance monitoring is key. Even in facilities with human operators, customers want to be notified about curing issues immediately to minimize down-time and scrap.

Smart UV LED curing systems offer an ideal solution for printers and manufacturers interested in process stability and real-time monitoring in their factories. Here are some patented smart features available on Phoseon products today:

ValidCure™ Technology
Smart detection, Real-time monitoring

ValidCure™ confirms the curing power delivered to the substrate, ensuring process compliance and optimum performance. ValidCure technology uses proprietary and patented innovations to ensure from the start of the job to the finish, the required UV power is always there.

Smart detection: ValidCure continually monitors the status of the light arrays and detects when there is a fault. If the lamp is not performing as expected, an immediate notification can be sent to minimize down-time and scrap.

Real-time monitoring: ValidCure provides in-line LED monitoring without having to shut down production lines. Any outage is communicated electronically in real time.

TargetCure™ Technology
Consistent UV output, Target peak irradiance

Today’s air-cooled LED light sources have grown in demand and current applications have presented challenges in over and under-curing of materials, along with the degradation of LED output over time. TargetCure™ Technology was developed to ensure users have high-performance and consistently accurate products. TargetCure Technology uses proprietary and patented innovations to provide users with precise and predictable UV output and less monitoring of defects, thereby improving yields and profitability. FireJet and FireEdge products come equipped with TargetCure technology.

WhisperCure™ Technology
Reduced noise, High UV output

To ensure users have high-performing and reliable products, Phoseon has developed the WhisperCure Technology that provides a quieter solution with high UV output and a small form factor for FireJet and FireEdge air-cooled products. WhisperCure Technology uses proprietary and patented Phoseon innovations to provide a unique, compelling solution. This solution translates directly to higher productivity, thereby improving profitability.

Status Indicator Lights Feature

The Nexus ONE™ UV LED curing products come with status indicator lights for easy visual indication of lamp status:

UV LED Curing Brings Process Stability to Printing

Process stability is key to reliable printing in automated processes and smart factories. UV LED systems must ensure every run receives the same consistent, uniform UV output for repeatable results. UV LED offers excellent through cure due to the long UV-A wavelength, which penetrates through to the media. If architected correctly, UV LED curing systems offer more than 20,000 hours of operation with minimal power drop over time and can run for more than 60,000 hours if maintained properly. Additionally, UV LED technology provides a uniform output across the print width which again ensures fully cured product.