If you are a narrow web converter interested in UV LED curing, this article will explain why it is no longer an emerging technology, but rather the ideal choice for flexographic printing applications.
We will start by highlighting all the benefits accruing to converters when they upgrade from traditional mercury UV curing to LED technology. Then, we will discuss why UV LED outperforms mercury on some of the more challenging applications, such as opaque whites, dense blacks and metallics, laminating and cold foil adhesives.
Big Benefits
Benefits of UV LED apply to all flexographic printing applications. Long life and reliable output of UV LED lamps provide consistent cure and stability of process. This translates into improved up-time and predictability of cure, which is of high value to all who are involved.
Since UV curing issues on press are typically the result of a faulty mercury lamp, the formulation, or the converting process, the use of UV LED technology eliminates the UV curing system as the source of the problem. This saves time in troubleshooting and ultimately has a positive impact on the bottom line.
All photos and graphics courtesy of Phoseon Technology
UV LED opens the door to new revenue opportunities with the ability to print on heat-sensitive and thinner substrates, offering increased profitability for printers and converters.
Today, major brands are requiring their suppliers to deliver more sustainable printing practices. The environmental benefits of UV LED curing in the printing process are numerous and significant. Customers have experienced energy savings up to 70 percent with the implementation of UV LED curing systems.
With traditional UV curing processes, there is tremendous heat associated with mercury UV lamps, which require a lot of electricity to operate. 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.
- No mercury! Mercury ban in manufacturing processes is growing globally
- No greenhouse gases or ozone produced or needed to be evacuated from facility
- Significantly reduced energy usage versus mercury UV and high-energy IR dryers
Pollution Prevention
UV LED lamps offer better than 50 percent lower CO2 emissions, as compared to mercury vapor counterparts. 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-vapor UV lamps.
Conventional mercury lamps have a very short lifetime and need to be replaced every 1,000 hours to 1,500 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.
With LED systems, converters like Italy’s Indeco Serigrafia can diversify product lines and enter new markets without having to expand floor space or expose employees to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or harmful UV-C ozone. By removing its mercury stations and upgrading them with 13 Phoseon Technology FireJet LED lamps (FJ200), Indeco cut some 67 tons of CO2 emissions annually. And, it no longer needs to re-integrate into the building 23.5 million cubic meters of air extracted into the building.
Energy Savings
With traditional UV curing processes, the tremendous heat associated with mercury UV lamps required a significant amount of electricity to operate. By replacing the mercury UV LED lamps with UV LED curing systems, converters have experienced energy savings of up to 85 percent.
Here is a look at what some have had to say:
Javier Sequeiros, technical director of Impresos Gráficos in Mexico, reports, “UV LED technologies provide energy savings of between 75 percent and 85 percent compared to prior drying systems. With the Phoseon lamps, there is no need for fume extraction units to remove the gases generated by mercury-vapor UV lamps.”
“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 accompany,” according to Poland’s Eticod.
Management there adds, “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 percent less electricity, which corresponds to an annual saving of approximately 50 kWh, while eliminating 200 tons of CO2.”
Similar thoughts come from France’s Sopano. “UV LED solutions 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.”