Print UV 2011 was billed as “the conference exclusively dedicated to encourage, promote and sustain the growth of UV printing”. We sent our own Print Technology Specialist, John Seed down to Las Vegas to check out the event highlights …
New UV Curing Technology
H-UV (High efficiency UV) is an eco-friendly and economical innovative UV curing system from Komori. These environmentally friendly lamps do not discharge ozone like other systems due to the spectrum of light emitted from them. The lamps also use less energy and discharges less heat, preventing sheet deformation.
Another particularly impressive feature is that with just one lamp mounted at the delivery end of the press, both the complexity of the initial installation and the overall operating cost is reduced.
LED UV Printing
The solid-state devices from Air Motion Systems, AMS, also have a green UV footprint as they operate at just 20% of the energy required by conventional UV lamps. The LEDs contain no mercury and produce no ozone. LED lamps emit a very narrow spectrum of light that does not include the heat-producing spectrum (eliminating substrate issues), but can be more costly as the printing process requires more photo-initiator chemical in the ink to cure effectively.
AMS also demonstrated its Dual-Peak™ reflector geometry, allowing high-speed curing to take place at up to 45% less power than conventional UV lamps, saving money and contributing to environmental sustainability.
Specialty Substrates
There is now an environmentally friendly plastic substrate manufactured from recycled PET water bottles. Kind of odd hearing the terms “environmentally friendly” and “plastic substrate” in the same sentence, isn’t it?
Not only does MicroGREEN InCycle substrate aid in the worldwide ecological dilemma of used plastic bottles, its lightweight sheets translate to cheaper shipping costs. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition, SPC, states that there is 30% growth globally in sustainable packaging.
Inks
Toyo Inks promoted their UV K-HS Inks formulated to work with Komori’s new H-UV Curing System discussed earlier. UV K-HS Inks, when used with the Komori H-UV Curing System, produce quality prints at lower residual delivery temperatures.
Zeller+Gmelin, the largest solely UV Ink Manufacturer in the world, showcased their newest environmentally friendly product formulated with a renewable soy component.
Cast & Cure Finishing Technology
Breit Technologies has developed a decorative coating process that really must be seen to be appreciated. Holographic finishes can be incorporated onto a variety of substrates for the packaging market and for anti-counterfeiting features.
Down to the Rubber
CONTI-AIR® now manufactures blankets exclusively for use in UV printing applications (we will hopefully trial them on our 8-colour press in the near future). And Graphic Roller Industries, a Canadian owned manufacturer, promoted their new roller technology which improves print quality and lasts longer on the press with quicker wash-ups.
Industry analysts predict continued growth and demand for UV printed media across the printing industry. This growth was definitely noted at Print UV 2011, jam packed with new technologies and attended by many creative individuals passionate about their industry. We can’t wait to hear John’s full report of Print UV 2012!
Find more like this: Emerging Technologies, Featured, Green Printing
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April 12, 2011
12:27 pm
It’s very flattering that you have included our new technology in this blog. We have been a sponsor at Print UV for the past 2 years, and believe it to be a rare opportunity to learn from and about this technoogy from those specifically immersed in it. We believe that UV printing will one day be embraced by most printers, and are excited to be at the leading edge of this technology in North America. We are especially proud that Canadian printers and suppliers are excelling with this new technology, and we encourage them to further advance and embrace the emotive qualities of this print technology.
Brian Venis
President
Graphic Printing Roller
April 18, 2011
1:45 pm
Brian,
Happy to here you enjoyed reading the article. We are looking forward to learning more about your products through your sale representative next week. Your Trust U.V Roller, Graphic PT Metering roller and Graphic web wrap are all of interest. We have been printing with U.V inks for 23 years and thanks to new technology such as C.T.P, Hybrid inks and other improvements we are printing a better quality product today even with our older presses.