By now you’ve probably heard much about the advantages of high intensity UV LED as an alternative to conventional UV lamps for use in curing printed images or dispensed fluids. So why then has UV LED technology not been broadly accepted for curing applications? The primary reasons have been insufficient output power, problems achieving surface cure at production speeds and expensive for integrating in wide array applications. There have indeed been some successes in using high intensity UV LED for pinning, but where conventional UV lamps are still needed to achieve full cure requirements.
So when is UV LED technology really going to be ready for full-cure applications?
The answer is NOW with the new Black Diamond™ 365 Series UV LED Curing Systems developed by Summit UV.
INX DIGITAL PARTNERS WITH SUMMIT UV FOR UV LED CURABLE INKJET OFFERINGS
Go Green-er while Reducing Operating Costs in UV Inkjet Printing
Columbia City, IN. (May 1, 2008) – Summit UV will be demonstrating one of the
latest advancements in UV inkjet for narrow web or single pass printing
applications at the upcoming RadTech UV/EB Technology Expo. Based on its
unique LED curing technology and using an optimized CMYK ink set developed
by Triangle Digital INX, a member of INX Digital, full-color images will be digitally
printed at highest operating speeds with Xaar™ 1001 piezoelectric printheads on
a roll-to-roll feeding mechanism and then cured entirely by low energy and low
temperature light emitting diodes (LEDs).
The advantages in using LED technology versus traditional mercury UV lamps
for curing include very low heat generation, instant on/off, no bulbs or other
consumables, no ozone emissions, no hazardous mercury bulbs, all contributing
to very low energy costs. “Providing the best solution for end-users to realize
these advantages requires the right match in expertise with UV inkjet chemistry
and LED curing technologies,” says Mario Carluccio of Summit UV. “We believe
that INX Digital is an excellent partner in this pursuit. Their industry leading UV
inkjet inks and environmentally-conscious business approach are what make this
company different and well positioned to assist end-users in realizing the benefits
of our unique UV LED curing units.”
The unique advantages of the Black Diamond™ 365 Series from Summit UV as
compared to conventional high intensity LED lights are its shorter single-peak
365nm UV-light wavelength and its much higher outputs in excess of 6.0W/cm2
peak irradiance. The benefit in operating at the 365nm wavelength is the
availability of many more chemistry options being that it is a most common peak
already used with traditional mercury UV lamps (i.e. mercury I-line). The higher
power output produced is easily measurable using standard off-the-shelf
radiometers, such as the EIT Power Puck. The patent-pending multi-faced array
requires significantly fewer LED packages for more efficient product
configurations.
This ground-breaking project further demonstrates Triangle’s innovative
leadership in the digital industry. “TDI is the first to formulate an ink that cures
successfully with LED in a four-color image at high single exposure speeds,”
says Karla Witte, Vice President of Product Development at Triangle Digital INX
Co. “I think the companies involved in this exciting project bring the highest level
of industry knowledge to the table. The end result is a solution that affects the
way traditional printers handle short run operations.”
Summit UV will be demonstrating UV LED inkjet printing in booth # 633 at the
RadTech event in Chicago, Illinois on May 5 – 7. This will include curing in single
exposure of an entire CMYK process color image on uncoated 10mil white gloss
PVC substrate with a single Black Diamond 365 Series UV LED lighthead at
speeds of up to 80fpm and with no special or inert curing atmosphere. Arrange
appointments in advanced by contacting Mario Carluccio at (260) 244-1824 or
info@summituv.com.
# # #
Summit UV, through its Business Products heritage as an innovative commercial
print provider offering offset, screen, pad and inkjet technologies, has served the
printing industry since the late 1970s. The debut of its first UV LED curing units at
SGIA 2007 trade event in Florida is a result of four plus years in the development
of a more efficient, economical and greener solution for UV-curing. For more
information, please visit http://www.summituv.com.
INX Digital offers a full complement of digital ink systems, advanced technologies
and integration services through a confederation of member companies and
affiliates, with additional design expertise, products and services available as
needed. Triangle Digital INX Co. (TDI), specializes in outdoor durable pigmentbased
Superwide and Wide Format digital inks and protective clear coatings, and
is the leading global supplier of Inkjet Products. TDI is part of INX Digital, the
digital arm of INX International Ink Co. For more information, please visit
http://www.triangleinx.com.
HEXION PARTNERS WITH SUMMIT UV FOR UV LED CURABLE INKJET OFFERINGS
Go Green-er while Reducing Operating Costs in UV Inkjet Printing
Columbia City, IN. (May 2, 2008) – To be demonstrated at the upcoming
RadTech UV/EB Technology Expo in partnership between Summit UV and
Hexion Specialty Chemicals will be one of the latest advancements in UV inkjet
for wide format and industrial printing applications. Based on the unique LED
curing technology developed by Summit UV and using an optimized CMYK ink
set developed by Hexion, images will be inkjet printed with Spectra piezoelectric
printheads and then cured entirely by low energy and low temperature light
emitting diodes (LEDs).
The advantages in using LED technology versus traditional mercury UV lamps
for curing include very low heat generation, instant on/off, no bulbs or other
consumables, no ozone emissions, no hazardous mercury bulbs, and very low
energy costs. “Providing the best solution for end-users to realize these
advantages requires the right match in expertise with UV inkjet chemistry and
LED curing technologies,” says Mario Carluccio of Summit UV. “We believe that
Hexion Specialty Chemicals is an excellent partner in this pursuit. Their industry
leading UV inkjet inks producing high quality print images with superior adhesion
and flexibility on a variety of substrates well summarizes what makes this
company different and well positioned to assist end-users in realizing the benefits
of our unique UV LED curing units.”
The unique advantages of the Black Diamond™ 365 Series from Summit UV as
compared to conventional high intensity LED lights is its shorter single-peak
365nm UV-light wavelength and its much higher outputs in an air-cooled only
lighthead for units delivering up to 4.0W/cm2 peak irradiance. The benefit in
operating at the 365nm wavelength is many more available chemistry options
being that it is a most common peak already used with traditional mercury UV
lamps (i.e. mercury I-line). The higher power output produced is easily
measurable using standard off-the-shelve radiometers, such as the EIT Power
Puck. The patent-pending multi-faced array requires significantly fewer LED
packages for more efficient product configurations.
The new LED curable inkjet inks developed by Hexion Specialty Chemicals are
targeted at both the Graphic Arts and Industrial printing markets. According to
Dan Wilson, the chief formulator of this new technology, “despite the formulating
challenges of this project, we believe that there are multiple opportunities to
develop ink sets that are fully cured with the LED output for specific performance
areas. We look forward to continue the development on a number of these fronts,
working closely with Summit UV, who is clearly a leader in developing LED
curing units.”
Summit UV and Hexion Specialty Chemicals will both be demonstrating UV LED
inkjet printing in their respective booths # 633 and # 642 at the RadTech event in
Chicago, Illinois on May 5 – 7. Arrange appointments in advanced by contacting
Mario Carluccio at (260) 244-1824 or info@summituv.com.
# # #
Summit UV, through its Business Products heritage as an innovative commercial
print provider offering offset, screen, pad and inkjet technologies, has served the
printing industry since the late 1970s. The debut of its first UV LED curing units at
SGIA 2007 trade event in Florida is a result of four plus years in the development
of a more efficient, economical and greener solution for UV-curing. For more
information, please visit http://www.summituv.com.
Hexion Specialty Chemicals, based in Columbus, Ohio, is the global leader in
thermoset resins. Hexion’s broad range of binding, bonding and coating resins,
adhesives and specialty products are used by manufacturers around the world in
a diverse range of industries and applications. Hexion had 2007 sales of $5.8
billion and employs more than 7,000 associates. For more information, please
visit http://www.hexion.com.
UV Curable Inkjet Technologies 