Improving print quality and production speed with UV curing for printing processes
Curing and drying technology is essential for all printing processes to ensure durability and print quality. During the UV curing process, the ink dries instantly when exposed to ultraviolet light. Excelitas offers a wide range of UV LED and traditional UV curing lamps for small-and wide-format digital printers, digital and flexographic label printers, screen printers, 3D printing and others.
For many years, traditional mercury arc lamps have been the standard UV curing solution for printing applications, but today UV LED curing technology is replacing older technology with compelling advantages of better economics, system capabilities and environmental benefits.
Digital Inkjet
UV pinning technology, used between inkjet heads, provides just the right amount of UV energy needed to control dot gain and achieve a variety of printing effects at increased speeds. UV LED can also be used for the full cure of digital ink in bi-directional, single-pass, and 3D printers to create products such as posters, labels, signage, packaging, and 3D objects.
Excelitas provides a diverse range of UV curing solutions designed for industrial manufacturing and printing applications. Our air-cooled UV LED systems include compact, cost-effective options suitable for both pinning and full curing processes, as well as high-speed systems tailored for small to large-format digital printers. These solutions are particularly well-suited for single-pass UV inkjet and cable marking applications, delivering high performance in a compact design that enables fast line speeds in demanding industrial environments.
Additionally, our water-cooled UV LED systems are specifically engineered for web and conveyor-based curing applications. Their scalable architecture allows them to be extended up to two meters in length to meet larger production requirements.
We also offer mercury arc lamp systems in various sizes and power levels, providing effective replacement solutions for UV curing in labeling and packaging applications.
Flexographic Printing
UV LED curing systems are ideal for labeling and narrow web flexographic printers, enabling end-users to print high-quality materials at maximum speeds. UV LED curing enables high-speed printing on a wide range of materials, including labels, packaging, and decorative printing. There are several measurable advantages to using UV LED curing for label printing such as higher productivity, lower energy consumption, reduced heat load on thinner substrates, smaller system footprints, and clear environmental benefits.
The low heat output of UV LED curing enables new capabilities for working with heat-sensitive materials, unsupported films, and thinner substrates, while requiring less maintenance and energy.
Our Nexus UV LED curing systems are particularly well suited for flexographic printing applications. They deliver the highest total UV power output, which results in increased print speeds, enhanced press uptime, and a product lifespan that is twice as long. Additionally, these systems feature real-time remote monitoring capabilities, making them compatible with Industry 4.0 standards.
For those seeking replacement UV curing lamps, our Amba® Mercury Arc Lamps are available in multiple lengths and power classes, making them an excellent choice for various label and packaging applications.
Screen Printing
The combination of low heat and high energy makes UV LED an excellent choice for screen printing, allowing a wider variety of materials to be used, including plastics, metals, ceramics, glass, wood, posters, and other items. The compact size of the light sources is particularly beneficial for machines with limited space. Additionally, the reduced heat load enables the use of thinner and more heat-sensitive materials. In screen printing, UV LED technology is primarily used for direct bottle and tube decoration, eliminating the need for labels.
Excelitas offers UV LED air-cooled curing systems that deliver exceptional curing speeds for screen printing applications. We also offer UV LED water-cooled curing systems which are ideal for direct printing on various substrates.
Furthermore, Excelitas provides UV curing replacement lamps available in various lengths and power classes to meet your specific screen-printing needs.
Advancements in UV Curing Technology for Printing
Excelitas has made significant technological advancements that have led to a more productive, versatile, and energy-efficient curing process. As a result, UV LED curing has become a preferred choice for many industries.
- Energy Efficiency: The shift from mercury-arc lamps to UV LEDs has reduced energy consumption by as much as 70%, making this solution both more sustainable and cost-effective.
- Safety: UV LED lamps are solid-state semiconductor devices, which means they do not emit harmful UV-B and UV-C radiation. This feature significantly reduces the risk of eye and skin damage.
- Environmental Benefits: UV LEDs do not contain mercury, eliminating the need for disposal fees and reducing the production of ozone gases.
- Customization: Excelitas offers custom configurations tailored to unique applications, ensuring maximum UV energy, controlled curing intensity, and superior performance for demanding applications.
- Patented Technologies: Excelitas has developed patented technologies, including the Semiconductor Light Matrix (SLM)TM and TargetCureTM, which drive high-power UV LED technology for manufacturing environmentally clean and efficient ultraviolet curing products.
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