Ade.ca chooses UV Ray Dichroic Lamps and LED for label curing
[Original article from MetaPrintArt translated in to English]
For a WANJIE model WJPS450 offset and flexo semi-rotary press, supplied by BAMA, UV Ray installed a tailor-made LED solution for curing UV inks, which was specifically designed for wine label printing, and such that it allows curing on all types of LED inks available on the market today. An indispensable choice for the Ade.ca Srl label printer.
As Alberto Maiano explains, the use of these UV LED lamps allows energy savings of 70 percent on the actual power of the machine compared to a traditional system. In addition, as Maiano points out, there is also another important aspect to consider, such as the absence of a fan otherwise necessary for cooling traditional lamps, which does not interfere with the air conditioning of the rooms.
"In fact, all of UV Ray's LED systems are closed-loop water-cooled," specifies UV Ray's president, "and the numerous installations we have throughout Italy and even abroad are the best evidence of excellent ink curing with high print register accuracy due to the low temperature of the printed substrate, so all types of self-adhesive label substrates, paper and even film can be printed, always with the best results."
But to better understand the reasons for choosing UV Ray as a UV LED supplier, we turn to the customer, Guglielmo Spera one of the owners of the Torre Annunziata-based label printer Ade.ca.
"Specifically on this machine, a WANJIE WJPS450 five-color offset + 2 flexo and hot stamping module, we thought of inserting UV LEDs on the five offset units, while on the two flexo elements we opted for a traditional UV system, combined, however, with the possibility of inserting LED later."
So traditional lamps on the flexo.
"Yes, because we use flexo units for coating, and today unlike inks, UV coatings suitable for LEDs are still very expensive. So we reserved the possibility to put LEDs on flexo modules as well, when the coatings are available at affordable prices."
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90 per cent of the UV curing equipment at Ade.ca is from UV Ray, thanks to the trust in Alberto Maiano
Among the various vendors, the choice went to UV Ray...
"Within our company we have 90 percent UV Ray installations and we have always trusted this company both for a choice of continuity of supply and for excellent after-sales and impeccable service. As for the choice to install LEDs for UV inks is that these reduce consumption a lot so as to deal with the staggering increase in energy we have found ourselves supporting. But there's also a technical reason because LEDs don't require you to put in a fan, so they are more sustainable for the environment."
What other printing presses do you use?
"In the company we have several machines, two Labelmen letterpresses built in Taiwan from the 1990s, a Ko-Pack press, a Gidue water-based ink flexo press, an MPS UV flexo press, and a Zonten offset UV press. Ninety percent of the presses using UV inks have been equipped with traditional UV systems of UV ray. In the future, we may consider converting them to UV LED."
In which type of printing is the best performance of the installed UV LEDs found?
"Since we have been using UV LEDs on our presses, I have found that it is easier to work on all types of materials, from paper to film because the low temperatures give the substrates more stability by improving print register and thus reducing makeready times. And then, because it's hot where we’re located," Spera adds, "the UV LEDs don't heat up improving the viscosity of the inks and overprinting."
