Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are making headway into many areas of life, from home lighting and automotives, to smartphones and television production. The printing industry is also benefiting, with a revolution in LED printing & curing technology offering greater versatility, sustainability, and cost-efficiency at a time of rising energy prices and concerns about the environment.
If your printing business specialises in label printing & packaging, investing in an LED-UV curing technology could deliver several benefits:
- More Diverse Print Applications
Unlike the conventional mercury bulbs used in older flexographic UV drying systems, modern LED bulbs emit only a tiny amount of heat and are cool to the touch, so they can be used with a wider range of heat sensitive substrates. Printing & drying can be completed on heat-sensitive packaging materials, such as stretched PVC, self-adhesive sheets, or styrene, while calibration is also much more stable, resulting in the highest quality of print output.
- Quicker Operation
LED-UV lamps do not require time to warm up, but can be turned on and off instantly, with no loss of intensity. As a result, staff don’t have to waste time waiting for the press equipment to be ready and print runs can start as soon as required, delivering quicker turnaround times and increased productivity with reduced stand-by & warm up times.
- Superior Durability
LED bulbs typically last for over 10,000 hours, equating to up to five years or even the lifetime of the printing press, depending on its frequency of use. Output is consistent throughout the life of the lamp, with no need to take the machine out of service for lamp changes or other service consumables lie conventional UV equipment. Less heat emission also contributes to more accurate work, as head crashes are less common, so reworks are unnecessary.
- Lower Servicing And Maintenance Costs
Compared to conventional UV printers, UV-LED printing technology have no internal moving parts that are subjected to wear and tear with regular use. No special programmes of service and maintenance are required and there is less capacity for technical problems to cause periods of downtime. Overall, maintenance costs are lower, and uptime is higher than for conventional UV equipped machines.
- Welcome Energy Savings
With energy costs soaring, any savings that can be made are likely to be welcome to your business. Because LED-UV bulbs emit less heat than mercury bulb lamps, considerably less electricity will be required to power them, resulting in lower bills and a healthier Return on Investment (ROI) in the long term.
- Promote Your Business As An Eco-Friendly Brand
Finally, LED-UV presses are proven to be more environmentally-friendly: LED bulbs emit lower ozone emissions and are free from the mercury that is toxic to wildlife and watercourses. Your business will save money, too, as LED bulbs do not require specialist disposal, like their mercury counterparts, and, as ozone is not produced, ventilation from the workshop is not necessary.
Request our free guide to the latest UV-LED printing technology
To find out more about our range of LED-UV curing equipment, please request a free guide or call us on 01949 836223 for more information.
