The transition towards UV LED curing in flexo printing remains a strong and continuing trend, with ink developers responding accordingly.
The arguments for UV LED curing technology are, by now, well-rehearsed, the benefits well understood. The flexo printing sector has heard them and to a large degree has acted upon them already - a major transition from traditional (mercury arc) UV to UV LED is well underway. Alongside the curing lamp development has, of course, come the parallel progress with ink and coating products that can be cured by LED equipment.
"UV LED remains the fastest-growing area of the energy-curable ink market, supported by the fact that most new equipment installations use UV LED curing systems, and sales of LED inks are increasing rapidly,' states Jonathan Sexton, marketing manager for energy curing products in Europe at Sun Chemical.
However, although he describes UV LED ink formulations as "now mature", meeting many print market requirements, most of them also can be used to cure under traditional mercury UV lamps - referred to as dual-cure - and he observes that "many converters continue to use existing UV-only ink systems on UV presses and will continue to do so for economic reasons, due to the generally higher cost of UV LED formulations"
In other words, the market remains in a state of flux. While the transition is in full swing, says Mr Sexton, with double-digit growth rates in LED applications, it is not complete.
"UV LED technology has emerged as a vital component of modem label printing, offering numerous advantages over traditional methods. Its precision, efficiency, and environmental benefits make it an ideal choice for various applications, including those requiring strict safety and quality standards," he continues.
"As the technology is maturing and productivity demands are continually increasing, the number of applications and product solutions available to meet them is becoming broader. This is driving innovation in new UV LED capable products such as coatings, metallics and other decorative and functional specialities."
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