Air Motion Systems to Introduce Flexo LED-UV Systems

Under the banner “FLEXO, Full Speed Ahead,” UV and LED curing leader Air Motion Systems (AMS) is set to introduce a 100 percent LED curing platform for flexo label and packaging converters at Labelexpo Europe 2015 in Brussels, Belgium, at the end of this month.

AMS will showcase its latest generation of FLEXO Series LED UV technology. Developed around an industrial strength, aluminum, water-cooled housing, the AMS FLEXO Series was designed for continuous LED printing in either hybrid or 100 percent dedicated LED configurations.

The FLEXO Series LED UV modules from AMS deliver curing power from 17W/cm² up to 25W/cm^2—the highest power available—providing converters the ability to run a start-to-finish UV LED process for maximum return on investment. With dynamic working range optics, condensation-free cooling, and a programmable web-speed control system that cures with greater predictability, the FLEXO Series LED from AMS provides consistent curing uniformity and improved print quality on all finished products—all without heat transferred to the substrate and without the downtime of traditional UV systems.

“Our converting customers are witnessing incredible results with LED by way of increased production speeds, additional substrate options, and improved curing quality,” said Steve Metcalf, CEO of AMS. “From shrink film to flexible packaging to labels—production speeds are hitting new records with LED UV on a wider range of substrates that were previously difficult to cure using traditional UV lamps. With production speeds increasing in some cases by 100 percent, it’s as if the printer purchased an additional press.”

AMS has more meters of high-powered LED UV installed in the print industry than any other LED manufacturer. Lamp units and format widths are practically unlimited as AMS recently demonstrated by installing a 10-lamp LED system on a 10-color, 870mm (34˝) flexo press at Consolidated Label in Stanford, Florida—making it the largest LED UV system in the world.

“With the AMS LED curing system, we are able to run at 650-ft./min.,” explained Jim Voltoline, operations manager of Consolidated Label. “We could not have achieved these production speeds without the AMS LED UV system.”

The AMS team worked closely with label and packaging converters along with OEMs to design a reliable platform that incorporates the experience gained from years of proven, high-power LED curing in the most demanding print applications around the world.

“AMS brings a turnkey approach to the flexo label and packaging market, and our LED UV systems are backward-compatible with traditional UV to provide a full-assurance guarantee,” added Metcalf.

AMS’s LED technology will be running live at Labelexpo Europe (Hall 6, Stand C49-C53) on an OMET XFlex X6 430mm (17˝) hybrid flexo+digital inkjet press. OMET selected AMS’ FLEXO Series LED UV platform following a rigorous evaluation of curing speed, system quality and overall design flexibility.

“In contrast to UV LED component providers and hybrid approaches in the market, the AMS FLEXO Series platform is moving converters full speed ahead into LED curing with proven, reliable, production-tested technology,” concluded Metcalf.

Air Motion Systems will be located in Hall 8 Stand 8B15 and will be hosting a free LED UV press conference on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 3-3:30 p.m. (15-15:30 p.m.)

Source: Air Motion Systems.