Drying/Curing - UV

Each year, more and more package printers are turning to UV and EB curing for their super drying and time-saving powers. TODAY'S ULTRAVIOLET (UV) and electron beam (EB) curing equipment can't fly like Superman, but with their many other super powers, they don't need to, to impress end users. For the past several years, package printers have raved about the high-productivity capabilities, easy maintenance, and low environmental impact of these drying systems, putting UV and EB curing equipment in high-demand. "I get about three or four calls a week from printers wanting to get into UV curing—they want the gloss," said Dave Douglas, vice

Numbers show that the usage of EB inks and equipment are on the rise. Now suppliers are working to get them in the spotlight. "POINTING TO THE significant operations and 'enabling' benefits of the process, suppliers of ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technology are bullish on near-term growth prospects," says the RadTech biennial survey North American Market Update. "Survey respondents, including over 80 industry suppliers and end users, project market growth of six to nine percent each year over the next three years ... and report growth of UV- and EB-formulated product usage up over eight percent during the two-year period 2000

Substrate and equipment concerns plot printers on either the aqueous or UV route to high-gloss printing. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor UV-CURABLE FORMULATIONS are the big hitters of the coatings and adhesives market—offering remarkable gloss and great abrasion-, heat-, and chemical-resistance. Slightly less high-performance, yet in some cases more predictable, aqueous adhesives and coatings serve as reliable all-rounders. Suppliers say choosing between them depends on the nature of the job, and the equipment, at hand. Luster low-down Coatings manufacturers are largely unanimous when it comes to the virtues and challenges of aqueous and UV-curable formulations. Craig Adhesives & Coatings President Pat Foust,