Mark Hahn

With anilox rolls being a main artery of the flexographic printing process, you would be foolish not to maximize their value. Not to sound trite, but the United States economy is hurting at the moment, and it’s not easy getting the most bang for your buck these days.

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

The ability to measure the UV energy output from your lamps can provide valuable information when dealing with curing problems. by Tom Polischuk, Editor-in-Chief UV FLEXOGRAPHIC PRINTING is well established in the package printing industry and its impact has been significant. The use of UV inks is at the top of many lists when discussing the reasons for the significant quality improvements of flexo printing over the past several years. Many converters are multi-year veterans in the application of UV technologies, but many others have recently made the jump into this new technology arena. Routine processing problems come with the territory, but

UV equipment developments are surfacing almost as quickly as new applications for the technology. by Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor THE SHRINK SLEEVE is just one of the latest packaging structures forcing suppliers to keep in step with the technology needed to process thin film substrates such as PET-G (the most common for shrink sleeves). So what are bulb and UV curing equipment manufacturers doing to meet these rising demands? Bulb suppliers such as Primarc UV Technology are working to improve standard bulb life. Curing systems manufacturer Honle UV America has released its Advanced Cold Mirror (ACM) UV curing system, which reduces damaging heat

Before worrying about funding a UV retrofit, make sure the system fits your objectives and your press. By Susan Friedman You're a prime candidate for a UV retrofit if, like most package printers making the $100,000 investment, you run narrow-web flexo or offset, or seek one press with water-based and UV ink capabilities, say experts. It helps if the press to be enhanced is equally, if not more, retrofit-friendly than your budget. Other prerequisites include concrete system objectives and a more abstract ROI timeline. "A year ROI seems early because of the learning curve," says Mark Hahn, director of sales and marketing, AAA Press

More Blogs