Drying/Curing Technology Showcase

Company: GEW, Inc., www.gewuv.com
Product: e-System with VCP UV lamp head and SEEcure UV monitoring
What is it?: Fully air-cooled UV curing system developed for exacting printing applications based on the e-Brick electronic power supply.
Features:

• Space-saving power supply design;
• Glass dichroic reflector optimized for maximum UV curing power;
• Automatic control of UV output ramped to press speed;
• Automatic control of lamp temperature to maximize effective UV output and lamp and overall system life;
• System cooling via air ducts;
• Fast interchange of lamp-head cassettes; and
• Heat-management options for thermo-sensitive substrates.

packagePRINTING kudos: In September of 2007, GEW announced that printers using the e-Brick system reduced CO₂ emissions by nearly 5,300 tons.

In 2005, we identified a trend in the industry linked to the environment: increasing energy costs and related CO₂ emissions plus, in particular, retailers and governmental demands to reduce both. It was important to develop a product that not only met challenges of printing applications, but that reduced energy consumption and the resulting costs and carbon emissions at the same time. We have done both and more. The e-System is compact and economical.Benefits include a typical 30-percent reduction in running costs, space savings on the press and in the plant as well as lower air freight costs.

All at GEW are aware of our responsibilities toward the environment and this [mindframe] forms a key part of our corporate strategy. We are continuously developing products that make the best use of energy to increase the efficiency of our customers’ processes and reduce carbon emissions. These are now key issues in almost every aspect of industry, including retail packaging where brand owners are favoring ‘green’ suppliers and demanding compliance with preset environmental criteria. Since the launch of the e-System range, we calculate that, collectively, users running with e-Brick have reduced CO₂ emissions by 5,300 tons based on the UK average of CO₂ produced per kWh. In addition, the related cost savings of curing with e-System products amount to a total in excess of $2,000,000. We can only imagine the impact of this as a contribution in reducing the carbon footprint of the printing industry alone. —Malcom Rae, managing director, GEW, Inc.

Company: PRI Technologies, www.superblue.net
Product: Zone® ultraviolet curing system
What is it?: This system is designed for immediate curing of ultraviolet inks and coatings for inline processing, and is available for litho or flexo applications.
Features:
• Offers variable lamp control and a continuous air management;
• The system cures ultraviolet varnishes or coatings; and
• The lamp head assembly is cassette-mounted for easy installation, access, and removal.

Company name: Prime UV, www.primeuv.com
Product: Prime UV Optimum Series
What is it?: An air-cooled line of UV processors designed for high-speed curing on web, gravure, and offset printing presses.
Features:
• Complete computer control of all parameters of the UV curing process;
• No chiller system required for the Prime UV lamp system;
• High-gloss/chemical and abrasion resistance; and
• No emitted VOCs

Company Name: Air Motion Systems, Inc., www.airmotionsystems.com
Product: Peak UV™ Flexible Curing System
What is it?: A modular UV curing system for sheetfed and web offset printing to provide 100 percent interchangeability throughout all positions on the press.
Features:
• Double-parabolic shutter design for faster curing with lower power settings;
• Uses 45 percent less energy and runs cooler with Dual-Peak™ reflector geometry; and
• Eliminates registration problems on heat-sensitive substrates with Cool Impressions™ active cooling technology.

Company name: Energy Sciences, Inc., www.ebeam.com
Product: EZCure™ DF
What is it?: An electron beam (EB) system designed to integrate with the new VSOP press from Drent Goebel and to retrofit with existing flexo and rotogravure lines to cure EB wet-on-wet inks, coatings, and laminating adhesives for flexible packaging converters.
Features:
• Straight-through web path design;
• Can run at speeds of up to 1,100 feet per minute;
• High resistance to chemical, scuff/scratch, and abrasion; and
• Depth of cure up to 1.8 mils (45 microns at unit density).

Company name: Grafix, www.grafix-online.de
Product: Hybrid UV Process
What is it?: This process allows sheetfed printers to apply high-gloss UV coating inline without dedicating the press to only one process.
Features:
• Allows printers to move between acrylic-coating jobs and UV-coating jobs;
• Does not have special roller compounds, blankets, or fountain solution chemistry; and
• UV gloss and rub resistance.

Company name: AAA Press International, Inc., www.aaapress.com
Product: LIGHTouch UV Curing Systems
What is it?: Inline UV curing and IR drying solutions for combination printing on most narrow-web presses.
Features:
• Includes the choice of three electronic control systems combined with cassette-style lamp heads and closed-loop variable speed exhaust blowers;
• LIGHTouch, Versiflex, Microstep, and Procure models available in 400 or 600 watts per inch;
• Versiflex features a programmable PLC, five-stage UV intensity control, color touch-screen remote control, automatic troubleshooting, and auto fault protection; and
• Cassette-style lamp heads are compact for inline installation

Company name: Aetek UV, www.americanultraviolet.com
Product: UVXL™ Universal UV Curing System
What is it?: A curing application for UV inks, varnishes, laminating adhesives and coatings on paper, metal, films, and foils.
Features:
• The lamp cassette module removes easily;
• The UVXL shuttered lamp assembly is air-cooled using a variable-frequency drive exhaust blower;
• Optional touch-screen or keypad controls designed for easy changes to the lamp operating and set-up parameters; and
• Lamp lengths available from 6˝ to 80˝.

Company name: Radiant Energy Systems, radiantenergy.com
Product: Dortmann 8000 Hot Air System
What is it?: An interstation system designed to dry water-based flexo inks on film, paper or foil.
Features:
• DORTMANN 8000 nozzle, duct heater, recirculating blower and control panel;
• High-velocity and low-temperature; runs LDPE and HDPE;
• A nozzle assembly and skid containing the control panel; and
• Speeds of up to 500 fpm.

Company name: IST America, www.ist-uv.com
Product: MBS-5 UV system
What is it?: An efficient UV-curing system that brings up to 30 percent more UV energy to substrate surfaces.
Features:
• URS reflector technology;
• Heat management with increased print quality;
• Reduction of exhaust air consumption; and
• Surface coating which enables any desired geometry when using cold mirror reflectors.