Fixing a Fable
No longer the new kids on the block, ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technologies are firmly entrenched in the package printing industry. In the last decade, usage of UV/EB curing and inks has continued to grow to the degree that it can no longer be fairly characterized as new. Yet, many converters continue to ignore the benefits of UV/EB for no other reason than doing so would constitute change. packagePRINTING sat down with a few industry experts this month in an attempt to dispel some of the long-held misconceptions against UV/EB curing and inks.
Myth: UV/EB materials are unsafe
Tony Bean, marketing manager, Sun Chemical (Fort Lee, N.J.): Misinformation and fear are the only real problems; as with most things in life, risks are present. We cannot live without water but we could drown in it. But, printers all over the world have been using UV/EB technology for three decades without any serious safety or health concerns. Just as with conventional technologies, proper workplace procedures need to be in place and followed.
Ed Dedman, product development manager, SICPA North America (Brooklyn Park, Minn.): This is due to the fact that in the past, when this technology was in its infancy, these products could cause rashes and other skin-sensitivity ailments. Modern formulations have advanced to the point that these irritations almost never occur, except in people with extreme skin sensitivity. Like every other industrial chemical or compound, it is recommended that eye and skin protection be worn while using these products, but this advice is regularly ignored by many printing personnel.
Ed Maguire, vp global marketing & sales, Energy Sciences, Inc. (Wilmington, Mass.): EB technology is an incredibly safe technology. Some of the oldest and most treasured brands in the food packaging industry have trusted their products and processes to EB technology for over 30 years. Since there are no solvents used in the EB chemistry, there is no explosion proofing required and all of the curing is completed in an enclosed area which locks out any access to the processing zone.
Don Matthieson, marketing manager, Environmental Inks and Coatings (Morganton, N.C.): The biggest benefits of the UV process is that it uses 100 percent solid materials; there are simply no emissions from UV inks or coatings.
Robert Waddington, vp of sales, UVitec Printing Ink (Lodi, N.J.): When properly exhausted, there is no health risk. The chemicals used for wash up of the press and work area are on par with other industrial chemicals. Proper care should be used when handling any industrial chemicals and UV-specific chemistry is no different. That being said, there are many new low VOC products on the market which are both effective and address safety concerns. The UV curing lamps produce UV energy, but the ozone produced by the lamp is highly radical and quickly dissipates.
Myth: UV/EB is too expensive
Bean: The inks and coatings chemistry is often more costly on a per-pound basis, but in most cases, use of these products makes good business sense. More efficient processing, higher production speeds, improved printed properties, and elimination of pollution control systems are some of the offsets that often make UV/EB more economical than conventional products.
Dedman: When looking at typical costs per pound of UV/EB curable products, many people make the mistake of viewing them as very expensive. In actuality, when the properties of the inks, coatings, and adhesives are reviewed, one will find that it typically takes less product, at a thinner film thickness, to accomplish the same results as other solvent- and water-based products.
This allows for spreading the cost over more square inches, so total applied cost is reduced. Add to this the improved gloss, scuff resistance, lower dot gain, and end-product performance typically exhibited by UV/EB products, and the investment starts to look more attractive.
Maguire: EB preparations have a number of economic advantages over conventional technology. Since the chemistry does not cure unless exposed to the EB, the ink and coating pans do not need to be cleaned out each day or even over the weekend. This saves prep time.
The EB waste quotient is usually a fraction of conventional technology. This is a function of having a much shorter web path and having instantaneous cure.
Matthieson: UV/EB technology has non-evaporating components, therefore yielding higher printing mileage, whereas conventional inks contain volatile organic compounds which evaporate during the drying process. This results in lower printing mileage by conventional technology.
Waddington: While UV/EB inks are generally of higher cost than their conventional counterparts, the energy curable products will provide more mileage. Energy curable ink products usually come up to color quicker than conventional inks and can be left in the press overnight or over the weekend (thus producing less waste), saving the printer money and time.
Myth: UV/EB equipment is too costly
Bean: The capital cost of EB equipment has dropped significantly in the last five years. Both UV and EB installations can cost less than comparable lines with ovens and pollution control systems. Upgrading or retrofitting older press lines is a problem whether it is with conventional or UV/EB technology since the cost of the drying equipment stands alone.
Dedman: UV equipment can be very costly, but like any other part of a printing/converting process, the cost must be weighed against the return. Increased run speeds, better finished label/package properties, reduced VOC output—these gains and many more can be the result of proper equipment choice and installation.
Waddington: Most new printing equipment can be ordered with OEM UV curing units, lowering the cost. Even with a retrofit, the benefits, which include less waste and the ability to run presses at higher speeds, allow printers to usually see a ROI in a relatively short period of time.
Myth: The benefits simply don't outweigh the negatives
Bean: Many printers fear the learning curve they must go through to master a new technology. For most, though, the benefits do outweigh the initial adjustment, as very few energy-curable installations have been removed because the technology did not live up to expectations. Instead, most UV/EB printers have continued to invest in more UV/EB equipment because they can now see the benefits first hand.
At the same time, it must be remembered that UV/EB technology is not a panacea, and printers should choose carefully whether its use meets their production needs.
Dedman: Perhaps we should ask the large number of printers that continue to invest in UV/EB curing equipment, and presses equipped with this technology, why they are making these strategic decisions. While energy curing has not lived up to the claims made early in the last decade for gaining a majority share of the printing process, this technology continues to be the fastest-growing segment of new press and equipment purchases.
To summarize, the continuing move within the narrow-web industry toward more complex graphics, finer line separations, increased use of combination printing, and better expectations for label and package durability all point toward energy-curable products as the technology of choice to achieve and exceed customer expectations. Products today are safe to use, more cost effective than in the past, and offer time and money savings in the pressroom, due to their ease of use.
Maguire: The benefits of EB technology need to be weighed against other curing technologies on an application-to-application basis. However, with the reduction of EB equipment and chemistry costs there has been a dramatic increase in EB placements over the past two years. The product improvements, curing consistency, cost reductions, and overall platform technology benefits of EB are convincing the market that EB is a better choice for curing inks, coatings, and adhesives.
Waddington: Each printer and each application will determine the viability of energy curing. UV and EB each have their own benefits and drawbacks that effect profit and performance. The greatest testament to the positive aspects of energy curing is that it is an established performer that enhances flexibility and quality of the printed good. Energy curing is a positive because it increases productivity of the manufacturing process. From an environmental, production, and performance level, energy curing brings money to the bottom line.
-By Sean M. Riley, Associate Editor
