UV LED Inks: The Future of Narrow-web Printing?

When selecting a UV light source, it is not only important to consider the operating parameters of the UV source, but also the formulation of the material, which in many respects is even more critical to a successful curing "system." In terms of UV cure rate, the general assumption is that increased peak intensity is the key factor in increasing cure speed/cure rate. If a 4 W/cm2 UV LED light source is good, then 16 W/cm2 should be four times better! Of course, in practical terms the reality is much more complicated; cure rate is a function of not only the amount of UV energy, but also how well matched that UV energy is to the spectral response of the photoinitiator used in the formulation.