UV Technology Will Become the First Choice for More and More Label Printing Enterprises
Shanghai DER New Material Co., Ltd. • July 27
Demand for UV printing is rising all over the world, especially in Europe, the United States and Latin america. According to the European equipment manufacturers are expected: UV models of the annual growth rate will reach 7%, UV drying device in the growth rate of 10%, UV inks and on the fastest growth rate will reach 14%, according to the United States the largest ink manufacturer statistics, the local market every year UV inks and on consumption are growth of around 15%, this figure is almost 10 times the market of traditional offset printing ink supplies the annual rate of growth.
UV printing
Application of UV technology are also constantly expanding, such as labels, plastic, multifunctional sheet and tape printing, especially in the field of label printing, UV printing is reflected in the growth of high speed There was no parallel in history., flexo labels, packaging, heat shrink sleeve label printing and package molding effects in the use of UV technology. This article will focus on four aspects of high speed solidification of technology, low thermal effect, wide substrate and solid content. It will focus on the great promotion of UV technology to label printing.
Flexo printing technology was introduced into China in less than 20 years, and domestic printing enterprises used flexo printing to print labels relatively short. Even today in twenty-first Century, the domestic label printing still mostly adopts the letterpress printing method, and the use of flexo printing is still in the initial stage. However, for Europe and other developed countries, their label printing market has been very mature, about more than 90% labels are used in China flexo printing, although flexo printing technology in label printing is still young, but this kind of label printing ways and have the strength of a strong. According to statistics in the industry, the current Chinese label market is rising rapidly at about 30% every year. At the same time, with the expansion of the label market, it also contributed to the rise of the label printing industry.
Flexo printing has become the mainstream process of label printing, mainly in two aspects: first, flexo printing as a more environmentally friendly way of printing, ink non-toxic, tasteless, in line with international environmental protection requirements. At present, many large multinational companies are increasingly strict with the product packaging, basically flexo printing has been used to print product packaging. For the country in terms of medicines, food enterprises have become the main source of customers in China label printing; second, flexo printing in label printing in other printing mode has more advantages such as high color saturation, compared with the standard, the color is very outstanding, easier to achieve the combination printing etc.
However, flexo printing machine printing speed can usually be maintained at more than 100m/min, printing speed is 2-3 times of letterpress printing machine, the most commonly used Chinese label printing, in such a high-speed printing environment, UV curing efficiency is the key to the success of printing. The ordinary infrared drying technology is far from meeting the requirements. The huge baking equipment and long drying channel are the nightmare for printing enterprises. The UV dry curing process, printing ink can be cured in a few seconds, improves the production efficiency, can also omit drying and drying process, simple equipment, space saving, completely suitable for high-speed flexo label production.
2. The Thermal Effect Is Low
Heat shrinkable film label is a kind of the special printing ink in plastic film or plastic film label on the tube, in the labeling procedure, when heated (70 DEG C), shrink labels will quickly along the contour of the container in the container to shrink, surface, heat shrinkable film label mainly shrink sleeve labels and shrink surround tags. The utility model relates to a shrink sleeve type label, which is made of heat shrinkable film as a base material and is made into a tubular label after printing. The utility model has the advantages of convenient use and is suitable for special-shaped containers.
Heat shrinkable film label production requires high technology, especially in the printing of heat shrinkable film, how to control the drying temperature is very important, for ordinary water-based and solvent based inks, high drying temperature, heat shrink material; the temperature is too low, the ink drying is not thorough enough, leading to the final adhesion and back up dirty and other issues, so the process is very complex, high rejection rate. But for the UV curing and drying technology, ink in the ultraviolet energy under the action of the formation of cross-linked polymer material in an instant, ink quickly curing, no effect on the printing material temperature, cold curing system is suitable for heat sensitive materials unique label production.
3. Wide Range of Substrates
In recent years, the total amount of cultural paper printing worldwide is declining, but the label packaging printing is growing, life label supplies with the wide application of omnipresent label printing materials, more and more use of such as polyethylene (PE) film, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film, polypropylene (PP) film, metal foil and non absorbent. Special material. These materials, compact surface holdout, if the general solvent type printing ink, you need to dry time, usually requires the use of powder spraying, drying rack device or mixed with other additives in the ink and UV ink, there is no such problems. For example, aborna UV inkjet printing machine Agfa’s claims, in addition to air and water, as long as the material to be printed in the UV inkjet printing machine, can be directly printed. Applicable printed matter, such as paper, film, PE, PET, PP, OPP, BOPP, PVC, sub strength glass, wood, ceramic tile, etc..
4. Solid Content Is High
The solid content of solvent based inks in general is about 40%, and the solid content of UV ink curing after the close, is 100% times the general printing ink, printing ink layer thick, bright color, very suitable for label printing, and to control the ink thickness can also realize the grating effect, relief effect.
5. Summary
In conclusion, UV technology does not require heat, cold is a pure UV curing, suitable for heat sensitive label production; and quick curing (curing time can be less than one second), high productivity and high yield process can reduce raw materials and finished goods warehouse; UV technology of the curing system is a solvent-free system, 100% solvent free formula. Suitable for specific label production, and no VOC volatile organic material, fully meet the requirements of environmental pollution. It can be believed that in the near future, technology will become the first choice for more and more label manufacturers.
Source: www.derflex-sign.com
