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More than just ink …

UV Curing Basics
Electromagnetic spectrum

Curing of UV inks and varnishes: -> 180 nm - 420 nm

UV Mercury lamp

Ceramic socket

Molybdän-Metalfoil
Wolfram-Electrode Mercury
Quartz-Cylinder
UV Mercury Lamp
Reflectors

Principle:

UV energy: by the lamp: 30%, by the reflector: 70%

UV Dosage

Influences:

• Measurement and
control technology

• Aging of UV lamps

• Pollution of UV
emitters and reflectors
 Spectrum of a standard Hg-emitter

100

80
rel. P otential in %

60

40

20

0
200 240 280 320 360 400 440 480 520 560 600

Wave lenght in nm
UV Spectrum

IR Reflector
Lamp

UV

UVC UVB UVA

Ink, varnish
 Spectrum Standard UV mercury lamp
Surface curing Depth curing Adhesion Depth curing Adhesion
UV varnishes Pigmented inks Opaque white

Ozone Heat
formation formation
Relative spektrale Strahldichte

Wave length [nm]

ECO, Low energy, High reactive, High sensitive, energy
saving

• ICE-UV

• LED-UV

• LEC-UV (Manroland)

• H-UV (Komori)

• LE-UV (Heidelberg)

• HR-UV (KBA)
Iron doped uv lamp

Low emission UV , H-UV etc. ...are based on a similar principle..

- Iron doped mercury lamp

 Higher radiation in the UV- A area

- Ozone free
 Spectrum Std.UV – Fe-UV lamp

Surface curing Depth curing Adhesion Depth curing Adhesion

UV varnishes Pigmented inks Opaque white

Ozone Heat
formation formation
Relative spektrale Strahldichte

Inks and varnishes must be adjusted to the lamp spectrum !

Wave length [nm]

Function of a UV LED

Structure of a LED

Lense
Anode
File

Cathode

LED - Chip
 What is quality?

Surface curing Depth curing Adhesion Depth curing Adhesion

UV varnishes Pigmented inks Opaque white

Ozone Heat
formation formation
Relative spektrale Strahldichte

Inks and varnishes must be adjusted to the lamp spectrum !

Wave length [nm]

Comparison

Standard UV LED UV Iron doped UV

Lamp life time h appr.1’000-2’000 h appr. 15’000 h appr. 1’000 h

Energy consumption high appr. 20% of Std.UV appr. 20% of Std.UV

Temperature RT + > 20°C RT + 5°C RT + 5 °C

Start/Stop Start: 1 min., On / Off Start: 1 min.,

Stop: 3-4 min. Stop: 3-4 min.
Ozone formation yes no no

Distance Lamp/ 80 mm 15 -20 mm 80 mm

Substrate
CO2 Emissions high low low

Ink costs low high medium

Comparison

Standard UV LED UV Iron doped UV

Lamp life time h appr.1’000-2’000 h appr. 15’000 h appr. 1’000 h

Energy consumption high appr. 20% of Std.UV appr. 20% of Std.UV

Temperature RT + > 20°C RT + 5°C RT + 5 °C

Start/Stop Start: 1 min., On / Off Start: 1 min.,

Stop: 3-4 min. Stop: 3-4 min.
Ozone formation yes no no

Distance Lamp/ 80 mm 15 -20 mm 80 mm

Substrate
CO2 Emissions high low low

Ink costs low high medium

UV - emitters - doped lamps

• Mercury Lamp Spectra

“H” Lamp

• Iron Additive Lamp Spectra

“D” Lamp

• Gallium Additive Lamp Spectra

“V” Lamp
Special case - opaque white
Curing influencing parameters

Influence of film thickness on through curing

UV rays UV rays

Thickness
Ink film 1 Thickness
Ink film 2

-> direct influence on adhesion, blocking

Advantages of UV systems

• VOC / Solvent free ->No environmental pollution

• Instant cure => higher printing speed, further processing (in-line)

• No requirement for spray powder (smoother print)

• Non-absorbent substrates can be printed without problems

• Unlimited duct freshness, no skin formation in the can

• No colour change due to substrate absorption

• Excellent print quality, physical and chemical resistance

• Valuable savings in space and energy compared to thermal drying

• systems.
Advantages of UV systems

In Production:
• Reduction of waste prints – no smearing or dirtying of prints.

• Short turn around times due to immediate curing.

• No need for off-line storage of varnised prints (less waste and work).

• Normally no use of spray powder.Use of spray powder can increase

output in case of static charged substrates.

• Production of higher loads/stacks => less changes
Disadvantages of UV systems

• Skin irritation potential (acrylates)

• Higher prices for inks and coatings

• Problems when printing on thin plastics (warp)

• Longer washing times of the printing press (dual use)

Composition of UV printing inks

• Pigments

• Binders

• Additives

• Thinners
UV ink ingredients

Conv. Offset Ink UV offset ink

Conventional Ink UV Ink

1. Air drying resins 1. Oligomers
2. Mineral oils (thinner) 2. Monomers (reactiv thinner)
Vegetable oils (thinner)
3. Pigment 3. Pigment
4. Additives 4. Additives
5. Driers 5. Photoinitiators
6. Anti skin 6. Stabilizer
UV ink ingredients

~3 %

~15 %
Monomers, Oligomers
~70 % ~12 % Additives + Stabi
Pigment
Photoinitiators
UV ink ingredients

Pigments
additives -
Shade,fastness
- slip, stability,,rub, foam,
Monomers
pigment wetting
-viscosity, reactivity

UV ink

photoinitiators
- activation, reactivity, yellowing,
odour, migration, solubility
Oligomers
- viscosity, reactivity, flexibility,
adhesion,resistances
NewV product portfolio

Why do we need different ink series ?

The curing mechanism

The chain reaction

Liquid ink Start polymerisation Dry ink film

Monomer Oligomer Photoinitiator Substrate Pigment UV-Rays

The curing mechanism
Polymerisation reaction

Increase of
crosslink density
liquid liquid

Increase of chemcial
Hard
resistance and
film hardness
What is quality?

R
R

R
R

R R

R R

R R

Substrate Substrate
UV Paper/board series : UV Plastic series :
- High crosslink density - Low crosslink density
=> Higher reactivity => Lower reactivity
- High film shrinkage - No / low film shrinkage
=> Bad adhesion => Better adhesion
- High chemical resistance - Low chemical resistance
- High hardness, low flexibility - Low hardness, high flexibility
=> Different UV binder, monomer systems
Curing influencing parameters

O2-inhibition of the free radical reaction

• Oxygen= strong affinity to radicals of UV inks

=> reaction of oxygen with radicals
=> chain reaction of polymerisation is interupted

• Replacement with nitrogen

=> rest oxygen reacts with nitrogen to nitrogen oxid
=> nor further reaction with radicals
=> no interuption of polymerisation
Curing influencing parameters

Substrate influence:

• Substrate reflection:
UV inks are curing faster due to reflected UV rays
(metallized papers/boards)

• Substrate absorption:
UV inks are curing slower due to absorption of UV rays
(thermal papers, transparent films)
Curing influencing parameters

• Power output of UV-lamp (W/cm)

• Peak energy
• Reflector geometry
• Condition of the reflectors/emitters
• Spectral output
• „Cold-UV-lamps“ & Ozone free“
• Pigment UV-light absorption
• Press speed too high
• Photoinitiator reactivity/amount
• Film weights
• Low migration inks...
UV lamps - Test possibilities

• Hour meter

• Testing labels

• UV radiation measuring instruments

• IR spectroscopy
Hour Meter

• Number of hours on the current UV bulb

• Hour meter does not indicate the number of starts and stops on the
bulb

• Hour meter does not indicate at what temperature the bulb was
generating UV

• Hour meter does not tell you the amount of UV being generated

• Hour meter only gives you a rough indication of when you will need
to replace the bulb
Testing labels (examples)

unradiated radiated after UV-dryer

UV Coatings

UV Coating applications graphic industry

• Web offset
• Coater units (rollers/chamber system)
• Varnishing machines
• Fountain system
• Flexo unit
• Printing unit (Letterpress/Litho)
• Screen (Flatbed/Rotary)
• Inkjet
Web offset

Dosing roller
Proofing cylinder

Dip roller

Substrate

Impression cylinder

Viscosities: 4mm@30° 35-45 s

Film weights: 3-5 g/m2

 Varnishing machines

Dosing roller Coating blade LCoating blade

Proofing cylinder

Dip roller Proofing cylinder

Substrate
Substrate

Impression cylinder Impression cylinder

Viscosities: 4mm@30° 40-60 s

Film weights: 3-5 g/m2

Flexo unit

Coating blade
Plate cylinder
Anilox roller

Dip roller

Substrate

Impression cylinder

Viscosities: 4mm@30° 30-60 s

Film weights: 3-5 g/m2

Sheet-fed - chamber blade system

Chmaber
Anilox roller
blade

Coating form
cylinder

Substrate
Impression
cylinder

Viscosities: 4mm@30° 40-75 s

Film weights: 3-5 g/m2

Sheet-fed – Fountain unit

Plate cylinderinder

Blanket cylinder

Substrate

Impression cylinder

Viscosities: 4mm@30° 75-100 s

Film weights: 3-6 g/m2

Sheet-fed / letterpress – inking unit

Inking unit

Blanket cylinder

Plate cylinder

Substrate

Impression cylinder
Viscosities: Pas
Film weights: 1-2 g/m2 Litho
2-4 g/m2 Letterpress
Screen

Flad bed Rotary

Substrate Substrate

Viscosities: 4MM@30° 75-200 s

Film weights: 6-10 g/m2

Thank You