Efficient LED UV curing technology for coating industries
LED technology has become an established alternative in the field of light curing. The performance of individual LEDs and complete systems has been continuously developed, enabling the curing of suitable UV-reactive materials in a wide range of industrial applications. Easy integration, the absence of mercury and the fact that no process-related ozone is generated at the LED wavelengths used support the broad use of this technology in industrial curing.
Whether in the curing of printing inks, adhesives or varnishes on various substrates – LED UV curing is seeing high growth rates in coating industries. However, distribution of the two technologies differs widely in the various segments. Overall, LED systems are most frequently used in inkjet and adhesives applications.
Advantages of LED UV technology
Polymerization with LED UV light
In principle, the polymerization process with an LED system is identical to the familiar UV technology. The only difference is that the chemistry of reactivity and surface properties has to be optimized. If the aforementioned conditions are satisfied in terms of inks, varnishes, adhesives, coatings etc., LED systems are successfully used in a printing press, for example. This new curing technology is more and more used in inkjet applications. For curing purposes, LED systems use the property of light-emitting diodes to convert electrical current straight into light. They are based on semiconductor compounds which give off energy in the form of ultraviolet radiation or even visible light as soon as electrical current flows through an LED in the forward direction.
How much energy can be saved with LED UV technology?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this frequently asked question. Energy demand depends on factors including the application, the formulation used, the required UV output, production speed and system configuration.
Since an LED UV system is ready for operation immediately after being switched on, no warm-up phases are required. Format-dependent switching also allows LEDs outside the required working area to be switched off. This enables energy use to be adapted to the respective production process and helps avoid unnecessary energy consumption.
We understand that UV systems need to do more than just cure. That is why all our LED UV systems are equipped with our SMARTcure technology. Based on the respective production conditions, SMARTcure supports users in setting the required UV output. This can help avoid using more UV output than is required for the respective curing process.
Who owns the future - UV LED or UV lamp?
LEDs have already become a popular choice for lighting. LED UV technology has already made inroads in terms of curing printing inks in the printing industry, too. Applications in other industrial spheres are on the threshold, but awaiting the development of LEDs with shorter wavelengths.
