IST METZ, een toonaangevende innovator op het gebied van UV-technologie, presenteert zijn nieuwste ontwikkelingen op het gebied van UV-uitharding op drupa in Hal 1, Stand A24. Als antwoord op de toenemende vraag naar efficiënte en op maat gemaakte oplossingen heeft het bedrijf baanbrekende technologieën ontwikkeld die de prestaties en veelzijdigheid van UV-uitharding naar een nieuw niveau tillen. Kom langs en maak kennis met ons bedrijf en onze uithardingsoplossingen.
Over: Wij van IST leven al een halve eeuw met passie het motto “more than UV”. In de afgelopen 45 jaar zijn we er altijd in geslaagd om mee te gaan met de trends van de tijd en zien onszelf nog steeds als een modern familiebedrijf met visies. Want met het oog op een duurzame toekomst denken we op lange termijn en zijn onze UV-oplossingen voor ons niet zomaar een trend, maar plaveien we de weg voor de volgende generatie lichtuitharding.
We werken hier samen met enthousiasme aan en zijn ervan overtuigd dat onze ervaring en filosofie om altijd net dat beetje verder te gaan ons in staat zullen stellen om samen het volgende hoofdstuk van de technologie te schrijven, dat ongetwijfeld een paradigmaverschuiving en uitdagingen met zich mee zal brengen. In de geest van digitalisering en duurzaamheid, voor een veilige en groene toekomst voor ons allemaal.
IST ziet echter al het "meer" hierachter en richt zich op de bijbehorende waardestijging. Vanuit dit perspectief hebben we altijd onze ambities afgeleid, wat ons drijft en wat we ook in de toekomst zullen nastreven. Dit is hoe we een indrukwekkende IST-identiteit hebben gecreëerd die mensen over de hele wereld beweegt en echt vertrouwen op ooghoogte creëert - onze UV-systemen en onze ondersteuning en service hebben ons zover gebracht.
Niets past beter bij dit idee dan ons beproefde motto "more than UV" - daarom hebben we ons bedrijfsimago een nieuwe uitstraling gegeven die onze bedrijfsfilosofie prachtig naar de toekomst brengt. Zoals het gezegde luidt: een beeld zegt meer dan duizend woorden. Ben benieuwd hoe dit er bij IST uitziet.
Met dit in gedachten kijken we ernaar uit om onze nieuwste doorbraken in UV-droogtechnologie te presenteren op drupa dit jaar - kom langs en neem nog een kijkje in de toekomst van UV.
LED-UV: At a time when the international market for LED-UV systems seems oversaturated, we are certain that our LED solutions make a small but significant difference. Because we don't just focus on the short-term effect, but look at sustainability from all perspectives. We believe that the different applications also require special curing solutions, which is why we have developed specific and market-orientated LED solutions for the respective printing applications. The full energy-saving potential of an LED can only be utilised if experienced personnel and all the features on the printing press are used. In our experience, this is often not the case in practice. At this point, namely determining the most energy-saving setting on site, we have started to ask ourselves how we can flatten this hurdle for the user in a simple and flexible way. The answer is:
SMARTcure: SMARTcure is our innovative AI-supported curing assistant that determines the optimum principle instead of the maximum application-specific principle and optimally controls the dryer based on the parameters from the pre-press stage - for a revolutionary UV curing process.
The required data transfer between the plant and the cloud creates a system that can provide operating data for maintenance in addition to an assistance function - all with the aim of establishing modern and environmentally friendly work processes. In this way, precise specifications for the power settings per dryer are determined and implemented in an energy-saving manner. The resulting reduction in power consumption and operating temperature has a positive effect on the service life of LED systems.
The user can evaluate the drying quality via a feedback option. Feedback and setting changes are processed directly in the cloud. Other measuring systems and analyses can also be used here, such as the UV Analyzer, measurement of the double-bond conversion, solvent resistance or simply a thumb test. The SMARTcure system thus learns continuously and enables a simple and customer-friendly optimisation process for modern drying applications.
This is where the future is being created: we have laid the foundation for this in Nürtingen, namely in our state-of-the-art application centre, the UV Technology Campus. Over the last two years, a new top-class research laboratory has been created, where the ideas of tomorrow are already being developed in the "original Swabian sense". The centrepiece of the new laboratory is not only test facilities, but also a high-tech analytical laboratory. Here, at the birthplace of SMARTcure technology so to speak, the ink and coating series are measured and the data prepared for the SMARTcure Cloud. SMARTcure combines the data from the UVTC with the data from prepress and creates a recommendation for the printer/press - the printer does not have to intervene manually in the process - it can accept the recommendation and thus produce the job under optimised conditions with maximum energy savings.
You can find out what this looks like in practice at our exhibition stand. Come and see us and discover the smartest way to save energy.
We at IST are aware of the advance of LED technology, but also see a certain period of time in which it will be used in parallel with UV lamp technology. The co-existence of both technologies gives the user the opportunity to monitor the situation and to recognise when it makes sense to switch to LED-UV.
IST's UV lamp systems are already fit to make the changeover uncomplicated: They are either "LED prepared" or equipped with the direct change option "HotSwap". These features make it possible to switch without having to change the entire periphery of the unit. So-called hybrid systems, in which a mix of UV lamps and UV LED systems are installed inline on a machine, are also becoming increasingly popular.
We rise to the challenges: IST has revolutionised and further developed lamp technology from the Swabian town of Nürtingen and thus also found an answer to the new printing ink regulation:
The patented FREEcure system, which minimises the use of photoinitiators or even helps to eliminate them altogether thanks to an extremely high proportion of UVC. This is particularly important and of great benefit in the production of sensitive products and packaging using low-migration inks. However, the extremely powerful system fundamentally improves the curing result and promotes energy savings - because the number of dryers can be reduced in many cases by using FREEcure.
In concrete terms, this means - using here an example from the wood sector - possible energy savings of up to 75%, several tonnes of CO2 savings depending on the production site, a significantly smaller space requirement and amortisation times of 1.5 to 2.5 years. And last but not least: the low photoinitiator content, which means that the FREEcure system is also becoming increasingly important in other areas of UV curing.
Another development in the field of light control is flexible shutter positioning. Thanks to the infinitely variable control of the shutters, the dose and heat input on the substrate, for example, can be optimally controlled or fully automated using the new SMARTcure technology. A reliable and predictable process is extremely important for every production - IST has developed a measuring system for quality assurance that is suitable for both UV LED and UV lamp solutions: the UV-Analzyer. The combination of UV app (compatible for Android and iOS), measuring strips and analyser stick offers a handy tool for quality assurance and documentation of common UV and LED systems.
And finally, our company history has led us to a very special anniversary: We are delighted to be handing over the 100,000th special light source to the german company Wiesendanger from Murnau this year. We will of course be celebrating this directly at the trade fair stand - visitors can look forward to it.