A Prescription for Healthy UV Printing

Laura Maybaum, NAZDAR and Jim Raymont, EIT, NAZDAR inks and EIT Insttrument Markets

Abstract: Many ills can befall a UV printing process; from poor adhesion to a strong smell; from poor resistance to unwanted matte surfaces and excessive drop gain. In this session two UV specialists prescribe how to apply better UV measurement and process control to diagnose the 10 most common UV printing ailments from under curing and top curing to ink issues such as brittle or rigid films and yellowing. We examine how equipment selection and maintenance including issues specific to new UV LED light sources affect proper ink performance. For example, how does not properly correcting for the color of your ink, ink deposit thickness or the color or reflectance of the substrate effect UV curing results? Since when it comes to production problems, an ounce of prevention is often worth a pound of cure. This presentation also shows how simple preventative care using a few simple tests can avoid a visit to the UV emergency room.