Inkjet printing has been able to win a share from the traditional printing market, in its individual pieces of the printing cost of living, in spite of this, inkjet printing is still no substitute for traditional offset printing or screen printing, printing speed is not because it is satisfaction. Now, UV curing technology, making UV-curable ink-jet printing in the printing speed was a great upgrade.

In fact, UV-curing technology has been in a variety of printing equipment, printing ink and printing materials (leaflets or reel, or textiles) on the application of all-pervasive infiltration, so that these new devices faster printing, higher resolution, the application of more material in print, as well as a higher degree of automation. It can be said that the UV inkjet printing technology to save the printing, so that it can be applied to the new market - those who have not thought that the new areas being developed.

UV and then the expansion of family

The expansion of the printing market 1.UV

If you participated in the recent print exhibition, held in 2007 as ISA, the balance 10 debut UV printing equipment, and in the autumn of 2006 at the SGIA Expo, there are 10 remaining UV printing equipment was first introduced . In a short period of time, there are more than 20 kinds of new UV printing equipment to the market together, and so on an unprecedented scale, for UV printing market is a significant upgrade.

"We think, UV inkjet printing market at the global level will be continued strong growth, the new UV printing equipment sales rate will be 30% per year improvement." InfoTrends / CAP Ventures is responsible for large-format printing Tim Greene who said that "more multi-service options to enhance the quality of image output, environmental protection, as well as on a hard surface substrates, such as the printing of new market-driven, making a positive epistasis UV inkjet printing. "

InfoTrends forecast, UV-curable printing equipment sales growth in 2010 will reach double-digit growth, while in 2010, UV inks equipment sales will exceed sales, UV printing has become the largest growth markets.

Research institutions in the printing industry printing large format Lyra Consulting Services Forecast Grey Held responsible person, UV printing market in 2007 was 38% growth, the major printing equipment manufacturers continue to improve in the spare no effort UV printing equipment, such as the printing speed and the durability of UV inks, etc., the application of these new technologies for a range of printing applications to open a new door.

2.UV breakthrough in printing technology

  UV ink under ultraviolet radiation in the short reaction time, temperature low, the printer can print a wide range of material types, but the use of UV metallic ink printing, it must be very precise, and special printing color group must be a special material, such as glass, ceramic printing, very good if we can resolve in the conductor's UV printing technology, I believe that UV printing market will be more room for expansion.

3. To find a new blue ocean UV printing

Commercial printing companies usually rely on banner ads and display advertising business to get business, but those who provide advertising to printing customers printing orders, it is clear they are not satisfied with the existing, limited forms of advertising. They hope that through continuous innovation and to expand their business, acquire a new customer base.

And UV printing in a variety of hard or soft, flexible substrates on the printing, in the highly competitive market, an immediate one-upmanship of the market, these innovations include: auto body printing, textile printing and dyeing, printing and so on. Market is one of the hottest auto-body advertising, before the UV printing technology can not be achieved, but now, UV-curable printing flexibility perfect embodiment of a rigid body is not only directly printing, and even the most complex automotive emission printed on the trachea also handy.

4.UV print head technology innovation

Means better print quality of inkjet drop more precise, of course, which also includes better control of spray droplets. In addition to continuing to reduce the drop size to increase printing quality, but also through the realization of multi-grayscale print head. At present, the market's most advanced print head, including Toshiba's launch can be achieved Tone 8 grayscale, drop size from 6-24ppl the print head, as well as the realization of the six gray-scale Tone, drop size from The 3-40ppl print head Xaar OmniDot 760/GS8.

UV inks extend the color gamut

1. To become a third-party supplier of UV ink

UV printing ink in a perfect performance in the ink depends on not only themselves, but also depends on the print head, a variety of factors, such as curing lights, it should be said that the role of the result at the same time. At present, the majority of UV ink or UV printing equipment manufacturers to supply, in spite of the sun such as chemical, Hilord, and Triangle Digital as an independent third-party suppliers UV ink has begun to provide customers with a specific UV ink products.

2. Increased UV ink color group

Many UV printing equipment to provide only the basic four-color CMYK printing color groups, as well as some printing equipment is equipped with a light blue and light red color, such as the printing group. Some of the equipment while an increase of orange, green, blue, purple color spot color, such as groups, to expand the color gamut of printing ink.

Raster Printers 4000 series UV-curable ink printers have been used in Daytona, but printing equipment RP-720UV in CMYK four-color based on the basic color groups, an increase of orange and blue color group. Gandinnovations the Jeti 5024 UVRTR, as well as some equipment Eastech Octra orange and green color group, and the Gerber Solara UV2 printer provides a green and purple color group.

In fact, for the majority of UV printing equipment, an increase in the largest group is white color, not only white ink can be used as pre-base, and also can print directly to white graphic print.

Waters believes that Durst's white ink the rapid growth of demand is a natural thing, because more white ink to meet the needs of customers, such as more visual effects, but also a wealth of business applications. Only low-cost and simple to use UV curing can be in virtually any printer to print materials.

UV printing equipment of other suppliers, such as the Lüscher and provides Eastech Spot personalized services, to provide customers with personalized color UV printing color matching services group, in spite of the requirements of the service is very strict, the cost is higher but the customers are very interested in this service.

Inca Digital Printers Printing Products Division's manager Roger Walkley said: the increasing number of color printing in the current color group will still be a huge project, as currently widely used printing four-color CMYK color group.

3. Varnished development

Varnish UV printing is also often prepared another new paint, it can not only expand the color gamut ink can also be spot-color and white to expand the region to help UV printing and screen printing products, comparable to offset printing.

4.UV open ink technology

Walkley believes that the successful solution of the printing ink should be applied in the flexibility, when compared to traditional solvent-based inks, UV inks do not have the clear edge, because of poly-(UV ink optical response after the process of curing) effect, ink After the printing is very difficult to deal with the flexible, but only in a vacuum state in order to reduce the tension, so that the surface of solid ink. In the application of ink and therefore whether the flexibility to become a very important point.

3M Center Image products marketing consultants that Tony Fulco, "whether it is the traditional way of printing or digital printing, success should be the maximum extent possible UV ink technology to ensure the openness."

Recently, Durst and 3M Company by the joint launch of the 3M multi-purpose UV-curable piezo inkjet ink series 2700UV inks, and Durst's Rho 160R supporting the use of ink-jet printer equipped with a circle 62 inches round cylinder pressure can be 3M's ink and printing materials for UV printing good. At the same time, 3M has also launched its EFI VUTEk UV inkjet printing equipment, UV curing ink series 2200.

Aellora Digital is its special UV printing equipment has been to explore semi-solid hybrid UV inks, this is the specificity of ink from the ink jet is very hot, when contact printing material, will immediately become very sticky, which allows each drop whereabouts to be very precise when not shifted. This allows even in the porous or non-porous material on the printer when printing does not require an immediate and complete curing, "When we use the ink, the ink not even dry conjunctiva, the expansion will not drop or splash." Aellora Digital's president, said Mike Stoudt.

Long-term experience in the printing ink-jet printing allows for single-channel ink-jet printer business interest. However, many printing companies can be stored in a preference for more ink, the printing business to meet the needs of a variety of multi-channel ink-jet printing. However, from now on, single-channel ink-jet printing of the Guardian decided to change the situation.

Inca FastJet is a single-channel ink-jet printing firm supporter, as early as drupa2004, Inca FastJet on the introduction of a resolution of 300dpi for inkjet printing equipment, the device can output per minute ultra-large-format printing of living matter. Fixed installation or the use of dot-matrix nozzle print head to print materials through the bottom, one out of the ink can be printed to cover the whole thing live.

Aellora Digital printing provides for the single-channel solution for specifications complete, the company can provide semi-solid ink, SureFire TKMP1000 digital printing system, 600dpi × 600dpi in production conditions, the realization of 250m2 / h printing speed.

Worth looking forward to the future

What factors limit the development of UV printing it?

One of which is to expand the color gamut UV ink, which has become the equipment manufacturers, suppliers hard to solve the goal.

For the future of UV inkjet printing, the following aspects should be and we look forward to.

  (1) third-party supplier of UV inkjet ink market is gradually moving towards.

Including the sun and Triangle Digital inks and other chemical companies have specialized in custom printing enterprises UV-curable ink production.

Hexion recently introduced its new product - HexiJet FlashCure UV inkjet inks, such inks the biggest feature is that only a small amount of energy on the UV-curable ink can make contact with the surface of substrates at the same time curing. Compared to the previous UV ink, the little energy could be achieved thorough curing. Curing means that can be more easily thinner substrates on UV printing, and not have to worry about the occurrence of curling, of course, this also means that printing can achieve higher speed.

(2) Notwithstanding the UV printing equipment in achieving the same results when printing compared to traditional solvent-based ink-jet printers, the cost advantage does not have, so UV printing equipment suppliers, in order to expand customer base and take the initiative to reduce the UV inks and printing equipment costs has become a top priority.