UV LED curing systems are a combination of UV LED light and a special gel that is used to cure the printed parts. The ink or plastic filament is printed on a flat surface. Then it is passed under the UV LED curing system. The ink will be cured by UV light and then become solid.
This article will cover the different industries that require UV LED curing systems and what makes them unique.
Automotive
Automotive manufacturing is one of the largest industries in the world, with over 100 million vehicles produced each year globally. Automotive manufacturers use UV LED curing systems daily to paint and coat car parts with paint, plastic, and other materials.
Electronics
Electronics manufacturing is another industry that uses UV LED curing systems to ensure that electronic components are manufactured to exact specifications. Electronics manufacturers use UV LED curing systems to solder chips onto circuit boards and perform other tasks that require intense light under high-pressure conditions.
Medical Devices & Pharmaceuticals
UV LED curing systems are used in the medical device industry for materials that require high durability and conformability, such as silicone or rubber gaskets, elastomers, and coatings on medical devices like catheters and syringes. In the pharmaceutical industry, UV LED curing is used to cure adhesives on drug vials and caps and sealants on medical devices such as infusion sets and endotracheal tubes.
Other applications that require UV LED curing systems include;
Stereolithography
Stereolithography (SLA) is a 3D printing process that uses a UV LED light source to cure resin into a solid object. UV LED curing systems are typically used for SLA applications because of their low energy consumption and high-intensity light output.
Food Packaging
UV LED curing technology is used to cure a variety of food packaging materials, including PETG and PP. The advantages of using UV LED curing technology for food packaging include the following:
The energy efficiency of LEDs reduces the amount of energy required for thermal heating compared to conventional methods, which require a constant power supply;
LEDs can be adjusted to emit light at different wavelengths, which allows manufacturers to choose the wavelength that best suits the application. For example, shorter wavelengths are used in food packaging because they penetrate deeper into the material than longer wavelengths.
Graphic arts
The graphic arts industry uses UV LED curing systems to print on various substrates, including flexographic printing plates, paper, plastics, textiles, and ceramics.
UV LED curing systems can be used in offset press printing as well as flexographic printing. In offset printing, UV LED curing technology is used in plate-making and plate-mounting applications. In flexographic printing, UV LED curing technology is used for film exposure and ink set.
In offset press printing, UV LED curing technology is commonly used for plate making because it is faster than traditional methods such as mercury lamps. In flexographic printing, UV LEDs are used for film exposure because they have a very narrow emission spectrum that penetrates only about 1/4 inch into the substrate. This allows the use of thinner films and less material waste during film exposure.
Digital printing
UV LED curing systems are used in digital printing to cure inks on the press. The ink is exposed to UV light from LEDs positioned above it as it passes through a printer head, exposing it to a specific wavelength of light that will cure it into its proper form. This process is much faster than other methods of curing ink and allows for more precise control over how long each ink layer stays wet before being exposed to another layer of ink or cured by heat or pressure.
Why UV LED Curing Technology Stands Out
The benefits of UV LED curing technology include the following:
Improved cure speed– Due to the higher power density of LEDs, the new curing systems can improve the cure speed by 10x or more. For some materials, it is possible to achieve cure times as low as 20 seconds. This makes it possible to cure many more layers in a shorter period and reduce the complexity of a build.
Improved layer adhesion– The high power density increases crosslinking, which improves layer adhesion significantly for all materials.
Lower energy consumption– Lower power requirements mean less energy is required during production, leading to more efficient production processes with less heat generation and lower energy consumption overall.
Eliminating UV light hazard potentials-UV light can be hazardous for operators working with high concentrations of UV light for extended periods. With LED technology, there is no risk of eye or skin damage even if you are working close to the curing process throughout its entire duration, which can be several hours.