Label Press Retrofit: Raising Line Speed with 100 x 10 mm Water-Cooled UVLED

Industry: label and packaging printing  |  Application: UV ink cure before die-cutting  |  Equipment: water-cooled UVLED line light, 100 × 10 mm

The challenge

A label converter was running a flexo press with a mercury UV station between the print units and the die station. Forded line speed was limited by lamp heat, not by ink — running faster caused the web to stretch and the die registration to drift. Thin filmic stocks were the worst case, and the lamp still consumed power when the press was idle.

The solution

Two 100 × 10 mm water-cooled UVLED line lights were fitted directly onto the existing brackets, one on each side of the web path where needed. The heads are fed by a small chiller cabinet mounted at the rear of the press, so no additional floor space was used. Wavelength was set to 385 nm to suit the UV flexo ink in use.

The result

• Web heat reduced — registration holds at higher press speed

• Line speed raised without changing ink or anilox

• No shutter lag: cure stops instantly when the press stops

• Thin filmic labels no longer show heat curl

• Lamp and reflector replacement costs eliminated

Equipment used

UVLED water-cooled line light 100 × 10 mm, 385 nm, with chiller and stepless dimming. See line light sources.