04.09.15
Constantia Flexibles announced the inception of LED UV technology at Constantia Flexibles (Spear) in Mason, OH.
Constantia Flexibles has worked closely with Flint Group Narrow Web and Phoseon Technology since early in 2014 to implement LED UV technology onto Spear’s printing presses. The initial discussion revolved around ecological and economical advantages that can be realized when running LED UV lamps and inks. The Spear plant was interested in the possibility of increased run speed, improved performance and the reduced energy consumption as compared with a conventional mercury system which would support sustainability objectives.
The discussions resulted in Constantia Flexible’s decision to retrofit existing presses with UV LED lamps.
“For us, the initial investment into LED started with a challenge; screen ink curing is the limiting factor when it comes to speed,” said Bob Feldman of Constantia Flexible. “We wanted Flint Group to help drive our costs down and the biggest obstacle was run speed.
“What really excited us was speed improvement – with LED UV curing, we were able to increase our speeds by 50% of our baseline, and that was just the initial result,” Feldman added. “Operating temperatures were lower than with mercury curing equivalents. And, there were no cure issues and no discernable performance differences with ink coverage and mileage.”
The Mason plant ultimately experienced more than 50% run speed improvements with UV flexo and screen inks. In addition, the LED UV system used 25% of the power that a conventional mercury system used. The combination of power savings and increased run speed sealed the deal for Constantia Flexibles.
The lamps chosen for the Spear plant are Phoseon Technology Firepower LED lamps and the LED UV inks by Flint Group Narrow Web are EkoCure.
Constantia Flexibles has worked closely with Flint Group Narrow Web and Phoseon Technology since early in 2014 to implement LED UV technology onto Spear’s printing presses. The initial discussion revolved around ecological and economical advantages that can be realized when running LED UV lamps and inks. The Spear plant was interested in the possibility of increased run speed, improved performance and the reduced energy consumption as compared with a conventional mercury system which would support sustainability objectives.
The discussions resulted in Constantia Flexible’s decision to retrofit existing presses with UV LED lamps.
“For us, the initial investment into LED started with a challenge; screen ink curing is the limiting factor when it comes to speed,” said Bob Feldman of Constantia Flexible. “We wanted Flint Group to help drive our costs down and the biggest obstacle was run speed.
“What really excited us was speed improvement – with LED UV curing, we were able to increase our speeds by 50% of our baseline, and that was just the initial result,” Feldman added. “Operating temperatures were lower than with mercury curing equivalents. And, there were no cure issues and no discernable performance differences with ink coverage and mileage.”
The Mason plant ultimately experienced more than 50% run speed improvements with UV flexo and screen inks. In addition, the LED UV system used 25% of the power that a conventional mercury system used. The combination of power savings and increased run speed sealed the deal for Constantia Flexibles.
The lamps chosen for the Spear plant are Phoseon Technology Firepower LED lamps and the LED UV inks by Flint Group Narrow Web are EkoCure.