UV-LED curing technology officially enters the large-format digital printing market

Editor's Note: Japan's Mimaki recently launched an inkjet printer designed for the large format digital printing market, the UJV-160. To better understand this new product using UV-LED's new curing technology, we specifically interviewed Mr. Steve Urmano of Yumage.

Reporter: Your company has exhibited this UV-LED curing technology at the recent SGIA show, but it feels more like a fresh idea than a practical digital printing option. So what are the advantages of the new UV-LED printers in terms of print speed, quality, and image durability compared to traditional UV inkjet printers?

Urmano: Because we currently only introduce the UJV-160, a 64-inch LED-cured large format hybrid printer to the market, we can't tell you about its performance parameters on various materials. As a pioneer in this field, we I hope to make some necessary adjustments to the printer's curing and ink system to achieve the best printing conditions. One of the main reasons people want to eliminate the light source curing system is that the heat it generates can cause problems when the printer prints on soft materials or makes the ink more vulnerable after curing. In addition, Miyako has introduced a special coating for glass and metal substrates that greatly increases the viscosity of the ink. New pre-press and post-press treatments also extend the useful life of printed materials.

Reporter: UV-LED technology can significantly reduce the heat generated by the curing process, so that people can carry out UV printing on thin plastic materials. But in addition, what are the advantages of this technology? Can these advantages motivate people to replace their UV inkjet systems with UV-LED solutions?

Urmano: The cost and maintenance issues of high energy curing lamps have been the biggest obstacle to printer performance. If the temperature of the curing light source is set too high, it will have a thermal effect on the foam and other materials (heat will be concentrated on the surface of the material) or the ink will be “deep-fried”. Materials such as stickers are vulnerable to the adverse effects of high-energy luminaires and lose their proper function. In addition, LED curing technology can also reduce the "two-way tape" phenomenon during curing. In general, we believe that LED curing technology not only simplifies the printing process, but also enables end users who do not have screen printing knowledge to obtain the desired printing effect.

Reporter: Your company has launched a UV roll-to-roll printing device that is currently popular in the market, and the latest technological advances have made UV inkjet inks more flexible. This way, it is expensive. Does the company think that solvent-based inkjet printers will be eliminated by the industry? If so, what is the reason for people to make this change? If not, what does it depend on in the market?

Urman: The low cost of solvent-based printing equipment and ink makes it an ideal choice for low-end applications and will continue to occupy a very large market share in the market. In addition to the above reasons, the continuous decline in the price of solvent-based large-format printers has also determined that it will become the market's overlord for a long time to come. For end users who only want to buy one device, UV-LED web/platform hybrid printers will be their ideal choice. We have already seen a strong interest in this technology from the brand identity market.

Reporter: From the recent conclusion of the SGIA 08 show, inkjet technology is still the focus of attention. What do you think this technology will achieve in the next five years?

Urmano: At present, most of the ink-jet materials we print are for the label market, but I believe that in the near future, surface finishes, direct and indirect dye-sublimation transfer printing, and apparel printing will all shift to digital production. And achieved rapid growth, which will further expand the scope of application of inkjet technology, and make large format digital printing out of the shackles of the original. In addition, when you decide to use inkjet technology to produce labels, package products and models, you also need to consider its cost in terms of workflow and design.