The hottest UV ink technology development from the

Development of UV ink technology: from theory to practice (II)

European perspective

this mainly focuses on the evolution and direction change of UV technology in the future development process. European ink formulation designers all hope to add water to UV ink. Although American ink formulation designers also showed great interest in this technology, it was Europeans who turned it from ideal to reality

in this development process, several factors are very prominent. The most important thing is that UV screen printing ink technology has fast drying speed and good gloss. It is an ideal choice to replace many traditional printing technologies

the biggest difficulty is the problem of ink curing height related to high solid ink technology in the printing process. People should find a solution to this problem, especially in the process of halftone image printing. If water or water reducing resins and monomers are added, the percentage of solids in the ink and the final point height on the print will be reduced, and the quality and curing effect will not be affected

of course, water reducing or water-based inks are not without their own problems. The template must be waterproof, and with the evaporation of water, the silk will also dry a little in the morning of December 18. In addition, this kind of ink is not easy to print. To get good printing quality, we must go through a complex and tortuous exploration. However, with the improvement of ink technology, this process can be controlled, so high-quality printing can be achieved. In some cases, silk screen Waterborne UV ink can also achieve the printing quality of offset printing

water based UV ink and technology have not been shared by manager Meiyan: "It is not surprising that the ink will be accepted by the domestic market in the next five years. When this kind of ink was just launched, many printers were in the following projects mentioned directly related to high molecular materials from solvent type: ink to UV oil, and glass fiber reinforced material modulus was in the stage of ink transformation between 20 and 24 GPA, so they did not pay attention to the application of water-based ink. At that time, four-color silk printing was carried out by American printing plants The quantity is very small, which also leads to the neglect of water-based UV ink

UV quick drying equipment

with the development of water-based UV ink, there is also quick drying (instant drying) technology. The ink formula on continuous UV curing equipment is very mature. The range and types of photographic lithography are specially designed according to the main rays of the mercury lamp, and people can use it with confidence

in this device, ultraviolet radiation passes through the interface between the ink film and the substrate in the form of a narrow beam, making them deeply solidified and adhered. But the main problem with this device is the heat it generates. These heat will lead to the deformation of the substrate, but it will also promote the crosslinking and curing reaction, which makes the curing more thorough. Although the key problems of continuous UV equipment have not been solved, the improvement of UV lamp efficiency in the future will reduce heat generation and cost consumption

for fast drying UV equipment, its requirements for function and formula are completely different, and the parameters of photolithography are also different from the continuous curing process. Rapid curing requires certain professional knowledge of ink manufacturers

American perspective

when Europe developed water-based inks, the U.S. market did not stop the development of UV inks. In the United States, the invention of UV ink suitable for printing on vinyl and polyethylene banners is crucial. These substrates will have their own unique problems in the printing process. For example, adding plasticizer to vinyl can improve the operability and durability of ink. The successful development of UV technology and the developers of raw materials have created a unique and lasting solution for this substrate. Other substrates, such as polyolefins, also bring some special problems of adhesion and durability. But UV ink solves these problems well

the United States also hopes to provide solutions for more industrial markets, such as the printing on dials, dashboards or express cars. Inks used in these fields should have strong durability, wear resistance, and be very flexible

the main advantage of this technology development, especially for global companies, is that ideas and technologies can be generated at the same time and realized synchronously. This has also brought a leap in the development and application of ink technology

what will happen in the future? How will UV technology promote the development of silk printing in the next few years? One thing is certain: People's need for UV technology will continue to develop. In the markets of developing countries, such as Eastern Europe, new printing businesses are flocking to UV technology and jumping out of the circle of traditional solvent technology. Looking forward to the development prospect of UV technology, it also has certain potential, some of which can also be used in silk printing