METAPRINT® for UV LED-Cured Flexographic Printing

METAPRINT® – Schlenk

In response to the growing demand for UV LED curing, SCHLENK has developed a new range of ready-to-print metallic inks that meet all the requirements for flexographic printing cured with LED lamps.

They are recommended for printing on paper, cardboard and plastics, particularly for labels and packaging.

MAIN ADVANTAGES:

• Excellent performance on high-speed flexographic presses.
  
• Specifically designed for LED curing equipment (385 and 395 nm).
• Excellent pigment orientation, providing an outstanding metallic effect and high covering power.
  

What makes LED technology different from traditional technology?

• Low energy consumption, reduced heat generation and instant start-up.
  
• Lower operating temperatures, enabling printing on thinner and heat-sensitive substrates, such as thin films, speciality papers and corrugated materials.
• Longer service life.

MORE INFORMATION

Many benefits have been described for the new LED UV curing technology, but what are the main advantages compared with traditional UV curing?
At first glance, the main drawback is the initial cost. LED lamps cost almost twice as much as conventional UV lamps, but they have a much longer service life (more than 20,000 hours) and provide significant energy savings. Traditional UV lamps generate temperatures above 300°C due to the broad spectral range that includes infrared (IR) radiation, whereas LED lamps operate at much lower temperatures, allowing printing on a wider variety of substrates. The higher initial investment can therefore be offset over time.

Another advantage is that LED curing does not require cooling systems or ozone extraction equipment (because the wavelength emitted by LED lamps is not within the 280 nm range or below, meaning they do not generate ozone). Furthermore, although both technologies are VOC-free because they contain no evaporating solvents, LED lamps also contain no mercury.

On the other hand, the output wavelength of LED technology is more limited than that of conventional UV lamps. The range of raw materials available for #LED-UV applications is also more limited and generally more expensive. For this reason, companies such as SCHLENK, which are committed to this technology, have launched a range of finished metallic inks in silver and bronze shades for LED-cured flexographic printing, achieving excellent market acceptance.