SEMINARIO SERICOL

TINTAS UV
Carlos Sánchez
Director de Flexotech Color
Sericol Technical Service
 Agenda
 Por qué UV?
 La química del UV
 Curado de tintas UV
 Lámparas UV
 La tinta UV en las áreas de
producción
 Seguridad e Higiene
Porque trabajar con tinta UV?
 Productividad
– Disminución en tiempo muerto
– Incremento en la producción por galón de tinta
 Calidad / Consistencia
– Mejor reproducción de punto
– Consistencia de color
– Incremento en el espesor de la película de tinta
depositada
– Mejores propiedades de resistencia
 Medio Ambiente
– Reducción en la emisión de solventes a la atmosfera
– Mejora en las condiciones de trabajo
– Bajos o nulos niveles de VOC’s
 Quimica

Cómo trabajan las tintas UV ?

Quimica – Tinta Solvente
 Contiene 30-40%
solidos
 Seca por la evaporación
del solvente
 Mezclas en forma
exhaustiva

Solvent-based Ink
 Quimica – Tinta UV
 100% Solidos
 No evapora
 Cures by cross linking
 La mayoria de la tinta
UV requiere un post
curado
 Mix ink thoroughly
Conventional UV Ink
How UV Inks Cure
 How UV Inks Cure

Substrate

After Printing - Before Curing

Substrate

After Curing

Pigment Reactive Reactive Photoinitiator

Oligomer Monomer
 How Pigment Effects the
Passage of UV Energy
UV Varnish/ UV Color
Extender base

Ink Ink
Layer Layer

Substrate Substrate

Key:

Photoinitiator Pigment
 Effect of Pigment
Concentration on Cure
Pigment concentration and amount of UV radiation is identical in each case

No Pigment
Easy to cure
High penetration of UV

Low pigment concentration

Less easy to cure
Lower penetration of UV

High pigment concentration

Difficult to cure
Lowest penetration of U/V
 Effect of Different
Pigments on Cure
Pigment concentration and amount of UV radiation is identical in each case

Pigment transmitting UV
Easy to cure
e.g. Magenta

Pigment reflecting UV
More difficult to cure
e.g. White

Pigment absorbing UV
Most difficult to cure
e.g. Green
Effect of Color on Speed
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

BLACK
GREEN
BLU E
VIOLET
ORAN GE
W HITE
RED (BLUE SHADE)
YELLOW (RED SHADE)
RED (YELLOW SHADE)
YELLOW (GREEN SHADE)
MAGEN TA
EXTEN DER BASE
Photoinitiators

Optimum level of photoinitiator

Optimum cure throughout

High level of photoinitiator

Only top surface is able to cure
Ink Deposit’s Effect on Cure

Fully Cured
Fully Cured
Under Cured Fully Cured
Uncured Under Cured
UV Lamps
 Medium Pressure
Mercury Arc Lamp
Electrode
Mercury & Xenon

Quartz Tube

Essential features: Operating Conditions:

Quartz tube Temp 1100-1500 F (600-800 C)
Various lengths Life 1000-2000 hours
Partly filled with mercury Power input 80-120 watts
Xenon as filling gas to start lamp
Reflector Structures

Faceted Parabolic / Elliptical

 Lamp Output
 Millijoules (mJ/cm )
2

 Milliwatts (mW/cm )
2

 Heat
 Visible light
 Lamp output is verified with a
radiometer
 Lamp Maintenance
 Clean reflectors and bulbs
– Wipe with alcohol
– Don’t touch with fingers
– Schedule and stick with it !!
 Rotate bulbs
– 180° at least once every two weeks
 Replace
– Life of UV bulbs vary
– Average 1000-1500 hours
UV Inks in Production
 UV Inks – Prepress
 Anilox selection
– Match ink to anilox
 Printing plate selection
– Manufacture
– Type
 Artwork
– Process (Screen/flexo/combination)
– Line count
 UV Inks - Press
 Press ready inks
– Mix up inks thoroughly / scrape lids
– Only ink department makes adds to
ink
 Cleaning Up UV Inks
 Gloves and protective glasses
 Remove as much as possible with a
dry rag before using solvents on
equipment
 Practice good housekeeping
 Wash hands with soap and water
Health and Safety Issues
 Healthier work environment
 Skin contact
– Wash off with SOAP and WATER
– Don’t wash with thinners or chemicals
– Don’t allow prolong skin exposure
 En resumen
Factors Effecting Cure
 Printing Conditions  Curing Unit
– Anilox – Lamps in working
– Density of inks order
– Ink adjustments – Sufficient UV energy
– Printing setups – Clean lamps and
reflectors
– Time of exposure /
Millijoules