The Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, recently noted that increasing numbers of commercial printing facilities are using or considering UV technology because it is effective and profitable for them to do so.
New Prime UV Perfection Dryers are identified as a Pollution Prevention (P2) technique that results in a 75-90% reduction in energy when compared to heat set dryers. The EPA also noted that the UV dryers result in a 50-75% savings in floor space, higher production rates and improved product performance. Additionally this "Super Clean Technology" qualifies as Lowest Achieved Emission Rate (LAER) technology since UV cured inks and coatings have minimal VOC emissions; therefore add on controls are not required.
Prime UV Perfection Dryers cure every component in the UV ink formulation, or UV coating formulation. All of the applied UV ink components become part of the cured ink or coating. This compares to only 20-50% of conventional cold set or heat set inks and coatings. The result is an acclaimed green technology that eliminates VOCs and HAP materials in the pressroom. Savings in electricity and elimination of natural gas decreases the carbon footprint of the printing operation.
Elinor Midlik, President, Prime UV, notes that "increasingly many of our printing company clients are installing Prime UV Perfection Dryers as part of their sustainability efforts. They have identified themselves as 'Green Printers' to their customers and their communities, and have been eager to gain the many advantages that Prime UV Perfection Dryers offer."
Prime UV Perfection air-cooled UV dryers are designed to cure UV inks at speeds up to 3,000 fpm and 90,000 iph, the new Prime UV Perfector web dryers are intended to replace hot-air gas-fired ovens on commercial web presses or to provide high speed drying on coldset web newspaper presses. However, unlike conventional drying systems, the Prime UV curing system provides added options for the web printer. An end-of-press Prime UV dryer can be installed after the last print unit to cure top and bottom sides of the web.
Space required is less than 60" in the web direction, which translates into a savings of 40 percent on the overall length of the perfector press. Eliminating the heatset oven allows the printer to also eliminate the catalytic converter, or afterburner, and even the chill stand. Exit temperature of the web when running in the 1,500 to 2,400 fpm range is typically only five to ten degrees higher than the ambient temperature of the pressroom.
Another exciting option for the commercial web printer is installing compact Prime UV dryers after each print unit. Interstation UV drying, an entirely new concept for high-speed perfector presses instantly cures UV inks, capturing crystal clear dot formation and eliminating dot gain. Improving print quality, productivity and efficiency remain the key factors in today's web printing equation because they are the factors that give high-volume UV web printing a competitive advantage over any other type of printing.
Headquartered in Carol Stream, IL with sales and service offices located throughout North America, Central & South America, Europe and Asia and over 8,000 UV system installations on high-speed web and sheetfed presses.
Prime UV Curing Systems eliminate all natural gas expenses and are an environmentally friendly 'green' technology. Prime UV Curing Systems install easily on all new and existing commercial web presses including; Goss, Heidelberg, Harris, man roland, Mitsubishi, KBA and on all new and existing coldset web/newspaper presses including; Goss, MDGM, GWS, Tensor, TPH, Manugraph, WPC, KBA, Wifag, TKS and Solna.
Known worldwide for their high-speed UV curing systems for coldset web presses, Prime UV Curing Systems are exceptionally reliable, rigorously tested to ensure superior performance and manufactured in the USA.
