Versatile, cost-effective and powerful: this is what LED UV Curing lights are all about. It is a trendy generation of curing light designed to suit an extensive range of industries. The LED Curing technology flexibility offers an ideal tool for the curing industry to improve production efficiency and quality.
However, most professionals are skeptical in exploring this trend since the question: What is LED UV Curing light? If you need to learn about LED & Curing lights, this post is for you. Here, we explain, in simplified detail, everything about LED and UV curing.
What is LED UV?
“UV” is the official acronym for ultraviolet light. It represents a broad range of electromagnetic radiation, usually ranging in wavelength. This means you can adjust and tune the ray to your specific needs. The LED curing light comprises an array of LEDs with multiple wavelengths emitting light at different angles.
LED UV light source uses ultraviolet rays to cure (the curing fluid). This LED light can be used in many industries such as automotive, paints and coatings, and publishing among others, fields whose success demands speed without compromising quality.
Typically, ultraviolet curing light defines a very powerful, high output LED that cures the resin and is a vital component in the UV curing process. The UV curing light is a prominent accessory in printing and coating industries and is an authentic light source that emits UV-C rays, which are absorbed by the resin, resulting in curing.
LED UV is based on a highly effective, and lightweight design. This light is suitable for processing a wide variety of materials like foils, film, and coatings.
How Does It work?
The LED UV curing light is an innovatively effective process for curing of different types of materials including plastics, films and resins. This curing light is an innovation designed to replace traditional means of exposing films to ultraviolet radiation.
The LED UV curing light is applicable in different types of environment making it ideal for industrial printing applications. It also has numerous benefits over traditional UV lights because it is more energy efficient, and can produce a much higher quality product.
The curing light works by exposing materials to high intensity ultraviolet (UV) light causing the materials to produce free radicals, that react with the material’s molecules. This procedure cross-links the molecules making them both harder and much more resistant to moisture and other forms of energy.
UV Curing Light Application in Printing and Coating Industries
The LED UV is a high-intensity UV light source comprising a high output power. Due to the light’s high intensity, it makes it possible to cure the photo initiators quickly, a factor that helps improve the curing speed while also increasing productivity.
The LED UV curing light can be used in two primary wats:
- Printing and coating (like inkjet printing, flexographic printing, and offset printing)
- Material processing (like plastic products production)
Ideally, beyond these main applications, UV curing light finds application in numerous fields like welding, coating, and printing. When it comes to printing, LED UV light is prominently used in curing toner or ink onto paper among other materials and also aids in polyurethane coatings on plastics and glass products.
Alternatively, when it comes to the coating industry like glass and plastic manufacturing, and automotive paint, UV curing lasers can effectively cure polyester resins onto the substrates.
Best Characteristics of IUV LED Curing Tools:
- Compact: makes it easy to move around your workspace or production area. The units feature a lightweight design that allows easy movement from one location to another without little concern about potential damage during set-up or moved.
- Precision: This light boasts a uniquely short wavelength and a surprisingly high intensity. This aids deep penetration into different materials like plastics with (minimal, if any) or no damage.
- Multi-functional: The LED UV curing tools can be used for short wavelength ultraviolet short, long, and deep ultraviolet curing wavelengths. This flexibility promotes its diverse application in multiple industries like automotive coating, water jet cutting, plastic processing and metal finishing.
Applications & benefits of using LED UV for Curing
The LED UV tools are standard in many fields, including coating and printing. The biggest advantage is that it can quickly achieve quality curing. This unique aspect makes this curing technology valuable to a wide range of applications, including:
- Flexible packaging
- Superior Coating
- Fast and appealing Printing
Traditional UV light tools are now struggling to keep pace with the innovative LED UV Curing options, and it is easy to see why. Besides its exceptional quality, here are some of the factors that make LED curing light standout:
- Quality visual effects: By incorporating a unique filter system, LED UV can generate beautiful colors on your product’s surface, creating a captivating appeal especially in printing such as on Billboards.
- Flexibility & Affordability: cures all types of ink besides UV ink. Furthermore, it’s cheaper than standard curing lights as it uses significantly low power. This makes it a cost-saver and dependable option.
- Safe: it is environmentally friendly as LED rays don’t emit harmful substances during use.
Final Word
The LED UV Curing Light is simply a trendy, new curing lights provision that incorporates the newest LED technology. These lights generate an exclusive light spectrum with low heat and high power making them suitable for coating and printing applications.
In fact, they are applicable in curing coatings and insulation on multiple substrates like ceramics, glass, and in this case, paper.
UV curing light is an important part of any UV curing system particularly because it helps in the production process while also ensuring that there are irregularities in the final product. If you want a fast, precise, and reliable curing approach, LED UV Curing is the way to cure UV-curable inks expertly.
Moreover, it is the simplest way to cure any polymer film. With its flexibility, you can efficiently work on anything from plastics to rubber and metal! The LED UV Curing process is the safest approach with no harmful emissions.