Nobel Prize win to impact LED UV, says APL

The APL team in Faridabad celebrated the announcement of the Nobel Prize in physics. The reason: Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano at Nagoya University, Japan, and Shuji Nakamura of the University of California at Santa Barbara have won it for the invention of blue light-emitting diodes – an energy-efficient and environment-friendly light source.

08 Oct 2014 | By Samir Lukka

APL Machinery is engaged in manufacturing of full range of UV coating and curing (hardening of coating by ultraviolet radiation). PrintWeek India spoke to Rajiv Kapoor of APL Machinery to understand the impact of this discovery.

Kapoor was ecstatic about the Prize. He said,” Everything which lights will be LED. This will have a massive impact on a new genre of printing." 

The Noble Committee said, the discovery is vital as it could drive a transformation of lighting technology - after bright blue light was produced from semiconductors in the 1990s. This as been something scientists had struggled with for decades.

Using the blue light, LED lamps emitting white light could be created in a new way.

The Noble Committee said, "The invention of the blue LED was the final key to using light emitting diodes – low power, long-lasting sources of light."

And so, by combining a blue, red and green LED, an even white light can be created. It can be recognised from the glow of a smartphone screen, where the low heat output and slim size of LEDs are a selling point, or from the backlight of a newer LED TV, where the low power usage lets manufacturers trumpet cheaper electricity bills.

“As about one-fourth of world electricity consumption is used for lighting purposes, the LEDs contribute to saving the Earth’s resources,” Kapoor said.

He added, "The LED trend will catch up due to energy saving. Already it has successfully replaced in televisions and automobiles. Next is lighting. Trends of developing LED technology will replace conventional UV in a short span of time."

APL who have partnered with Air Motion Systems, USA, a manufacturer of UV and LED curing systems in the world is thrilled with "what they see a great benefit to the print industry".

Kapoor concluded, "Today print is about touch and feel. For this UV is important. But there are some limitations in UV such as too much power consumption, excessive heat generation, frequent replacement of lamps. I think LED with its very low power,  no ozone, no mercury technology will tackle all this."