UV in the pressroom with Prashant Atre

“In offset and other printing processes, there is a limitation on the type of substrates that can be used, because of the limited capability of inks to adhere ink onto the substrate. This restricts the innovation,” said Prashant Atre, managing director, Toyo Ink Arets, while speaking at the Seekho aur Samjho 2.0 technical workshop series. , Associations

25 Apr 2016 | By Priya Raju

Atre: "We need inks which are not substrate dependant and the solution is UV light"

The fourth session on UV inks was held on 22 April 2016, at the SIES Graduate School of Technology in Navi Mumbai.

Atre said, “We need inks which are not substrate dependant. The solution to this is UV light.” He explained that the UV process is independent of the type of substrate used and also the printing process. The three-hour workshop focused on UV technology and its uses and application in packaging.

Being one of the early adopters of UV technology, Sanjay Patel, managing director at Param Packaging, shared his experience with the attendees

“UV is a curing technique. The UV light initiates the cross-linking of polymer, which results in the drying of inks,” said Atre explaining the drying process of UV inks. “Consumers demand more and there is a need to adapt, too. And the scope of UV inks in packaging and labels is endless. Packaging has reinvented itself through UV,” said Atre.

He stressed on the need to have a UV lamp with a good reflection coating. He said, “55% of the UV light from the lamp is emitted through reflection. Also, while printing on substrates like PVC and MetPET, the corona treatment given to the substrate prior to printing is a crucial step, which helps in adherence of ink on the substrates.”

LESSON LEARNT

1. Very fast curing/drying of inks

2. Curing process is independent of the PH value

3. Can print on wide range of substrates including the non-porous ones

4. UV inks are solvent free, hence, no evaporation of solvents while drying

5. Gloss achieved is very high

6. Showcases stability in rollers and ink duct

“UV, as a technology, has been a late entrant in the industry; hence, a thorough research including various tests for oral, derma, and inhalation, have been conducted. The results show that UV inks are safe to use,” said Atre.

The question and answer session that followed Atre's presentation was the most interesting part. The attendees asked questions about the difficulties faced by them in their daily production schedule, plus factors such as maintenance of ink duct, pressroom conditions and thixotropy of inks for effective use of UV inks.