Flint Group launches Ultraking XCURA LED

Flint said UV LED curing technologies represent the most significant development in energy curing for years, and demand an ‘evolutionary change in ink chemistry’.

Ultraking XCURA LED uses specially selected materials to match the narrow and targeted wavelength (395nm) that is typical for high power UV LED lamp output.

The Ultraking XCURA LED product range includes standard process inks, a base mixing scheme, metallic inks, overprint varnish, with a low migration product to be made available soon.

Ultraking XCURA LED products have high colour strength, display excellent ink/water stability and require lower levels of energy to operate, said Flint Group. They also comply with ISO 2846-1 and are suitable for printing to ISO 12647-1 standards.

The new line follows the launch of Ultraking XCURA, a system of low energy UV curing highly reactive inks and coatings.

Ultraking XCURA LED is being rolled out across Europe as part of a global product launch, and will see a series of seminars to be held in key locations, in partnership with strategic OEMs such as Air Motion Systems. Air Motion Systems is a North American manufacturer of high-performance UV LED and UV ARC lamp systems for the printing industry.

Jim Buchanan, Flint Group business director for UV sheet-fed and key accounts, said: ‘There are long term cost advantages with UV LED compared to traditional UV, and with energy curing’s instant drying offering faster turnaround of work, the door is open for conventional commercial printers to adopt this technology.

‘Retro-fitting of LED lamps is very easy, and takes less than a day, while the ROI on a five-unit + coater B1 press can be under 12 months. This means Ultraking XCURA LED brings the perfect balance of press stability, cure speed and increased opportunities to the commercial print market.

‘We believe the impact of LED will be equally profound in the packaging sector. Heat can be a major problem with traditional UV printing, but LED technology generates minimal heat. As a result the carton will not dry out, so moisture is retained in the stock, making it much easier to handle and with less likelihood of ink cracking or trouble with score lines.

‘When printing food packaging using low migration UV inks, the inability to guarantee 100 percent cure is a real concern. LED lamps are either on or they are off, and don’t suffer from aging effect, so full cure is assured every time, over a much longer lamp life, which is a phenomenal advantage.’