UV inkjet technology – value added solutions for digital label printing and finishing

Helmuth Munter at Durst Phototechnik looks at the new innovations in UV inkjet technology and what they are doing to propel the industry forward

Looking at the number of innovations in UV inkjet technology that were introduced over the past 12 to 15 months by various suppliers, there is no doubt regarding the huge potential that this technology offers in digital label printing.

UV inkjet is becoming a mature technology that beside its significant advantages in printing speed and running cost now also adds additional process colors for wide pantone color coverage as well as flexible finishing applications that allow label converters to create value added – high end label products.

One of the highly innovative products that combine all these attractive new features is the recently introduced Tau 150-8C UV inkjet label press, offering a whole new range of color configurations to cover the majority of requested label printing applications. Its standard color configuration CMYK +W can now be completed with Orange and Violet color thus offering up to 90 percent coverage of the Pantone color gamut. Additionally, this label press can be equipped with a digital varnish print module for digital spot varnish applications, generating different gloss levels with only one fluid in a single pass at the time of printing, all in a fully automated and very efficient workflow.

These new color options combined with high speed variable data printing at industry leading throughput speed of close to 50 m/min (160 ft/min), offer highest flexibility and full label-to-label variability for the label printer.

Another very innovative product recently introduced is the Rotoworx Diva, a digital varnish print engine which offers the unique ability to produce different gloss finish with one single fluid in one single pass – an industry first. Diva is a 13in (330 mm) wide print module with the main purpose to apply spot varnishing on pre-printed materials. These materials could be printed using a variety of conventional and digital methods including flexo, offset, liquid and dry toner as well as inkjet.

The digital UV inkjet application process is highly accurate thus allowing coatings to be applied more precisely than other processes which have difficulty to control the volume and placement of the fluid applied. Conventional methods typically have a registration in the hundreds of microns accuracy as compared to tens of microns for inkjet. In addition, this completely digital printing process enables customers to produce special effects, such as textures and even tactile elements whereby more fluid can be applied (thicker layer) than with conventional processes. This is very desirable in many applications for enhanced image effects.

Different effects (matte, gloss etc.) can be created easily in one process step – using only one fluid. The benefits from a production time point-of-view as well as from a logistical point of view compared to conventional methods are obvious. Also, there is no special set-up time for a change from one job which requires a gloss finish to another which requires matte finish.

Short runs can be produced with a variety of digital technologies but none of these offers a varnishing solution that comes even close to the flexibility of digital UV inkjet. As opposed to analogue methods, digital varnishing offers the printer the opportunity to present several samples each with different designs (different patterns, different gloss levels etc.) very easily and cost effectively. Also, there are applications that require a cut-out area (i.e. an area which cannot be printed, laminated or coated) for adding information (such as date-codes) on a production line. Involved cost and time makes this kind of applications prohibitive with analogue equipment. Diva is the solution for this application in a short-run environment and is available as an original configuration module for the Rotoworx 330 finishing system in a standard and high speed version but can also be field upgraded at already installed Rotoworx 330 machines.

Durst continues to accelerate R&D investments with a major focus to the label market, offering innovative products and features which will be source of competitive advantage for our today’s and future clients.

This article was published in the 2011 L&L Yearbook

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