Coating in Sight - UV Printing With Heidelberg
UV technology opens up a nearly boundless world of finishing
possibilities that allow you to magically conjure up seductive
eye-catchers on both absorbent and non-absorbent printing stocks.
This is not to mention the economic advantages it holds including
fast throughput and drying times. For many graphic companies on a
quest for the perfect UV print, Heidelberg offers the right UV
press in all format classes - and is therefore also the ideal
secret weapon in the fight for high margins in this market
segment.
Printing with gold? What sounds like a fairy tale from One Thousand and One Nights is reality in the printing room: "Many of our customers experiment with UV inks and coatings by combining them with unusual materials like gold leaf. Others also work with unusual printing stocks such as foam. UV printing allows you to realise countless applications where the only boundary is your imagination," explains Jens Arne Knöbl, Head of Product Management Applications at Heidelberg.
In addition to differentiating themselves by using such unusual print creations, customers are naturally interested in economic production processes as well. This is why Heidelberg is continuously developing its range of UV products, "for many customers inline production is the key to cutting costs. It's an unbeatable advantage when the applied inks and coatings harden immediately and products can be sent to finishing without a big time lag. What's more, products are protected from damage."Emphasises the UV expert, Jens Arne Knöbl.
Just how important the customer's benefit is to Heidelberg is shown by their most recent initiative for the standardisation of UV and hybrid applications, in cooperation with KBA. Motivating this action was the manufacturers' large degree of variation in the production of various batches of operating or aid materials such as ink and cleaning agents. It not only hinders the achievement of higher process reliability and quality, but can also cause damage to the machines. "Heidelberg's overall goal in product certification is to limit the degree of variation and increase reliability in processing, thereby improving the entry situation, especially for UV beginners, by providing clear recommendations." States Jens.
In the future Heidelberg wants to offers its UV customers a complete workflow from the preliminary stages through printing and up to finishing. "Our customer should be able to focus their attention on making money right from the start. That's why when it comes to more complex areas like lenticular applications, in-mould labels and packaging, they don't just receive the UV press with the appropriate equipment but also consultation services on special uses and technologies, as well as the equipment for postpress finishing - and all from the same source." Points out Jens Arne Knöbl.
In keeping with the trend overseas toward coating and special effects, Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand are experiencing a significant upsurge in enquiries for UV presses. The trend for dedicated coating units has been building for some time. Aqueous applications are the norm but more and more we are seeing interest in UV with three UV machines being installed in the past year. Sydney based Webstar, part of the Bluestar Print Group, put in a double coater 102 six colour with UV, and Ego Print in Melbourne went for the same configuration on a 500 mm raised base. Perth printer, CJ King, installed a half sheet UV 74 five colour with coater joining Brisbane packaging and label printer, Pyx, who took delivery of their CD102-6+LY UV after last drupa. With HAN currently working on CD74, SM102, and XL105 UV projects the market is moving fast. Says Lindsay Barnes, Sheetfed Product Manager for HAN: "Last Pacprint we started an initiative we called the UV Task Force. We brought experts in from Germany and our regional headquarters in Singapore to talk to customers about UV applications. The seeds sown over the past couple of years have paid off and both HAN and our customers are now far more knowledgeable about UV technology than ever before and are now ready to embrace its potential.
Further Information:
Lindsay Barnes - Product Manager, Sheetfed
Email: lindsay.barnes@heidelberg.com
Printing with gold? What sounds like a fairy tale from One Thousand and One Nights is reality in the printing room: "Many of our customers experiment with UV inks and coatings by combining them with unusual materials like gold leaf. Others also work with unusual printing stocks such as foam. UV printing allows you to realise countless applications where the only boundary is your imagination," explains Jens Arne Knöbl, Head of Product Management Applications at Heidelberg.
In addition to differentiating themselves by using such unusual print creations, customers are naturally interested in economic production processes as well. This is why Heidelberg is continuously developing its range of UV products, "for many customers inline production is the key to cutting costs. It's an unbeatable advantage when the applied inks and coatings harden immediately and products can be sent to finishing without a big time lag. What's more, products are protected from damage."Emphasises the UV expert, Jens Arne Knöbl.
Just how important the customer's benefit is to Heidelberg is shown by their most recent initiative for the standardisation of UV and hybrid applications, in cooperation with KBA. Motivating this action was the manufacturers' large degree of variation in the production of various batches of operating or aid materials such as ink and cleaning agents. It not only hinders the achievement of higher process reliability and quality, but can also cause damage to the machines. "Heidelberg's overall goal in product certification is to limit the degree of variation and increase reliability in processing, thereby improving the entry situation, especially for UV beginners, by providing clear recommendations." States Jens.
In the future Heidelberg wants to offers its UV customers a complete workflow from the preliminary stages through printing and up to finishing. "Our customer should be able to focus their attention on making money right from the start. That's why when it comes to more complex areas like lenticular applications, in-mould labels and packaging, they don't just receive the UV press with the appropriate equipment but also consultation services on special uses and technologies, as well as the equipment for postpress finishing - and all from the same source." Points out Jens Arne Knöbl.
In keeping with the trend overseas toward coating and special effects, Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand are experiencing a significant upsurge in enquiries for UV presses. The trend for dedicated coating units has been building for some time. Aqueous applications are the norm but more and more we are seeing interest in UV with three UV machines being installed in the past year. Sydney based Webstar, part of the Bluestar Print Group, put in a double coater 102 six colour with UV, and Ego Print in Melbourne went for the same configuration on a 500 mm raised base. Perth printer, CJ King, installed a half sheet UV 74 five colour with coater joining Brisbane packaging and label printer, Pyx, who took delivery of their CD102-6+LY UV after last drupa. With HAN currently working on CD74, SM102, and XL105 UV projects the market is moving fast. Says Lindsay Barnes, Sheetfed Product Manager for HAN: "Last Pacprint we started an initiative we called the UV Task Force. We brought experts in from Germany and our regional headquarters in Singapore to talk to customers about UV applications. The seeds sown over the past couple of years have paid off and both HAN and our customers are now far more knowledgeable about UV technology than ever before and are now ready to embrace its potential.
Further Information:
Lindsay Barnes - Product Manager, Sheetfed
Email: lindsay.barnes@heidelberg.com
