HPE has developed a new type of LED for ink gelling, the water-cooled LED Pinning.
Pinning is the process of partially fixing UV ink immediately after its deposition but before complete curing. This process uses an LED light source to “pin” or “lock” the ink on the surface of the printed material. The main objectives of pinning are:
Ink Spread Control
Pinning helps keep the ink dots exactly where they are deposited, preventing spreading and improving print precision
Sharpness Improvement
With pinning, image and text edges remain sharp, enhancing the visual quality of the print
Ink Deposition: UV ink is deposited on the material’s surface through a printhead.
Pinning: A low-intensity LED light source partially fixes the ink, keeping the ink dots in place without fully curing them.
Final Curing: After pinning, a second exposure to LEDs, usually with higher intensity, completely cures the ink, making it solid and durable.
Superior Print Quality
Sharp edges and vivid colors due to reduced ink spread.
Faster Production Speed
By reducing drying times between stages, production can be quicker.
Material Versatility
This technique is effective on a wide range of materials, including flexible and rigid substrates.
Eco-Friendliness
Lower energy consumption and the long lifespan of LEDs contribute to a more sustainable printing process.
LED printing with pinning is therefore an advanced technology that combines energy efficiency, superior quality, and versatility, making it an excellent choice for professional and industrial printing applications.
Technical specifications of UV LED Pinning “S4P2”:
Max Electrical power: 14,0 W/cm
Current for each COB: 6,0 A
Power of each COB: 84 W (60 mm length – size of COB)
No. of chips for each COB: 8
No. of lens for each COB: 8
Angle of lens is 60°
Wavelengths: 385 nm – 395 nm
Max Curing width: 1680 mm
The set point of power is adjustable from 0 to 100%.
UV LED are used to polymerize and to dry inks, resins, varnishes or similar products in industrial processes when it is required to achieve high levels of productivity. The UV rays emitted by the LEDs enable to dry the products within a very short period of time.