Page 2 - Print and paper EN

2
Books, brochures, labels, forms, foils
or packaging are printed using various processes. However, all these processes have the same requirement that the ink must be totally dried or cured before the printed material is stacked, cut, folded or processed further. Dependent on the type of ink, UV or IR emitters are used for drying and curing. By necessity, this is very much connected with energy consumption. Today, it is always worth­ while to have a good look at these pro­ cesses and to look for techniques which provide the optimum results at the best possible energy efficiency.
Heraeus Noblelight offers speciality light sources which are precisely matched to the properties of the coating to be dried. For more than 30 years, Heraeus has supplied infrared emitters to the graphics industry.
Experience Pays
Serviettes with flexographic printing, brochures with offset litho, screen printing for publicity materials or glass in cars, different materials are printed in different ways. Heraeus has decades of experience with all conventional printing techniques.
The correct wavelength
The wavelength of the infrared radiation has a significant influence on the drying process. Water is evaporated particu- larly quickly by irradiation with medium wave infrared. This is because medium wave radiation is very easily absorbed into water and then converted directly into heat. The carbon emitter was developed by Heraeus precisely for the medium wavelength range. Infrared emitters with Carbon IR techno- logy provide surface power density of up to150 kW/m2 with response times of the order of seconds. All Carbon infrared CIR© combine effective medium wave radiation with high power densities and accelerate the drying of aqueous inks and lacquers at high efficiency. Extensive tests have shown that carbon emitter dry water-soluble lacquers significantly more efficiently than short wave infrared emitters. A carbon infrared emitter requires up to 30% less energy for drying than a conventional, short wave emitter.
fAbsorption (%)
100 50
0 1 2 3 wavelength (μm)
carbon
1200 °C
short wave
2200 °C
water
f