UV varnish

[Nmeg]

Could do with some help on this one. We need to print a high gloss varnish on some covers and the customer is not happy with the tests we've so far given him. The press is a 1990 Heidelberg speedmaster 74 with IR. What are the possibilities of adding a UV lamp to it? Boss is looking into the option of also buying a machine just for the varnish but this would have to be an old cheap option.

[amgd1972]

Is this going to be a regular job worthy of the investment.... If no then out work the UV coating of the cover?

If it is going to be a regular and the numbers stack up, then certainly worth looking at investing in a new machine.

To retrofit.... Unless you machine has a coating unit already insitu then I'd look at another peice of kit, 2nd hand market is offering real value for money at the moment globally.

On the coating side, you will need a deep cell annalox 14bcm or greater, TRESU is a good company to discuss options with. On the dryer IST is probably the market leader.

Last but not least, Board and Varnish selection will be crucial to obtaining a high gloss.

Regards

A.

[Nmeg]

We live on a small island and there is nobody to outsource to, the press doesn't have a couting unit.
What type of seperate machines would be suitable and what sort of price would we be looking at?

[amgd1972]

I live on a small Island too (Ireland.....lol)

you need a new machine, Duct fed High gloss will not give you the desired gloss level.

Speak to you local OEM's and also speak to the 2nd hand dealers, look online PressXchange......

A.

[Jim Volz]

Nmeg, we make Kentucky Shine. It's a press applied opv that gives the gloss of an aqueous coating. It's not as glossy as UV but it might work for your application. let me know if your interested. My e-mail is jvolz@kustomgroup.com. Jim Volz

[rasec2101]

Could do with some help on this one. We need to print a high gloss varnish on some covers and the customer is not happy with the tests we've so far given him. The press is a 1990 Heidelberg speedmaster 74 with IR. What are the possibilities of adding a UV lamp to it? Boss is looking into the option of also buying a machine just for the varnish but this would have to be an old cheap option.

There's a retrofit UV dryer provider and he knows which model can be retrofitted,
here's the link: UV Dryers | Manufacturers of UV & IR Drying Systems | Buckinghamshire | Benford UV

[Copper]

More cost with UV..you would need to run UV inks and have lights in the units also. UV inks are twice as expensive as conventional and you can't UV over conventional unless you Aquas coat it first. Dry trap the Varnish or use Kentucky Shine.

[saso777]

Why don' t you buy low cost or second hand machine for UV varnishing and you will have one more pass on the machine but you will get high gloss just like you need,and still work with conventional printing inks.

[turbotom1052]

an aqueous coating unit can be retrofitted to the last printing unit of your existing press. You can get it in 1 of 2 different configurations. The first way is where you would have to sacrifice the ability to print on that last unit as the coating units anilox roller applies a film of aqueous coating to the sheet via the plate cylinder to the blanket cylinder. In the second configuration the coating is applied to the blanket which has already been rolled up from the last unit plate thus allowing full use of the last printing unit. Ive worked on these units in both configurations and although not the ideal way to coat it will get the job done. Im not remembering if the company that made them was Dahlgren or if it was Baldwin. Do some research and im sure you can find it. You will need a bit more than standard ir drying to dry the coating. A hot air knife in addition to your ir unit should suffice even with a short delivery.