do I have to use bottom roller and doctor blade on UV Coater?

[Printastic]

Hi Guys, I run Tech Lighting UV coater, with 12-14-16 pt cover stock. The stock is so thick that I usually just do not engage the bottom roller all the way and leave a tiny winy gap and do not engage the doctor blade at all and just run it using the top roller only through this little gap I have. This way I don't even need to use / clean bottom roller and the doctor blade at all. But all out of blue I got this thought that maybe I'm putting down too much UV solution this way and coating is too thick? Would the coating be thinner / used less if I engaged the bottom roller to "touch" and used the doctor blade to clean off the excess? Thank you for all your help. Stan.

 

[dabob]

We have a TEC unit also and when we run stock that thick we dont run the squeegee either . .. . works for us . . .

 

[pdan]

Brilliant.

 

[Printastic]

any different opinions?

 

[dabob]

If you are not transferring the coating the the bottom roller you don't need the squeegee. As a matter of fact running a squeegee on a dry roller will make it very very unhappy and it might start screaming and smoking since there is no coating to lubricate it . . . .

 

[Printastic]

thank you .

 

[pdan]

Just to add my $.02
The amount of coating you are using is determined by the upper roller pressure. Engage tighter, less coating. (Engage too tight and it will pop out in my experience)
The blade cleans the lower roller.