Fountain Solution suggestions for UV

[Cornishpastythighs]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for a Fountain Solution that works really well with UV inks running on a Komori press.

 

[rickprince]

UV Fount

UV Fount

Check the website; Tower Products. Millennium 7000 and AR-7500 is a great combination for printing UV.

 

[Dan Roll]

You could run NovaFount FS-802 as well...
(this is a vendor speaking....)

 

[REYES1377]

Prisco 3451U with alkales 6000! We have a new Komori LS and are a full UV shop. We had many problems with feed back on the meetering. Tried different chemistries and found this to work the best.

 

[colorfun]

Hi,
we use eggen oxilan L on our Komori UV presses.

 

[Jose Colon]

Fountain Solution for UV Inks

Fountain Solution for UV Inks

I had great results with Nova FS501 & AS902 printing with UV & Hybrid Inks.

Jose Colon
Nova Tech Sales Rep
[email protected]

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

Thanks folks, I see I have lots of options. Ink feedback on the metering roller is one problem we are experiencing.

 

[Tomas]

Guys, do you have any recommendations for a good Fountain Solution for UV LED ink in 2024?

Problems I am working on today:
1. Constant problem with the "template" on the sheet and the dampening roller. Photo
2. The ink on the plate after 500 sheets becomes like a rubber film that is difficult
to wash off even by hand.

I did a lot of tests with ink and mechanics and came to the conclusion that
this is a problem with the Fountain Solution.

Komori L40 machine.
EPDM rollers.
I use isopropanol A.

Please tell me, a Fountain Solution with a minimum content of the wetted component for correct operation on UV/UV LED inks.

 

[Tomas]

Ink: LED UV
Moisturizing solution:
- Concentrate (buffer additive) = 2%
- Osmotic water with an initial hardness of 12
- Isopropanol A = 7-9%
- Ph = 4.9
- Temperature C = 11-13

I tested with other brands of paint and the result was the same.
I also previously used Ipamin 4-6% instead of Isopropanol A.

But the problem remained one way or another.
What changed was that due to some combinations of factors, during my shift, a colorful hard coating formed on the copper load roller,
which we spent a long time scrubbing off with strong solvents. It was like a thin coating of stone - it was a dry pigment of paint.
And then, when some factor changed, there was no longer a raid.
Photo

 

[Tomas]

Try using a 1-step fountain concentrate, and maybe add some additional glycol product if/as necessary.

So you recommend using a solution based on water and only a concentrate with a wetting additive? Without another additive to reduce surface tension? Alcohol-free wetting?

to stay away from mentioning specific brands

I am completely satisfied with the quality of materials of this brand. But I know that I have a violation of some factor: Amount of alcohol, water temperature, or simply incorrectly prepared water.
Would you recommend a specific concentrate or the composition of such a concentrate for UV inks?
By what sign should I buy a new concentrate? Ph or does it have some special composition?
The problem is that I can't blindly try all the concentrates on the market - it takes a long time (((.
And most of them simply indicate in the specification that "... it is also suitable for UV inks ..."
Please write me a private message if you have any advice.

 

[SheetSqueezer]

So you recommend using a solution based on water and only a concentrate with a wetting additive? Without another additive to reduce surface tension? Alcohol-free wetting?

In the UV setups I’ve worked with, dosers were always used. Some were using 1-step fount right out of a barrel and others used 2-step founts, 1 of those steps adding glycol. I’ve used reverse osmosis water from a tank and also city water right out of the tap. All of it has worked successfully but the sensitizing of chrome rollers and ink backtrap into the dampening system was present sometimes and when it was I/we had to mitigate that to produce best results.

 

[Tomas]

Can you tell me a little more about what 1-step and 2-step fountain concentrate is?

 

[Tomas]

this means that there is a concentrate that wets itself.
and another option is when it needs some kind of alcohol for wetting?

 

[SheetSqueezer]

1-step = 1 solution; it’s an all inclusive fountain concentrate that has etch, buffer, and glycol (the wetting agent).
2-step = 2 solutions; 1 solution has etch and buffer, a 2nd solution is glycol (the wetting agent).

Using too much Alcohol in fountain solutions (for conventional inks) was frowned on years ago by OSHA in the States and so the printing industry came up with glycol as a substitute (alcohol-sub). So most fountain solutions now utilize that as a wetting agent, instead. Isopropanol Alcohol typically cuts UV ink though, and so I don’t really know too much about using it as a wetting agent in your fountain solution with UV inks.