Figure 5, Figure 4, Tech n ical p ape r – PCT Engineered Comparison of UV and EB Technology for Printing and Packaging Applications User Manual
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 RADTECH REPORT 31
Tech
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method for flexible packaging since it
provides superior handling of extensible
film substrates.
New permanent vacuum modular
low-voltage equipment makes it
possible to consider interstation EB
curing. So far this does not appear to
be a commercial reality, but it is an
area for potential future development.
Capital Costs
The cost of a UV lamp for a narrow
application is relatively low. For many
printing and packing applications, a
single lamp operating at input powers
up to 600 w/in will cure a single ink or
topcoat up to about 300 to 400 feet/
minute. Installation of six or more
press stations running at 800 to 1,000
ft/minute could require 12 or more lamps.
Original industrial EB curing units
typically cost more than $1 million.
Modern low-voltage equipment has
reduced the cost by at least half. A
single EB unit is capable of delivering
30 kGy (3 Mrad) cure dose at greater
than 1,000 ft/min. As discussed above,
multiple wet-trapped ink and coating
layers may be cured with this single
unit. EB curing units are easily sized
for wide-web (>60 inches) printing
applications.
Even though a single UV lamp is
significantly lower in cost than an EB
unit, when one considers the total
capital cost of a wide, high-speed line,
EB may be comparable or lower in cost
than a multilamp UV installation.
Operating Costs
One of the primary advantages of UV
and EB curing is the reduced energy
costs compared to thermal drying
ovens.
12
Another major component of
the operating expense is the cost of the
inks, coatings and adhesives. When
comparisons are made based on the
“solids” that are applied, it may be seen
that the cost of UV/EB materials
(which are near 100% solids) may not
command a significant premium.
In general, there does not tend to
be a significant difference in cost
between UV and EB inks, coatings and
Figure 5
Industrial EB processing equipment
Figure 4
Interstation UV installation on a flexo press