New Products for the Narrow Web Converting Industry

Published: April 01, 2002, By Ed Boyle, Contributing Editor

Spot Cure UV Unit Offers Maximum Flexibility
Honle UV America Inc., Marlboro, MA; 508/229-7774; honleuv.com
The Bluepoint 3 spot cure unit is said to offer maximum versatility in any user application. It is available with multiple spectra filtering options, PLC interfacing capabilities, and multi-legged light guides. With an auto-ranging transformer, the unit also is adapted to international use easily, co. reports.

Graphic Arts Films Resist UV Degradation
UCB Films, Smyrna, GA; +44 (0) 16973 42281; films.ucb-group.com
Rayoart™ BOPP films, available in clear and white, reportedly will resist UV degradation for up to two years. Co. says the films are the result of developments in BOPP technology that allow company to engineer much thicker films than was thought possible previously. Films are coated on both sides with proprietary coatings: Top coating can be printed using all the major processes with UV and thermally cured inks, as well as certain digital processes, such as UV ink jet printing.

Tests Send Co. Back to GEW
Focus Label Machinery Ltd., Nottingham, England; +44 (0) 1949 836223; focuslabel.com
Co. reports it will offer its label printing machines with GEW UV curing systems again. After using an alternative supplier since 1997, co. ran a series of tests to thoroughly evaluate GEW's VCP, alongside two other manufacturers of similar UV systems, and determined the VCP system gave the best combination of curing power, with minimal heat, and price benefits.

UV-Curable Ink Suited to Nonporous Uses
Xaar plc, Cambridge, England; +44 (0) 1223 423663; xaar.co.uk
Developed in conjunction with Avecia for coding and marking applications on nonporous substrates, Xaar-Jet ink is said to possess excellent lightfastness properties and resistance to chemicals and scuffs. Also reported to offer a high-gloss appearance. The ink is 100% solids-acrylate-based and cures when exposed to UV light.

PP Film Good for No-Label Look
Wausau Coated Products, Wausau, WI; 715/848-2741; 800/345-8039; wausaucoated.com
A 2-mil, topcoated, clear BOPP film is designed to provide a “no-label” look on crystal clear and dark colored containers. Topcoating is said to ensure optimum ink anchorage for a number of different printing methods, including letterpress, flexographic (water-based and UV), rotary screen, gravure, and offset. Mfr. reports material readily accepts hot stamping, has excellent die-cutting properties, and is designed for automatic label application.

Digital Ink Jet System Developed for 2200
Mark Andy Inc., Chesterfield, MO; 636/532-4433; markandy.com
A digital ink jet printing system, developed in an exclusive partnership with Barco, has been designed and integrated directly into co.'s 13-in. Model 2200. The UV ink jet module is a four-color system reportedly capable of printing full-coverage, 100%-variable information at 80 fpm. In addition, 300-dpi resolution with eight levels of grayscale gives a level of quality comparable to a 150-lpi flexo screening, mfr. says, adding that all printing, converting, and finishing can be completed on the same pass.