Bright idea: employing a commercially available LED-UV irradiation system and a special ink for LED-UV, Ryobi has developed the world's first LED-UV printing system for offset printing

Bright idea: employing a commercially available LED-UV irradiation system and a special ink for LED-UV, Ryobi has developed the world's first LED-UV printing system for offset printing

Employing a commercially available LED-UV irradiation system from Matsushita Electric Works and a special ink for LED-UV developed by Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co, Ryobi has developed the world's first LED-UV printing system for offset printing.

In place of a conventional UV lamp, the new system employs a long-life, lower power consumption LED light source for UV (ultraviolet) curing. This next-generation system, says Ryobi, meets the growing demand from the printing industry to reduce environmental impact.

The LED-UV printing system will be exhibited on the Ryobi 525GX A3 plus-size high-speed five-colour offset press at drupa 2008 from May 29 to June 11 in Germany.

Demonstrations of quick drying for short-run colour printing will also be given.

The growing range of applications for UV offset printing already include seal labels and packaging, and the market is certain to grow with the increasing demand for printing on film, metallised paper, and other non-absorbent media for higher value-added printing.

UV offset printing presses are also attracting attention because there is no need to wait for drying before the next process. In addition, UV inks contain no VOC (volatile organic compound) solvents and can be dried instantly without using a hot air dryer. This means UV printing systems are more environmentally friendly and do not directly generate CO2.

Ryobi offers a variety of UV printing presses to maximise these advantages.

The world's first LED-UV printing system now being introduced combines a low power consumption LED-UV curing unit and a special UV ink on the RYOBI 525GX, further reducing the environmental impact of UV printing.

Compared to a conventional UV lamp system, the new LED-UV printing system offers a number of important advantages:

1. Power consumption is reduced by 70 to 80 per cent, markedly lowering electric power expenses. (Corresponding to a reduction of environmental impact by about 25 tons of CO2 emissions a year – equivalent to approx. 1.9 hectares of forest; Assuming an annual operating time of 2000 hours for a Ryobi 525GX as exhibited at drupa 2008. The amount of CO2 reduction will vary under different conditions.
2. The long-life light source significantly reduces replacement frequency. (12 times longer life than a conventional lamp).
3. No ozone emissions, making the system more eco-friendly and eliminating the need for ventilation ducts and blower box.
4. Produces no infrared irradiation, minimising the effect of heat on the printing media (especially film) and on the printing press.
5. The light source can be instantly switched on and off, so there is no waiting time for cooling down and start-up of the drying system.
6. The irradiation width can be controlled to suit the paper width for more efficient LED light source operation.
7. There is no increase in temperature even directly under the LED light source, enhancing operation safety.
8. A compact control cabinet reduces installation space. RYOBI is planning to extend this LED-UV printing system to other press models, such as the RYOBI 750 Series B2 plus-size offset presses, for which even greater energy savings can be expected. RYOBI will offer this system in Japan and worldwide as a means of helping to prevent global warming.