Consumables

Specialist UV upgrade saves energy and increases reliability

Monday 23. March 2015 - GEW, Inc., the US subsidiary of the British UV systems manufacturer GEW (EC) Limited recently installed a specialist configuration of UV curing system, comprising a NUVA2 high-efficiency lamphead with a working width of 1.6m / 63in.

The system is powered by GEW’s state-of-the-art electronic power supply which delivers substantial energy savings compared to older conventional UV curing systems. In the run-up to the acquisition GEW was competing against two contenders’ offers that involved three separate lamps spanning the web whereas GEW was the only manufacturer able to offer one single lamp for the overall width.
The Ohio based packaging manufacturer that operates the system installed the UV on a 25-year old Windmöller & Hölscher Olympia 1478 Flexo printing press whose UV station was old and cumbersome with the UV lamps and reflectors becoming more and more unreliable and expensive to replace. As the press operators confirmed: “We were no longer getting consistent cure.”
Upgrading to the GEW system with the NUVA2 lamphead and the dedicated power supply immediately achieved a reduction in electricity consumption of 87% while allowing a simultaneous increase in speed. The press operators confirm: “We are totally satisfied. The new UV system results in greater efficiency and we are assured of a properly cured substrate and high quality finished product.”
Reducing energy consumption and increasing reliability were the decisive factors in opting for the GEW system thus avoiding unscheduled downtime: “Energy savings and reliability met all our expectations. We have had 100% uptime with the product since it has been installed.”
Improved curing efficiency of the NUVA2 lamphead and advanced reflector design mean press operators are more confident in running the press at higher speeds. Collateral advantages of the new system are faster start-up, shorter shutdown and reduced maintenance time – with consequently improved production efficiency and reduced labour waste.