The coating UV curing system is a system that uses ultraviolet rays (UV) to quickly cure the UV material coated on the substrate. It is mainly composed of light source system, cooling system, reflection system and control system. The following is a detailed introduction of each part:
Cooling system:
Air cooling: The heat on the UV lamp tube and reflector cover is taken away by a blower or centrifugal fan. It has low cost and simple structure. It is suitable for UV curing systems with low power and no shutter mechanism.
Water cooling: It is commonly used in shutter lampshades. A water jacket is set inside the shutter and cooled by circulating water. The cooling effect is good, but the system is complex and the cost is high. It is suitable for occasions with high power, shutter mechanism and high cooling requirements.
Reflection system:
Ordinary reflector: installed around the UV light source to reflect ultraviolet rays, improve the utilization rate of ultraviolet rays and the curing effect. The material of the reflector is usually high reflectivity, such as aluminum, silver and other metal materials. Its shape and design need to be optimized according to the type of UV light source and the structure of the coating system to ensure that the ultraviolet rays can be evenly irradiated on the coated substrate.
Coated reflector: In some complex UV curing systems, coated reflectors are used to further adjust the reflectivity of ultraviolet rays or reduce the reflected heat to make curing more efficient.
Control system:
PLC controller: It is the core of the control system and is responsible for receiving signals from various sensors, such as temperature sensors, speed sensors, ultraviolet intensity sensors, etc., processing and analyzing these signals, and controlling the operation of each system according to the preset program, such as controlling the switch of the UV light source, power adjustment, and the speed of the conveying system.
Human-machine interface: Provides an interactive interface between the operator and the control system. The operator can set curing parameters, monitor the system operation status, view production data, etc. through the human-machine interface. The design of the human-machine interface needs to be simple, intuitive, and easy to operate.
UV curing systems have many applications in the coating industry, as follows:
Printing-related coating:
Book and magazine printing: Used for curing after coating of book covers, magazine covers and inner pages. It can make the ink dry quickly, enhance the color vividness, glossiness and durability of the pattern, and improve the quality and grade of the printed product. For example, the covers of some high-end magazines will use UV coating and curing to make them more visually attractive and not easy to wear and fade in daily use.
Packaging printing: It is widely used in the printing and coating of packaging materials such as packaging boxes and packaging bags. It can quickly cure the patterns and text on the packaging to meet the high-yield requirements of packaging printing, while ensuring the stability and consistency of printing quality. For example, cosmetic packaging boxes, food packaging bags, etc., the printed patterns after UV curing can better resist the friction and scratches of the packaging during transportation and storage.
Label printing: UV curing system is required for printing and coating of various self-adhesive labels, anti-counterfeiting labels, etc. UV curing can make the ink on the label dry quickly and adhere firmly, with good water resistance, solvent resistance and wear resistance, adapt to various complex use environments, and ensure the clear readability and long-term preservation of label information.
Optical film coating: In the production process of optical film, UV curing system is a key process link. For example, optical film and polarizing film used in liquid crystal display can make the coating quickly formed by UV curing, ensure the optical performance, flatness and thickness uniformity of the optical film, and meet the needs of electronic devices such as smart TVs, mobile phones, tablets for high-quality optical films.
Wood coating: It can be used for coating of wood, such as coating treatment of wooden floors, wooden furniture, etc. The coating after UV curing can improve the wear resistance, water resistance and weather resistance of wood, while increasing the beauty of wood, making its surface smoother and brighter, and can effectively protect wood and extend the service life of wood products.
Metal coating: It is used for surface coating of metal materials, such as metal sheets, metal parts, etc. UV curing can make the coating cure quickly on the metal surface to form a solid protective film with good anti-corrosion, anti-rust and wear resistance. It is suitable for the surface treatment of metal products in the automotive, machinery, construction and other industries.
Plastic coating: For the surface coating of plastic products such as plastic film, plastic sheet, plastic pipe, etc., the UV curing system can make the coating on the plastic surface dry quickly, improve the adhesion and wear resistance of the coating, and improve the surface properties of the plastic, such as increasing the hardness and gloss of the plastic. It can be used in plastic packaging, plastic building materials, plastic decorative materials and other fields.
Tape coating: In the production of tapes, UV curing hot melt adhesive coating technology is applied. UV curing hot melt adhesive has high peel strength and stickiness, fast curing speed, and can meet the high efficiency requirements of tape production. Through the UV curing system, the hot melt adhesive can be quickly cured on the tape substrate to form a tape product with excellent performance, which is non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
3D printing: In the field of 3D printing, the UV curing system can be used to coat and cure the surface of 3D printed objects. Since the surface of 3D printed objects is usually irregular, higher UV energy and uniform distribution are required to ensure the curing effect of the coating. The UV-cured coating can improve the surface quality, wear resistance and chemical resistance of the 3D printed objects.
Light source system:
UV lamp tube: It is the core component that produces ultraviolet rays. Common ones are mercury lamps and halogen lamps.
Power selection: Select the appropriate power according to the curing requirements and production speed of the coating material. The higher the power, the faster the curing speed, but too high power may cause problems such as overheating and deformation of the material.
