UV LED Curing Lamp VS Mercury Lamp for UV Printer

In recent years, UV LED curing lamps have gradually replaced traditional mercury lamps in the field of UV printers and become new curing devices. On the one hand, they are more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional mercury lamps, and on the other hand, their service life is extended several times. However, there are still many technical problems that have not been solved for UV LED curing lamps, and cost is also a big problem.

Advantages of UV LED curing lamps:

(1). Lower energy consumption, high effective luminous efficiency, and can reduce energy consumption by 60%.

(2). No ozone or short-wave ultraviolet light is generated during the curing process, and no auxiliary devices such as deodorization devices or exhaust ducts are required.

(3). Higher flexibility, the UV LED light source uses a point light source, which can be combined with the size of the substrate to adjust the irradiation range.

(4). It can be turned on instantly during printing, greatly improving work efficiency without the need for preheating and waiting.

(5). Low heat generation, the surface temperature of the lamp is only between 50℃ and 60℃, which can effectively prevent the printed product from shrinking and deforming due to overheating.

(6) Long service life, which can be as high as 20,000 to 30,000 hours, which can greatly reduce the number of light source replacements.

Disadvantages of UV LED curing lamps:

(1). The irradiation intensity is weak. If the printing speed is too fast, it is easy to cause incomplete curing of the ink.

(2). It can only emit long-wave ultraviolet light, not short-wave ultraviolet light, which is not conducive to the curing of UV varnish.

(3). The price of the LED-UV light source is relatively high.

(4). The irradiation distance is short. It must be irradiated at a close distance from the surface of the printing material to ensure good curing of the ink. It has high requirements for UV ink.

Two differences between UV LED lamps and mercury lamps:

1. The light emitted by UV lamps is blue, and the light emitted by mercury lamps is yellow-white.

2. UV lamps have a long life, relatively low power consumption, low heat generation, no mercury, and no ozone generation. They are safer, more environmentally friendly, and have good stability. Mercury lamps have a short life and high power consumption. Mercury lamp printing equipment has high heat generation and contains chemical components such as ozone, which are more harmful to the human body and have poor stability.