EB's Bright Future
October 2002
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Numbers show that the usage of EB inks and equipment are on the rise. Now suppliers are working to get them in the spotlight.
"POINTING TO THE significant operations and 'enabling' benefits of the process, suppliers of ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technology are bullish on near-term growth prospects," says the RadTech biennial survey North American Market Update. "Survey respondents, including over 80 industry suppliers and end users, project market growth of six to nine percent each year over the next three years ... and report growth of UV- and EB-formulated product usage up over eight percent during the two-year period 2000 and 2001, to just over 77,000 metric tons."
Reaping the advantages
EB equipment first hit the scene in the 1960s, and while the machinery and inks have had many facelifts, the basic foundation has remained essentially untouched. "Today's equipment offers many advantages," says Ed Maguire, VP, global marketing and sales at Energy Sciences Inc. (ESI). "Some of the more impactful benefits include the removal of all inter-station dryers (the actual hardware), the related heat (which can cause waste on heat-sensitive materials), and the excessive chilling costs associated with inter-station drying." Maguire adds that since EB inks are solventless, these systems also eliminate the need for explosion-proofing, incinerators, and licensing fees, along with all additional solvent-related issues (VOCs, retained solvents, etc.).
Bob Waddington, national sales manager at UVitec, believes the advantages are more mechanical and cost related versus actual ink performance. "One EB unit at the end of the press requires less overall energy and less complex interfacing with the press because you have one unit [as compared to multiple units with UV curing].
Wikoff's Director of Research Don Duncan, expands on the the financial side of the process: "The primary advantage of curing at the end of the press is that only one EB cure unit must be bought and maintained. The initial cost of the unit, the cost of nitrogen purging to maintain the oxygen-free cure zone, and the maintenance cost for a moderately complex piece of equipment are minimized by only requiring one."
The EB curing process also offers the distinct advantage of security. Steve D'Angelo, director of marketing, Packaging Division of Flint Ink, explains that the immediate and absolute cure subsequent to printing is, in and of itself, a vital step in the process. "With most types of printing, there is always an element of uncertainty related to complete cure of the print. In flexo or gravure, for example, we have a high confidence in the press' ability to dry the ink, but there is always a chance that they may fail to dry completely and thus still contain some residual liquids. These residuals can cause an unpleasant taste or odor or, even worse, a complete print job failure.
"POINTING TO THE significant operations and 'enabling' benefits of the process, suppliers of ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technology are bullish on near-term growth prospects," says the RadTech biennial survey North American Market Update. "Survey respondents, including over 80 industry suppliers and end users, project market growth of six to nine percent each year over the next three years ... and report growth of UV- and EB-formulated product usage up over eight percent during the two-year period 2000 and 2001, to just over 77,000 metric tons."
Reaping the advantages
EB equipment first hit the scene in the 1960s, and while the machinery and inks have had many facelifts, the basic foundation has remained essentially untouched. "Today's equipment offers many advantages," says Ed Maguire, VP, global marketing and sales at Energy Sciences Inc. (ESI). "Some of the more impactful benefits include the removal of all inter-station dryers (the actual hardware), the related heat (which can cause waste on heat-sensitive materials), and the excessive chilling costs associated with inter-station drying." Maguire adds that since EB inks are solventless, these systems also eliminate the need for explosion-proofing, incinerators, and licensing fees, along with all additional solvent-related issues (VOCs, retained solvents, etc.).
Bob Waddington, national sales manager at UVitec, believes the advantages are more mechanical and cost related versus actual ink performance. "One EB unit at the end of the press requires less overall energy and less complex interfacing with the press because you have one unit [as compared to multiple units with UV curing].
Wikoff's Director of Research Don Duncan, expands on the the financial side of the process: "The primary advantage of curing at the end of the press is that only one EB cure unit must be bought and maintained. The initial cost of the unit, the cost of nitrogen purging to maintain the oxygen-free cure zone, and the maintenance cost for a moderately complex piece of equipment are minimized by only requiring one."
The EB curing process also offers the distinct advantage of security. Steve D'Angelo, director of marketing, Packaging Division of Flint Ink, explains that the immediate and absolute cure subsequent to printing is, in and of itself, a vital step in the process. "With most types of printing, there is always an element of uncertainty related to complete cure of the print. In flexo or gravure, for example, we have a high confidence in the press' ability to dry the ink, but there is always a chance that they may fail to dry completely and thus still contain some residual liquids. These residuals can cause an unpleasant taste or odor or, even worse, a complete print job failure.
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