Fixing a Fable
June 2003
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No longer the new kids on the block, ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technologies are firmly entrenched in the package printing industry. In the last decade, usage of UV/EB curing and inks has continued to grow to the degree that it can no longer be fairly characterized as new. Yet, many converters continue to ignore the benefits of UV/EB for no other reason than doing so would constitute change. packagePRINTING sat down with a few industry experts this month in an attempt to dispel some of the long-held misconceptions against UV/EB curing and inks.
Myth: UV/EB materials are unsafe
Tony Bean, marketing manager, Sun Chemical (Fort Lee, N.J.): Misinformation and fear are the only real problems; as with most things in life, risks are present. We cannot live without water but we could drown in it. But, printers all over the world have been using UV/EB technology for three decades without any serious safety or health concerns. Just as with conventional technologies, proper workplace procedures need to be in place and followed.
Ed Dedman, product development manager, SICPA North America (Brooklyn Park, Minn.): This is due to the fact that in the past, when this technology was in its infancy, these products could cause rashes and other skin-sensitivity ailments. Modern formulations have advanced to the point that these irritations almost never occur, except in people with extreme skin sensitivity. Like every other industrial chemical or compound, it is recommended that eye and skin protection be worn while using these products, but this advice is regularly ignored by many printing personnel.
Ed Maguire, vp global marketing & sales, Energy Sciences, Inc. (Wilmington, Mass.): EB technology is an incredibly safe technology. Some of the oldest and most treasured brands in the food packaging industry have trusted their products and processes to EB technology for over 30 years. Since there are no solvents used in the EB chemistry, there is no explosion proofing required and all of the curing is completed in an enclosed area which locks out any access to the processing zone.
Don Matthieson, marketing manager, Environmental Inks and Coatings (Morganton, N.C.): The biggest benefits of the UV process is that it uses 100 percent solid materials; there are simply no emissions from UV inks or coatings.
Robert Waddington, vp of sales, UVitec Printing Ink (Lodi, N.J.): When properly exhausted, there is no health risk. The chemicals used for wash up of the press and work area are on par with other industrial chemicals. Proper care should be used when handling any industrial chemicals and UV-specific chemistry is no different. That being said, there are many new low VOC products on the market which are both effective and address safety concerns. The UV curing lamps produce UV energy, but the ozone produced by the lamp is highly radical and quickly dissipates.
Myth: UV/EB materials are unsafe
Tony Bean, marketing manager, Sun Chemical (Fort Lee, N.J.): Misinformation and fear are the only real problems; as with most things in life, risks are present. We cannot live without water but we could drown in it. But, printers all over the world have been using UV/EB technology for three decades without any serious safety or health concerns. Just as with conventional technologies, proper workplace procedures need to be in place and followed.
Ed Dedman, product development manager, SICPA North America (Brooklyn Park, Minn.): This is due to the fact that in the past, when this technology was in its infancy, these products could cause rashes and other skin-sensitivity ailments. Modern formulations have advanced to the point that these irritations almost never occur, except in people with extreme skin sensitivity. Like every other industrial chemical or compound, it is recommended that eye and skin protection be worn while using these products, but this advice is regularly ignored by many printing personnel.
Ed Maguire, vp global marketing & sales, Energy Sciences, Inc. (Wilmington, Mass.): EB technology is an incredibly safe technology. Some of the oldest and most treasured brands in the food packaging industry have trusted their products and processes to EB technology for over 30 years. Since there are no solvents used in the EB chemistry, there is no explosion proofing required and all of the curing is completed in an enclosed area which locks out any access to the processing zone.
Don Matthieson, marketing manager, Environmental Inks and Coatings (Morganton, N.C.): The biggest benefits of the UV process is that it uses 100 percent solid materials; there are simply no emissions from UV inks or coatings.
Robert Waddington, vp of sales, UVitec Printing Ink (Lodi, N.J.): When properly exhausted, there is no health risk. The chemicals used for wash up of the press and work area are on par with other industrial chemicals. Proper care should be used when handling any industrial chemicals and UV-specific chemistry is no different. That being said, there are many new low VOC products on the market which are both effective and address safety concerns. The UV curing lamps produce UV energy, but the ozone produced by the lamp is highly radical and quickly dissipates.
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Package Printing, Second Edition