Have Questions about UV LED Measurement? We’ve Got Answers

Jim Raymont

What does the Karate Kid have to do with measuring UV LED? According to  renowned industry expert Jim Raymont, director of sales for EIT (Booth 8217), and the host of this session, many of the lessons that Mr. Miyagi shared with his student Daniel in the Karate Kid can be applied to understanding UV LED measurement.  In the film, a key learning of karate moves shared by Mr. Miyagi was “wax on, wax off.” In the world of UV, it’s “LED on, mercury off.” Not properly executed, serious issues with curing could develop.

The use of UV curing in screen and other forms of printing is well established. Establishing a process window and monitoring and maintaining it through the use of UV measurement is accepted industry practice. “Digital printers with UV LED instead of mercury-based sources are exposing (pun intended) a whole new generation of printers to UV for the first time,” notes Raymont.

“All I Needed to Know about Measuring UV LEDs” I learned from Mr. Miyagi and the Karate Kid will be held on Wednesday, October 23^rd  at 10:00 am in Room C142.

In this presentation, “we explain how basic principles of UV measurement provide the foundation required to properly measure and monitor narrow-bandwidth UV LED sources used for today's graphic arts,” says Raymont. “Using field data, we demonstrate that applying the same tools and techniques for LED used with broadband mercury-based light sources can produce errors, poor-quality, inadequate ink cure, and loss of process control.”

Conversion to LEDs from broadband sources requires planning and a change in measurement protocol. Several practical suggestions for avoiding common pitfalls of LED measurement in printing applications are provided.

Attendees will learn answers to their most common questions around UV LED measurement:

• You can’t see UV so how do I control it?
• What do I need to know about UV?
• What do I need to know about UV LEDs?
• If UV LEDs themselves are inherently stable, why should I even bother with measuring them?
• How do I measure?
• How do I communicate with my supply chain?
• If I am already using mercury-based UV, how do I transition to UV LEDs?

“Maintaining and operating within a process window when it comes to UV curing will save you time and money,” says Raymont. “It also allows you to communicate with your supply chain and also troubleshoot any issues that may come up.”