Currently, not only inks are widely using UV-cured LED technology, but coatings and adhesives are also being specifically formulated to be curable by UV LED light sources. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic component packaging are also using UV LED curing light sources to replace traditional UV curing. This effectively reduces the size and area of the UV curing light source, thereby solving the heat dissipation problem of the UV LED curing light source.
In terms of new photocurable materials, new initiators, monomers, and prepolymer curing systems are being developed to improve the reactivity of photocuring. By incorporating photo, acoustic, electrical, and magnetic functional nanomaterials into the UV LED curing system, a new type of slurry is formed, in which inorganic functional powder is dispersed in an organic carrier. Combining this with 3D printing manufacturing will bring more technological innovations and a larger market.
UV LED curing technology is derived from UV LED curing light sources and mainly involves two parts: 395nm UV curing light sources and new material systems that can be cured under 395nm light.
In terms of UV curing light source photocuring equipment, significant progress has been made in the development of long-wavelength (395nm) high-power output UV LED curing light source equipment. The range of UV LED curing has also expanded from the original point curing to surface curing, but efficient, high-power, three-dimensional curing has not yet been reported. Currently, many printing devices already use UV LED curing technology 100%.
The energy released by UV LED is comparable to, or even higher than, that released by traditional UV curing light sources. It basically meets the needs of the fastest curing speed, and the lifespan of this UV LED curing light source exceeds 20,000 hours. UV LED point and surface light source equipment is already in practical application. In recent years, continuous improvements have been made in wavelength control, light output efficiency, and heat dissipation technology for high-power UV LED curing light sources. Therefore, with the advancement of UV LED and semiconductor technology, the development direction is to develop high-power light sources with three-dimensionally controllable light intensity, emission wavelengths matching the absorption wavelengths of photoinitiators, and simpler structures.
By 2013, more than 20 ink and material suppliers supported and configured UV LED inks.
Practical application results show that the UV curing light source system can increase the pigment content to obtain more vivid colors. This is very important for expanding the application fields of UV LED technology. Traditional UV curing light source systems have a relatively small solid particle capacity, while UV LED curing light source systems have a higher solid particle capacity.
