Aztec Label has continued its venture into total LED drying, investing in new Benford UV equipment. The West Midlands-based company, which added its first UV LED solution in 2021, plans to transition its entire facility to the technology by the end of the year.
Aztec Label is now using the equipment on two 10 inch wide Rotopress flexographic machines – a two colour and a five colour. The lamps, with a life expectancy of 10-15,000 hours, can be switched on and off immediately as no cooling time is required.
Managing director Colin Le Gresley explained that the second curing system has been fitted to reduce power consumption ‘Sustainability is truly becoming a key differentiator for businesses and a core demand from end customers,’ he said. ‘The Benford system we installed in 2021 has already proven its performance excellence and helps the business reinforce our impressive sustainability credentials.’
Marc Boden, the founder of Benford UV, added, ‘Our specially designed LED UV lights dry inks and coatings instantly. Unlike conventional printing, LED UV also enables printers to print directly onto non-absorbent materials like plastics and the technology can be used in different industrial applications as it allows drying of materials like silicones, adhesives and resins in a fraction of a second.
‘We look forward to working with Colin again as he continues the move to using LED UV dryers across his site.’
