GEW has introduced several new technology advancements at Labelexpo Europe in Barcelona, including the DoseGuard inline UV monitoring and automatic UV dose control.
DoseGuard, powered by ICADtechnology, consists of a scanning optic (ICAD unit) which is mounted underneath each of the lampheads on a UV system, whether conventional UV Arc or UV LED.
DoseGuard continuously measures the UV light that reaches the substrate, across the entire width of the system, and will issue a warning if the level of UV output delivered to the substrate changes during production, for any reason.
DoseGuard also greatly improves the UV curing process by automatically adjusting the power of the UV lamps to maintain a target UV dose, independent of speed or UV lamp condition, even for multiple lamps on a single print or coating station.
This ensures that product is cured to exactly the correct level, every time. Operational data can be exported so that compliance documents or certificates can be generated.
Further, DoseGuard assists in the reduction of energy and maintenance costs, by ensuring that only the exact power required is used to achieve good quality product, by automatically optimising the lamp power to deliver the desired UV dose. This feature also increases lamp lifetimes and enables bulbs and reflectors to be used for longer.
Another Labelexpo launch was the next generation OxyGuard oxygen control system, which uses state-of-the-art technology to rapidly achieve and maintain the optimal curing atmosphere for low odour, low migration production, siliconisation and other high performance curing applications.
Ambient oxygen reduces the effectiveness of UV curing in many inks and coatings. The OxyGuard system can be used to overcome this, by controlling oxygen at the point of curing, exactly where the ink or coating is exposed to UV light. Inert gas is used to purge the curing chamber of oxygen and maintain a target oxygen level during production runs.
OxyGuard features closed loop control, which automatically maintains this oxygen level to a set point (measured in parts per million), and ensures this set point is not exceeded. The OxyGuard system adapts the input of inert gas accordingly, regardless of machine running speed. Throughout the process, gas consumption is optimised for maximum efficiency.
OxyGuard can be retrofitted on existing nitrogen systems and is compatible with all GEW curing lamps, whether UV Arc or LED. It is fully customisable to any number of configurations, making it suitable for a broad range of demanding applications including coating and converting, silicone release and low migration work, excimer mattification and wood finishing.
