Our Individual Selection of UV Conveyor Dryers:
M&R’s Vitran II is one of the finest UV cure systems in the industry. Complete with fast curing, low energy costs and cooling options, it’s helpful for shops that utilize ultraviolet inks. Included in the dryer is a secondary reflector that helps redirect UV energy onto your substrate, helping to speed up the curing and saving energy. There are also powerful turbines that hold down your substrate while cooling air occurs under the reflector and across the belt and lamps. The Vitran II accepts three types of UV lamps – Ferric/Iron Oxide, Gallium and Mercury Vapor (standard).
*Our UV Conveyor Dryers are special order and must be ordered over the phone. If you are looking for a particular model, you can also contact us to see if we have it in our inventory.
Why Choose Garston for UV Conveyor Dryers?
Affordable Prices
Buying equipment for your shop can be expensive. We understand that. So, we provide our UV conveyor dryers for the most affordable prices possible.
Customer Satisfaction
Whether you’re a beginner screen printer or an expert, everyone can use a little help now and then. We enjoy helping our customers find the best uv conveyor dryer for their shops. If you have questions, simply reach out to us.
Name Brand Products
UV Conveyor Dyer Brands that we are familiar with boost not only reliability but trustworthiness. To help you pick out the right model, we carry name-brand products.
Qualities of a UV Conveyor Dryer:
UV Lamp
Every UV Conveyor Dryer should have a UV Lamp that acts as the ultraviolet radiation emission source for curing your inks. Typically, they have a quartz tube that contains mercury. Normally, mercury is used in UV lamps because it helps enable the emission of UV energy for a wide variety of wavelengths.
Reflectors
Another portion of UV Conveyor Dryers include reflectors. This helps to zone in the maximum quantity of energy to focus on the ink film, which also helps regulate the temperature in the machine. Without a reflector, about 45% of the UV radiation will be used, but a UV conveyor dryer enabled with a reflector will use all of the UV energy emitted by the lamp. A good portion of your drying power will come from the reflector. Lamp life and curing quality is also dependent on the durability of your reflector.
Benefits of UV Curing
For many years, the concept of using ultraviolet light for instant or rapid drying has come a long way. There are many different parts of screen printing that can benefit from converting to UV curable inks, coating and adhesives happens to be color consistency, environmental reasonings, physical qualities, print quality, process printing and even screen print effects.
UV (ultraviolet) technology used in UV conveyor dryers can help instantly cure or dry inks, coatings and adhesive. You’ll have better production speeds, physical properties, and almost no air pollution compared to other drying methods.
UV inks do not actually dry, instead they cure. Quite simply, there is nothing inside of a UV ink to dry. Compared to any solvent-based ink, they may look like a liquid, but it’s actually a solid. They’ll stay in a liquid form until they meet an ultraviolet light. Upon contact with a UV light, it will cure immediately. This will eliminate the need for storage racks (drying purposes), waiting for prints to dry and large heat-drying equipment when using a UV conveyor dryer. It’ll also help with production rates and multicolor jobs. Almost immediately, a second print can be started after the first.
Calibrating Process for a UV Dryer
Calibrating Process for a UV Conveyor Dryer
Ideally, you will need the correct type of energy output for your UV dryer. You’ll need to figure out the energy requirement for your chosen ink, and figure out which curing unit will best help you achieve the correct curing levels. You will also need to find how many lamps should be used, power level it should be set at, and which conveyor speed setting ensures the best production rates.
To complete your calibration, you will need a stopwatch, radiometer, temperature levels and a place to record them (preferably a spreadsheet for organization).
Common Types of Lamps for UV Curing Systems
Mercury Vapor Lamps
Mercury vapor lamps are gas discharge lamps that utilize an electric arch with the help of vaporized mercury to result in light inside of the uv conveyor dryer. The arc discharge inside the machine is compromised of a small fused quartz arc tube that is inside a larger borosilicate glass bulb.
Fluorescent Lamps
A majority of UV curing is done with fluorescent lamps, especially when excessive heat of mercury vapor cannot be used. It can also be used when curing of the surface of an object needs more than just one light source.
Light-Emitting Diode (LED)
Fluorescent Lamps
LEDs are well-known for being able to turn off and on almost instantaneously. They also help with fast and consistent drying/curing, low heat emission and low power consumption.
UV Conveyor Dryer FAQ
Do I Need to Maintenance or Clean My UV Lamp Reflector?
You shouldn’t take your reflector for granted, and leave it untreated for months on end. UV reflectors inside your UV conveyor dryer help create a reflection between 50-70% of the UV energy source you need to properly cure your inks. Regular maintenance and cleaning should be a part of your routine.
Best practices include following your equipment manufacturers guidelines. You can clean your reflectors weekly with a soft cloth and pure alcohol. You must refrain from using UV cleaning solvent, and never touch your UV lamps without gloves on.
What is the Difference Between Conventional Drying and UV Drying?
Conventional drying or physical drying, is based on a evaporation of components. The required energy to produce results comes from radiation or hot air. Depending on the evaporized components, there can be a loss in the dried coating thickness. You also need to extract the volatile components to remove them. Conventional dryers are mostly used for curing plastisol ink.
Inside your UV Conveyor Dyer, UV Drying deals with polymerization also known as cross-linking with long molecular chains. The energy for UV drying comes from UV radiation, helping you achieve better results for UV inks.
Should I Be Worried About Using Equipment with UV Radiation?
UV equipment is designed to be used and have safety precautions. Certain interlocks are added to prevent operators from being exposed to a variety of curing zones when using the UV Conveyor Dryer. Shielding helps prevent exposure to UV light emissions during curing in the form of bright white light or UV wavelengths.
How Do I Clean Up a Broken UV Lamp?
Whenever a UV lamp breaks in your UV conveyor dyer, there will be a small amount of mercury that releases. Since this creates an unsafe workplace, you must have all of your workers leave the area. No one must be in contact with the spill, and any contaminated clothing or accessories needs to be disposed properly. You cannot use a regular vacuum cleaner or broom to collect the broken glass or spill. You can use an adhesive tape or eyedropper to collect the spill as well as a mercury spill it to collect small mercury articles. If you spilled on a carpet, remove the area and throw it away.
If you are nervous about touching or cleaning up a spill such as a broken UV lamp, you can contact your local emergency services for assistance. Automated Screen Coaters have a large footprint, so it’s best to have room in your shop for one. They are a luxury item that can increase your efficiency in your screen printing shop but they aren’t a necessity. If you are considering buying one, think about where you can place one in your shop and if you have the need for it.
How Long Does a UV Lamp Last?
A majority of UV lamps inside UV conveyor dyer can last at an estimated 1,000 hours, but some can last longer, up to 2,000 hours. It all depends on the curing power levels you use too. Low or medium power levels help increase or extend the life of your lamp. If you fail to maintenance your lamp or clean the bulbs and reflectors, this can decrease the usefulness of your lamp.
You might also wonder how often you can turn off your UV lamps, especially when they are not in use. The more you turn your UV lamps off and on, the more the lifespan of your lamp is affected. It is bad to turn them off and off in drastic spurts. Some general guidelines include:
- For short production, use the standby mode
- If your UV dryer will be sitting for over an hour unused, shut the lamps off
Do I Need to Be Aware of Light or Lighting in My Pressroom?
Certain types of UV emissions that result from sunlight or plant lighting can have negative effects on your UV inks and during curing. You can cover your exterior windows or fluorescent bulbs with a UV light filter sheet or tube.
Why Is My Curing Unsuccessful?
This could be the result of an outdated lamp output, power supply issues, dirty lamps and reflectors. All of these factors can decrease your cure energy. If you have wet coat weight, it could also make curing harder. If possible, you can use a UV radiometer to check your curing capabilities on your uv conveyor dryer.
How Do I Check for a Successful Cure?
Certain types of UV emissions that result from sunlight or plant lighting can have negative effects on your UV inks and during curing. You can cover your exterior windows or fluorescent bulbs with a UV light filter sheet or tube.
