Craig Keller
New Member
Does anyone use an uv coater? If I'm doing say 2-3 jobs a week of like 10 sheets. Do you clean out unit between jobs? Cover it up so no light can get to the uv and leave the uv in the coater? Ideas?.
-
I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...
Uv coater
- Thread starter Craig Keller
- Start date
MarkSnelling
Mark Snelling - Hasco Graphics
I've sold hundreds of UV coaters, but not in the last 8-10 years, though. The UV coaters are fantastic and easy to operate. You don't have to clean them like you do the water-based liquid coaters. They are also stupid fast. The problem is the cost of entry (back when we were selling them) was very high (usually $60K ore more) and the machine's footprint is very large, so with that data point, I can't imagine you'd be able to make money only running a few dozen boards a week. I assume you've found a used one and that could make things much easier for you.
Assuming you've found a used Neschen/Seal/Drytac UV coater, there are a few people out there that you could likely speak to who know the units well. The liquid coating constantly circulates through the machine from the tanks to the nip and back. When done using the machine, you cycle through, turn off some of the pumps, wipe everything down and wait for another day to run the unit. It takes maybe 20 minutes or so. Starting up is very easy. If you don't take care of the cleanliness it can become difficult.
Assuming you've found a used Neschen/Seal/Drytac UV coater, there are a few people out there that you could likely speak to who know the units well. The liquid coating constantly circulates through the machine from the tanks to the nip and back. When done using the machine, you cycle through, turn off some of the pumps, wipe everything down and wait for another day to run the unit. It takes maybe 20 minutes or so. Starting up is very easy. If you don't take care of the cleanliness it can become difficult.
Craig Keller
New Member
Thanks Mark! I will add you to my contact list Im web offset presses m600, Sundays and more Tech
Grizzly
It’s all about your print!
I've been running a wide format UV coater for 20 years now. We don't use it every day but when we do, we drain ours before leaving for the day. If you leave it too long, the coating chemicals can start to separate after spinning for so long, especially anything with matting agents. You also run the risk of contaminates getting in your coating. You also don't want to leave your rollers pressed together without spinning or you'll create a flat spot. You also, (wow lots of also's, lol) risk running out of coating if you don't have a continuous flow of coating or some sort of sensor that would add when low. Since you're typically running the rollers all at different rpms, you need the lubrication of the coating to prevent the motors from ruining each other trying to run at different rpms.
So, simple answer, no, don't leave coating in it overnight. We try to run all the jobs at the same time, but if we do have gaps during the day, we'll turn the UV light off and just let the rollers continue to spin until we're ready and then drain at the end of the day.
So, simple answer, no, don't leave coating in it overnight. We try to run all the jobs at the same time, but if we do have gaps during the day, we'll turn the UV light off and just let the rollers continue to spin until we're ready and then drain at the end of the day.