03-25-2008, 09:23 PM
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 31
Printer: HP XLJet, Lightjet, Arizona 600, FJ600, Epson 9800
I can't speak for this particular printer but I have years of experience with the Vutek flatbed UV and the Durst Rho.
Static is going to be one of your biggest issues, particularly with styrene. Static build up may cause the ink to become attracted to non-printing areas. If this is a problem with your printer, you can try using some ati-static tinsel on the feed end. Also, when you are purchasing styrene, look for corona treated styrene. It will have a rougher surface. In my case, this printed a lot better than plain styrene.
Another concern with UV printers is to be very wary of head strikes. Particularly with thin styrenes. This may not be a problem depending on the heat output of your lamps but too much heat will cause the substrate to warp. Styrene and coroplast will cause a lot more damage to a print head than paper or 18pt board. If you get a head strike, stop the machine and clean it immediately. It only takes a moments exposure to start the curing process in the uv ink. UV light starts a reaction in the ink that changes it to a polymer. Now imagine this on your printheads and you get the picture.
Finally, UV printers open up a whole world of possibilities. You can now print on just about anything within the thickness limitations of your machine. Find a good plastics dealer if you do not have one already and ask about different materials and find out what others are using. Plexiglass, dibond and MDO board are some products that you can usually charge a premium for. Unfortunately, if you want to print on these materials, you will want to purchase a CNC router such as an I-cut, Multicam, or AXYZ.
Good luck.
Static is going to be one of your biggest issues, particularly with styrene. Static build up may cause the ink to become attracted to non-printing areas. If this is a problem with your printer, you can try using some ati-static tinsel on the feed end. Also, when you are purchasing styrene, look for corona treated styrene. It will have a rougher surface. In my case, this printed a lot better than plain styrene.
Another concern with UV printers is to be very wary of head strikes. Particularly with thin styrenes. This may not be a problem depending on the heat output of your lamps but too much heat will cause the substrate to warp. Styrene and coroplast will cause a lot more damage to a print head than paper or 18pt board. If you get a head strike, stop the machine and clean it immediately. It only takes a moments exposure to start the curing process in the uv ink. UV light starts a reaction in the ink that changes it to a polymer. Now imagine this on your printheads and you get the picture.
Finally, UV printers open up a whole world of possibilities. You can now print on just about anything within the thickness limitations of your machine. Find a good plastics dealer if you do not have one already and ask about different materials and find out what others are using. Plexiglass, dibond and MDO board are some products that you can usually charge a premium for. Unfortunately, if you want to print on these materials, you will want to purchase a CNC router such as an I-cut, Multicam, or AXYZ.
Good luck.
