LED Lighting and UV Printers

[edcooleyar]

Our shop is all 5K LED lights and we have a canon 1380XT and colorado 1630 delivering next month. Is it possible to put uv blocking film on the lights or should we be looking at new lighting?

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

We've got LED high bay lighting and it hasn't affected our print heads since the light is coming from above.
I'd be more wary if somehow you could get a direct beam across the head itself but chances of that should be very low.
Remember, the strength of the UV curing system for the inks has to operate extremely close the ink to cure it.
"Ambient" LED light shouldn't be anywhere near strong enough to cure anything on the heads when parked.

 

[Pauly]

It'll only cure if the LED lights produce the right wavelength.
The colorado has a LED array shining light at the heads when doing maintenance.

We also run LED lights in our print room. not a single issue.

 

[edcooleyar]

That’s what I understood as well but then I read this in the site survey and it scared me.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Océ 1300 series uses 380-420nm UV wavelength according to the manual. Most of those light sources don't emit much in that range apart from direct sunlight.

You mention that your LEDs are 5000K, which is natural white which emits longer wavelengths than the cool white in the graphs. If this were me it wouldn't be a concern, however did Océ do a site visit before ordering the machine? They should have said something if it were an issue.

 

[Pauly]

I believe if you have an Xrite i1 pro, you can measure the wavelength from the lights in your shop.

 

[edcooleyar]

I believe if you have an Xrite i1 pro, you can measure the wavelength from the lights in your shop.

Good idea, I’ll do that and see what it comes up with. I’ve also ordered some dimmers and uv block. Right now they’re as bright as a football field.

 

[edcooleyar]

Océ 1300 series uses 380-420nm UV wavelength according to the manual. Most of those light sources don't emit much in that range apart from direct sunlight.

You mention that your LEDs are 5000K, which is natural white which emits longer wavelengths than the cool white in the graphs. If this were me it wouldn't be a concern, however did Océ do a site visit before ordering the machine? They should have said something if it were an issue.

No oce has not visited. I’ve got a conference call this morning to discuss the site survey. I’ll let you know what they say.

 

[edcooleyar]

I believe if you have an Xrite i1 pro, you can measure the wavelength from the lights in your shop.

Here is the wavelength map from xrite. While it doesn’t show much below 400nm it spikes around 450nm. As soon as the uv block arrives I’ll measure it again.

 

[edcooleyar]

Just for followup, the UV blocking film did not do much since it is blocking 400nm and below. The OCE installation tech didn't seem to think it would be an issue.

Of course that begs the question why discuss it in the installation specs.