In a pandemic situation like the one we are experiencing, prevention measures must be extreme, and that includes consumer products. The sterilization of any article intended for human consumption, be it food, pharmaceutical or health, is vital.
As they are merchandise, these must also comply with the regulations on coding and marking, to guarantee their correct identification and traceability throughout the supply chain. Therefore, it is very important to choose the most suitable printing system. In this case, UVLED technology is the one that provides greater reliability.
What is a sterilization or autoclaving process?
In the sterilization or autoclaving processes, the products are subjected to very high temperatures, which eliminate any microorganisms that are harmful to our health, including viruses, bacteria and spores. Therefore, the marking of these products must resist extreme conditions without being altered.
The autoclave is a device designed to sterilize tools intended to get in contact with the body, which can range from those used in a beauty salon or in a tattoo studio, to dental and surgical instruments. For the medical, veterinary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors, sterilization is a basic practice that affects non-disposable instruments.
Food products are also autoclaved, such as canning containers made of various materials (metal, glass, plastics), and certain industrial goods, such as wood for construction.
The autoclave carries out an industrial reaction, a cooking or a steam sterilization. The elevated pressure allows the water to exceed 100°C. The joint action of heat and steam destroys the microorganisms that are inside.
UVLED printing on products that undergo sterilization
The coding and marking of products that must undergo a sterilization process represents a challenge for manufacturers, who must ensure that the printed information resists the temperature, pressure and humidity conditions of the subsequent treatments.
The most suitable printing method in these cases is UVLED, a clean technology that provides an instant fixation of the UVLED base ink on all types of substrates, and with great thermal resistance.
At UBS we have developed stabilized, low migration UVLED ink for freezing and autoclaving processes. It is specifically designed to achieve maximum efficiency from our TJX Series machines, specialized in printing primary products.
Advantages of UVLED ink printing - Instant curing technology
Printing with UVLED ink provides numerous advantages over other marking technologies. Among them are:
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Instant fixation on all types of substrates. It offers the best results on porous and non-porous surfaces, such as glass, plastics, painted materials, paper, cardboard, wood or metal. Single-dose glass containers, such as ampoules and vials, so common in the pharmaceutical industry, that have to undergo sterilization, pose a challenge that UVLED technology solves with great efficiency.
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Productivity. Instant curing eliminates waiting times and avoids additional adhesion operations, which improves productivity and guarantees the optimum quality of printed information.
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Saving. UVLED systems consume very little energy and do not need maintenance, as they have a very long useful life.
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Versatility and customization. TJX UVLED printing equipment adapts to any production line. At UBS we are specialists in meeting the specific needs of our clients.
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Sustainability. UVLED curing does not generate ozone or Volatile Organic Components (VOC), and does not produce odors. It is respectful with the environment and safe for the health of the operators.
UBS UVLED Curing Systems for any surface
At UBS we are constantly working on improving our UVLED printing equipment, adapting them to market demands and specific customer needs.
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Our UVLED instant curing systems are equipped with the exclusive On-Board Security System (OBSS) integrated security system, which prevents the glare of online operators.
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We have developed pulse modulated PWM technology that adapts curing power at variable speeds. In this way, we avoid damaging the product in the event of an unexpected stoppage of the production line.
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We provide two modes of operation: synchronized with the print head (TTL) or autonomous (the activation time is configurable).
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We use air cooling system.
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We optimize energy consumption.
UBS printers equipped with UVLED curing system for primary products are the TJX UVLED. We invite you to know them.
