Hello. We have Heidelberg QMDI 46-4 machine and one of my colleague heard that you can convert waterless offset machine to print using UV ink. We already found that the company Classic Colours from UK is making Sahara ink for Heidelberg QMDI 46-4 (we've got some technical data sheet from 1999.). I presume that we need UV-comatibile rollers. Do we need some special plates or is it posible to use standard ones? We probably need UV dryers for offest printing as well. Can anybody tell me something more about this or give me some links to search on? Thank you.
The KBA Genius 52 is waterless UV press what makes it different from QMDI - you'd have to make plates offline and hand them up and whole bunch of different things. You will, most likely, need an engineer to design and retrofit a UV exposure devices between the print units and in the exit section in such way that it will cure the inks on paper without shining the UV light on to ink train... I've heard that Printmasters are being converted to UV even in 52 cm format, but starting with conventional press, there is a big plus - you have room at least compare to QMDI. If you don't find anyone who successfully did this, it may not be a good idea to start inventing the bicycle all over again. May be selling the QMDI and putting money towards something that is common press to be converted is much better option.
Hello my name is juanjo and I'm technical ryobi and presstek in spain, I am now working in a printing press with a machine presstek 52DI transformed for uvi. Only we change rollers rollers uvi and we put a dried uvi tunnel at the exit, the plates are still the same, we use both presstek and vim. If you are interested you can send photos of the tunnel or more information. Thank you
Well, actualy we know some company that allready had QMDI adjusted for UV printing, but according to their needs, they reverted it to classic offset. Juanjo, can you send me some links where you get rollers and dryer at exit? In the meantime, I found that the company Raycon from Turkey is selling UV dryer for offset printing, so I will try to contact them.
Hello again, the rollers can be supplied bottcher, you can use the axes of which has and covering him with new rubber for uvi.The drying tunnel is company Turkey Feket (www.feket.com). If you need more help don't hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for answers. Yes, I will have more questions I heard somewhere that you need to have UV lamp between 2nd and 3rd printing unit. Have you ever printed in-mould labels? Is it posible to do that with coverted machine?
Hello again in principle not need lamp between 2 and 3 degrees, I am printing only plastic (pp, vinyl,glaspack,etc) and I have only two lamps for drying external tunnel, if you will only print paper better since uvi lamps better dry ink on this stand. On the other question I no and printed labels, but it is all a matter of testing. Greetings.
Juanjo, You are the first person I have found running waterless UV. We purchased a Presstek UV. DI over a year ago and still have issues with static blow outs, see pic. also we have tried many different inks that were supposed to work but only 1 ink will work on our machine. All others either pile on the plate or tone. Also all other inks backtrap into the yellow making it dirty. Have you ever had the static blow out problem as seen in the pic.
Hello and saw the burst problem on other machines too static and uvi printing not only in conventional machines also saw it. To try to correct the problem if you have space on the specifications outside the printing area make a box about 4 0 5 mm thick for the static build up there. I do not usually have it and do not work like that, although if I had it on occasion and do the above and the result was good. In a matter of what we operate with inks inks Classic Color for a year and work properly before and also worked with Toyo ok. When we tried was as technical TOKA ink and tests were very good. Here in Spain there are several machines waterless uvi time ago we installed and working properly. In a matter of what color yellow is somewhat normal as the machine prints on a single impression cylinder. We sometimes change the sequence of printing if we work permit, put the yellow in the first position. Now we are working with VIM plates and seems to hold up better than the issue of static. If you have any question or doubt I'll give you my mail kba74@hotmail.com to get in contac with me. Greetings Juanjo.
