Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has today begun marketing an LED-UV (ultraviolet ray) ink-drying system using light-emitting diodes (LED) which enables significant energy saving in printing. The system, which MHI has commercialized, leveraging its know-how as a leading printing machinery manufacturer, is suitable for installation on larger sized (DIAMOND V3000 Series) sheet-fed presses that can accommodate sheets up to 1,050mm (41-11/32 inches) wide. It is also installable on tandem perfector offset presses which are capable of one-pass printing of front and reverse sides of sheets without sheet tumbling. The LED-UV system will enable significant reductions of 70 to 80% in electricity consumption, compared with UV ink-drying systems that use UV lamps. 

With UV printing, the ink on the sheet surface instantly hardens when irradiated by ultraviolet ray. By eliminating drying time, such systems enable immediate transfer to the finishing process and, as a consequence, shorten delivery times to customers, an advantage that has also contributed to market expansion of UV printing. However, systems using UV lamps consume considerable electricity and require a large initial investment that also entails a dedicated electric power supply source and exhaust ducting. LED-UV ink drying solves these drawbacks by switching the light source from conventional UV lamps to LEDs.

The LED-UV ink-drying system not only reduces electricity consumption significantly but also offers various advantages over the existing system:

1. No ozone generation: environment friendly and eliminates need for exhaust ducting

2. Compact auxiliary equipment: reduced installation space

3. Lower heat: fewer adverse effects on materials such as films and on printing press

4. Instant light on/off: no latency time (UV lamps require 4 minutes to light)

5. Longer operational life (about 15 times UV lamps): reduced frequency of lamp changes

The LED-UV ink-drying system enables immediate transfer of sheets to the next finishing process and when equipped on the DIAMOND V3000TP tandem perfector offset press, further enhances the overall productivity afforded by one-pass printing.

While LED-UV ink-drying systems thus provide many advantages, UV radiation by LED is weaker than conventional UV lamps, and for this reason the location and method adopted for installing the drying unit within the printing press are of critical importance. By fully leveraging its abundant experiences, know-how and comprehensive advanced technologies, MHI has successfully achieved practical application of the LED-UV drying system for regular UV printing, including application for its tandem perfector which incorporates the company's proprietary mechanisms.

Going forward, MHI will vigorously conduct marketing activities to expand sales of the LED-UV drying system by firmly recognizing the customer's diverse operational conditions and applying its printing know-how and solutions to the needs of the printing plant.

About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TSE: 7011, 'MHI'), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world’s leading heavy machinery manufacturers, with consolidated sales of 3,203 billion yen in fiscal 2007 (year ended March 31, 2008). MHI's diverse lineup of products and services encompasses shipbuilding, power plants, chemical plants, environmental equipment, steel structures, industrial and general machinery, aircraft, space rocketry and air-conditioning systems. For more information, please visit the MHI website at www.mhi.co.jp.