SUPPORTING NEW INKJET APPLICATIONS VIA INTEGRATED UV-LED CURING

In modern inkjet development, curing the deposited material is no longer a ‘downstream’ step. In functional and industrial applications, small changes in UV dose, wavelength or timing can determine if a printed layer performs as intended. Alternately, whether it fails later in testing or scale-up.

Historically, curing has often been handled as a secondary consideration in inkjet research and development (R&D), with stand-alone lamps or externally controlled units. However, as applications become more demanding, this separation can limit development accuracy. Recognising the need to improve this, IST INTECH and ImageXpert have delivered a next-generation, fully integrated curing solution for inkjet-development environments. This co-operation brings IST INTECH’s UV-LED technology directly into JetXpert printing platforms. As a result, curing can be studied and optimised as an integral process parameter rather than an external add-on.

“A key requirement for inkjet-development environments is flexibility”

A key requirement for inkjet-development environments is flexibility. Developers need to evaluate different fluid chemistries, layer thicknesses, process speeds and even entire applications on a single platform. The modular UV-LED platform allows developers to explore a wide operating window and simulate all these conditions without changing hardware. Depending on the configuration, output levels ranging from approximately 3–28W/cm² can be evaluated with a single adjustable lamp head. This enables quick and efficient assessment of different curing strategies. Lower-power pinning can also be simulated – when needed – by adjusting the maximum intensity settings. Alternatively, a stand-alone, compact, fanless pinning can be integrated.

Kyle Pucci, Director of Applications Engineering at ImageXpert, says, “When our customers are first getting started with a new inkjet application, there are so many things to learn, including the right way to cure their material for top performance.” He goes on to say, “The idea that they don’t need to commit to a fixed curing setup at the start and can adjust the lamp over time as their development progresses, gets a tremendously positive response from the users.”

The curing system is fully integrated into the ImageXpert control architecture, allowing lamp settings, triggering and output levels to be managed directly via the print system interface. This brings the same level of programmability to the UV lamp as the rest of the inkjet system. Complex, multi-step printing processes can be developed on the fly, with the lamp responding in perfect synchronisation.

Multiple wavelengths – including 365nm, 385nm, 395nm and 405nm – are supported, with modules designed to be mixed and matched within the same system. This capability is particularly valuable when working with special UV chemistries or dual applications. In these cases, multi-wavelength exposure may be required to optimise cure depths and adhesion. There is also an option for a lightweight and compact Arc lamp. This may be used where a broader wavelength spectrum is needed due to formulation specifications being outside the range of LED-curing wavelengths. It is therefore possible to cure with LED and UV Mercury lamps on the same system as required.

Systems are also scalable in width in fine increments, allowing curing to be matched closely to the printed area. For development users, this avoids the compromises often associated with oversized or daisy-chained lamps. For example, increased costs and increased integration requirements. It delivers more representative results when scaling towards production.

One of the technical strengths of IST INTECH’s approach is its emphasis on dose control rather than peak power alone. While intensity (W/cm²) describes the brightness of a UV source, delivered dose (J/cm²) – defined by intensity multiplied by exposure time – determines whether a chemistry will fully cure under real process conditions.

Holly Steedman, Business and Technology Development Director at IST INTECH explains, ”In industrial-inkjet applications, curing is a chemical reaction, not a drying process and it is the delivered dose that ultimately defines whether that reaction is completed.” She continues, “You can have very high peak intensity, but if exposure time, distance to the substrate or process speed are not correctly matched, the chemistry may never reach full cure.” Steedman concludes, “Understanding dose in the context of the real process is therefore critical, particularly when scaling from development to production.”

By integrating the curing system directly into ImageXpert’s platforms, developers can evaluate dose under realistic conditions. Print speed, the emission window length and lamp-to-substrate distance can all be accounted for. This enables curing requirements to be specified, based on how the process actually operates, rather than solely on theoretical lamp output. Additionally, it significantly reduces the risk of issues, such as incomplete cure, adhesion failure or long-term durability problems emerging during scale-up.

The co-operation between IST INTECH and ImageXpert is closely aligned with the direction of inkjet development. Increasingly, ImageXpert’s platforms are being used for advanced applications where curing performance is critical to functionality, not just appearance.

Cutting-edge applications, such as advanced coatings, adhesives, functional materials and biomedical materials, require a high level of technical proficiency even during initial trials. In each of these areas, IST INTECH’s integrated curing approach allows developers to fine tune exposure parameters during early-stage testing. This helps to establish robust processes that can be more easily translated to production equipment.

One of the advantages of involving IST INTECH at the development stage is the continuity it provides. The same core curing platform can be adapted across different system sizes. Therefore, parameters established during development can be transferred more confidently to production environments.

This approach closely aligns with ImageXpert’s ability to guide users from initial trials through production scale-up. Furthermore, it enables customers to move from PrintLab or Print Station platforms into tailored production or pre-production solutions without re-engineering the curing process. For customers, this continuity reduces development risk, shortens time-to-market and simplifies system specification.

The co-operation with ImageXpert reflects IST INTECH’s broader strategy of working closely with system partners to address real process challenges. By integrating curing expertise directly into inkjet-development platforms, IST INTECH enables curing parameters to be defined and measured early in the development process. This early focus is helping remove barriers to innovation and confidently move to production across a wide range of applications.

The practical benefits of the co-operation have been demonstrated publicly at key industry events. At RadTech North America in Detroit, USA, IST INTECH and ImageXpert jointly showcased an ImageXpert PrintPod equipped with the integrated LED-curing system. 
Visitors were able to see how curing control is embedded within the development workflow. A similar setup was presented at the European Coatings Show, with a focus on supporting inkjet developments for coatings and functional applications. 

These events provided an opportunity to engage directly with ink developers, formulators and system integrators facing increasing pressure to qualify new processes quickly and reliably.

Attendees at LOPEC in Munich, Germany are invited to visit the ImageXpert stand to discuss how integrated, UV-LED curing and flexible inkjet-development platforms can support new projects. Whether exploring new applications, investigating scale-up strategies or refining process control, the IST INTECH and ImageXpert teams will be on hand to share insights and answer technical questions.