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Product category: Printing Ink Drying Equipment
News Release from: Primarc UV Technology
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial Team on 22 July 2005

35 Years At Forefront Of UV Curing
Development

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UV curing lamp manufacturer Primarc UV Technology, this year celebrates its 35th anniversary in business.

UV curing lamp manufacturer Primarc UV Technology, this year celebrates its 35th anniversary in business Established in 1970 the company said that it has maintained 35 years of continual research and development with the result that today, Primarc UV Technology supplies end-users and original equipment manufacturers world-wide with a range of 3,000 lamp specifications

In the early years, lamp development progressed as Primarc worked alongside ink manufacturers such as Fishburn, Coates and Lorilleux, with one of the earliest applications appearing on BBC-TV's 'Tomorrows World' science programme.

Primarc's work in UV curing within a number of printing applications, as UV technology developed from a technological innovation in to a widely used procedure for coating and printing surfaces.

The benefits which could be obtained from UV were numerous, said the company.

The main advantage of an instantaneous cure gave immediate in-line conversion and thus eliminated the need for drying racks or wasted time and space for work in progress, said Primarc.

Also, faster line speeds became achievable, resulting in higher productivity, lower energy costs and ultimately increased profits.

And the quality factor was an important consideration.

The ever-increasing demand for quality was met by UV inks which produced excellent print definition unobtainable from conventional inks.

A high gloss finish could be achieved, along with good direct adhesion to a variety of substrates, edge curl resistance and high slip properties.

Finally, but perhaps most importantly, as no VOCs are produced when UV materials are cured, they are more environmentally friendly, added the company.

That also meant virtually no odour or taint, making it particularly safe and favourable to use, especially in the food packaging industry.

Printers and converters involved in all types of applications came to recognise those benefits and the future of UV was assured, added Primarc.

Primarc UV Technology said that its quest for improvement continues unabated.

In more recent years Primarc's new product developments have included a electrode-less microwave bulbs and an extended range of metal halide lamps.

Metal halide lamps are mercury vapour lamps with metal halide additives, which create specific wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation to precision-match the photo-initiator being cured.

The addition of metal halides creates a shift in the spectral output of a standard lamp, producing longer wavelengths.

Those longer wavelengths enable a greater depth of cure to be achieved, making them particularly useful in the curing of pigmented and thicker coatings.

In 1999, to better serve its growing North American customer base, Primarc established an additional manufacturing facility in Phillipsburg, New Jersey to supply end users and original equipment manufacturers throughout the USA.

As the company grew, it became necessary to expand in to larger premises and in 2001 it relocated its headquarters to a purpose-built facility in Berkshire (England).

The site provides extra production space as well as offices and is said to be one of the world's largest specialist UV lamp manufacturing facilities.

In conjunction with the move, Primarc invested in new equipment to streamline production processes and increase lamp output.

Primarc UV Technology manufactures a range of what it said are hand-crafted medium pressure UV lamps producing high intensity UV radiation.

The highest quality quartz is used in the production of the lamp, allowing the maximum amount of UV to pass through it, whilst the electrodes and connections are produced in-house from tungsten and molybdenum to ensure efficiency, durability and reliability.

Recognising the many specific applications, in which clients utilise Primarc lamps, the company said that it can manufacture lamp fittings to meet all individual needs.

Lamps can be produced in a range of lengths and single lamps up to three metres long have been produced.

Each lamp is individually monitored throughout the production process to ensure quality and reliability.

Stewart Mardell, Primarc's sales director, commented: "Our quality control procedures are unequalled.

Every lamp body before manufacture is measured for its internal volume and at that stage uniquely identified.

That allows us to precisely fill the lamp with gas and mercury to achieve an accurate running power." Primarc said it is one of the first specialist UV curing lamp manufacturers to achieve the quality management standard EN ISO 9001:2000, through the British Standards Institution.

With 35 years' experience in UV technology, a science not much older than Primarc itself, the company has naturally seen considerable changes and improvements in UV technology.

Stewart Mardell concluded: "The last 35 years has seen a dramatic development in the UV market worldwide.

In the process, Primarc has gone from strength to strength and the future looks even more promising for us as we continue to develop new applications for UV curing and improve new and existing products.

We are committed to being customer focused by providing a professional and reliable global service for both sales and support, strengthened by our being part of the Nordson Corporation which has world-wide representation.".

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