The holiday season is officially upon us, and with it comes plenty of gifts and food shared between friends and family. You probably don’t think about what goes into making the packaging for these presents and treats safe, strong and optimized for printing—but UV light curing systems such as ours play a big role. From corrugated cardboard to plastic clamshells, here’s how UV curing for holiday packaging is used every year.
Printing and Coating
If you’ve ever bought a gift from a retailer or been shipped a present from a loved one, it likely came in a package with printed text or designs on the outside. It may not seem like it, but there’s a lot that goes into making sure these packages make it to you looking nice—and some of it wouldn’t be possible without UV curing.
UV-based inks can be used for package printing as they dry instantaneously during the curing process and are very durable. UV LED curing of UV-based inks also requires less energy than the drying of water-based inks, according to Industrial Print Magazine, leading to a more environmentally friendly printing method.
UV-based inks can be used on materials such as corrugated cardboard, although a pre-treatment primer will help control the absorption of the ink on corrugated sheets. Many UV inks are rated for food safety, according to Industrial Print Magazine, and low-migration UV-based inks have been developed for food-safe packaging so ink doesn’t seep into holiday treats.
UV Sealing
We’ve all seen plastic clamshell packaging before—it’s used for everything from toys to batteries, razors to toothbrushes and much more—but you might not know that UV curing plays a key role in creating the final product.
In addition to printing designs, UV curing is also used for sealing items such as these clear plastic clamshells that are used for consumer merchandise. Their adhesives are activated by exposure to UV light and work like glue to bond elements together for a tight seal. So, if you find yourself struggling to help the kids in your family open a brand-new toy packaged in plastic this holiday, a UV-cured seal might be why.
Our UV Curing Solutions
From electronics assembly to the medical industry, we have helped many companies successfully incorporate UV light curing to streamline their production and packaging processes. To learn how UV curing can benefit your application, contact us and we’ll recommend a solution.
