UV inkjet printing presents challenges when working with reflective, transparent, or glossy substrates like glass and crystal. These materials cause UV light to bounce back toward print heads, resulting in premature ink curing within nozzles and on the nozzle plate — a problem that damages equipment and shortens print-head lifespan.
Five preventative measures
1. Fixture design
Use dark matte materials for manufacturing fixtures and printer jigs that block UV light reflection from reaching print heads.
2. UV lamp management
Always use the lowest amount of UV possible to gain full cure for your application. Operators should inquire about UV light shims to optimize intensity and angle.
3. Substrate positioning
Keep substrates flat and parallel to the head array with platen gaps no larger than 1.5mm. Flexible mirrored substrates should be attached to flat backing materials.
4. Preventative maintenance
Conduct auto-cleaning every other platen, run nozzle checks hourly, and flush affected heads with maintenance fluid if curing is detected.
5. Shift-end checks
Perform nozzle checks before powering down to catch missing nozzles early.