Page 25 - PWM_NOVEMBER2021 EBook

BETTER BUSINESS

Mercedes-Benz Energy, Samsung Minolta/Komori B2 sheetfed models
SDI and Siemens. Prices per kWh are and the yet-to-be delivered B1 MGI
falling all the time. Alphajet. Dry toner presses are quite
power hungry.
UV is cool
An ongoing issue is the
Across a range of printing processes, acceptability and regulation of UV
the big revolution of the past 10 to 15 inks in or around food packaging,
years has been the development of garments or toys. For general
cool running, low-power commercial use however, UV is fine
consumption UV-LED lamps that use as long as safety guidelines are
a fraction of the power of heat driers. followed.
Ultraviolet curing used to be an Electric vehicles
expensive process with nasty inks
and power-hungry high-pressure In 2030 the UK will ban the sale of
metal halide lamps that ran very hot, new diesel, petrol and some (not all)
with unhealthy ozone emissions. It hybrid road cars and vans. Given the
was only used for ‘difficult’ materials, recent fuel delivery crisis it may seem
usually plastics. like a good idea to go all-electric
tomorrow. On the other hand,
UV-LEDs changed all that and publicly accessible vehicle charging
have all but replaced mercury vapour stations aren’t being installed fast
lamps on superwide/grand-format enough for a future where everyone
roll and flatbed UV inkjets. They have needs them.
a knock-on environmental benefit –
because they run cool, thinner Electric vans are suited to shortish
plastics such as self-adhesive vinyl runs where they can be recharged at
media can be used without your own factory. A petrol PHEV
distortion. This costs less and also (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) still
saves on transport costs, because the makes the most sense if long-range
rolls weigh less and you can get more journeys are needed, as they aren’t
on a truck, so fewer journeys. Heat- dependent on finding a working
cured aqueous, solvent or HP Latex charging station on the way.
inks are still widely used for small to
medium-width inkjets, however.
Pure electric running costs are a
Flexo presses for labels and lot less than petrol, diesel or hybrid
set their own rates, however. Today, E.ON Next offers 5.5p per kWh, but packaging have used UV-cure for (plus there’s less to go wrong, makers
Scottish Power only offers 4p. years as alternatives to solvent inks, claim), but purchase costs are still
so are also benefiting from UV-LEDs. higher. Also the government will no
Another roof-mounted option is solar heaters, a cheap way to heat water. The biggest change in the past doubt want to replace lost fuel duty
These are little more than boxes of black pipes on your roof plus heat decade has been in litho presses, revenues with tax inceases
exchanger plumbing to hot water storage tanks. They can even be a DIY job. where UV used to be a rare speciality elsewhere.
process. Nowadays UV-LEDs are not
Battery boosters only affordable, but the compact Don’t forget the humble forklift
lamp arrays are easy to fit into truck. Battery-electric trucks are at
Rather than sell your excess self-generated electricity back to the grid, a existing press designs. least as powerful as old diesel and
relatively new concept is to use large lithium batteries to store electricity propane types, without the fumes
generated at times of low demand, then release it when the factory needs it. Higher ink costs mean that it’s not and particles that you don’t want in a
There’s also potential to store grid-supplied electricity at off-peak rates, then a complete replacement for warehouse. Those with IPX4
release it in peak times. conventional heatset litho inks, but waterproofing ratings can also
prices may come down over time. operate outdoors in rainy loading
This not only reduces bills but may partly protect against the grid power There are also non-LED UV systems yards.
cuts that are looming as a future crisis because UK coal and nuclear power called LE (low-energy) with low-
stations will shut before there is enough replacement capacity built. pressure mercury lamps that don’t Everybody wins
generate ozone or much heat.
Some batteries can be arranged to form a local grid with other companies A thorough examination of
(say on the same industrial estate) that could run independently of the On the other hand, inkjet digital affordable ways to minimise power
national grid. presses, whether web or sheetfed, consumption and manage heat can
still mostly use aqueous inks that pay off in both the short and long
Tesla offers a factory storage unit called Powerpack, which outputs need heat driers (though note the term. You can cut your running costs,
130KW per module. You can install as many of these as you want or can low consumption of the Kyocera in minimise carbon footprint, impress
afford, and you’ll need an inverter too. Tesla also offers the lower-capacity this month’s Star Product, page 51). your clients and ease your
13.5KW Powerwall for domestic and SME installations. UV-LED curing is rare and only environmental conscience. It’s called
Many other companies are now offering battery systems, including LG, offered by the rarely seen Konica ‘enlightened self-interest’.

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