Beau Label Increases Capabilities, Competitiveness with FUJIFILM’s Illumina LED Retrofit System

Fujifilm’s Illumina, an LED-UV retrofit system for converting any traditional UV or waterbase flexo press to LED-UV curing, allows for increased productivity and cost savings at Beau Label LLC, a third-generation, family-owned N.J.-based print services provider.
 
The UV energy emitted at Illumina’s 20% power setting is the same as the 100% power setting of other LED-UV curing systems, according to Fujifilm. Patented LED technology delivers up to 44% more energy toward the substrate, resulting in faster curing.
 
“We recently converted our nine-color conventional UV, and our eight-color water based ink press (now full LED-UV) to Fujifilm’s Illumina LED-UV retrofit system,” Beau Label President Vincent “VJ” Melapioni said. “We made the switch primarily due to the cost savings in electricity.
 
“Prior to our conversion, we were running 110 or 120 amps of 480-volt service to a press to run the UVs, and with Illumina, we are now running 10 amps of 480-volt service,” he added.
 
The Illumina LED-UV cure is an instant on/off process, dramatically lowering the energy usage and stress on lamp bulbs experienced in conventional “always-on” UV mercury lamp curing. LED-UV also eliminates the costs generated by cooling air blowers, ozone extraction and heat makeup systems.
 
“With our previous system, we had a noise factor due to the powerful blower extracting the heat, which was also taking out the (HVAC) heating and air conditioning,” Melapioni said. “Illumina is quieter and more efficient to keep the temperature stable within our 30,000-square foot facility.”
 
Beau Label is adapting to new output options since the Illumina install, catering to clients in the food, beverage, wine and spirits industry, as well as private label health and beauty segments, pet supplies, household, industrial and promotional products.