Werner Kammann Maschinenfabrik GmbH (Kammann, Bünde, Germany) manufactures automated printing and cutting machines, which are used to produce a wide range of consumer products. This past year the company introduced a digital printer that finishes compact discs and DVDs.

As part of the system, Kammann incorporates a quartet of semiconductor light matrix (SLM) ultraviolet curing modules from Phoseon Technology (Hillsboro, OR). Kammann chose the Phoseon products, because they offer energy efficiency and low operating temperatures. The specific models that go into each Kammann printer include three independently controlled RX Starfire systems, each of which measures 150 by 20 millimeters, and a single RX20 system, measuring 150 by 150 millimeters.

Phoseon's SLM technology combines thousands of individual semiconductor emitters into a single bulbless ultraviolet curing head. Phoseon's SLM systems provide high light intensities over long service periods, with low heat generation. They operate without producing either the harmful ozone or mercury that are the byproducts of lamps used in many conventional curing systems. They also use only a fraction of the power required by conventional lamps. For example, all four curing heads in the Kammann CD printer consume less power than is typically used by a single curing lamp in a traditional arc-lamp curing system. The SLM approach can also be used for curing coatings and adhesives.

"We recognized the potential advantages of the Phoseon SLM technology during the product design phase of the new digital printing machine," says Kammann CEO, Michael Marks. "Phoseon's SLM technology has already shown its advantages and we see significant future potential for us in applying it to our markets."

For more on ultraviolet curing, call 503-439-6446 or visit www.phoseon.com.