Exfo Life Sciences & Industrial Division announced the introduction of the Excelerate PIN-101, a system designed for UV curing of inkjet inks, a process known as UV pinning. The PIN-101 is the latest addition to the Excelerate produt line, which started with the PIN-100.

UV pinning is the process of applying an interim dose of lower intensity UV light correctly matched to the ink’s photochemical properties. This causes the UV ink drop pattern to be moved to a higher viscosity state, but stops short of full cure. Thickening or gelling of the ink can be achieved effectively by using an array of high power UV light emitting diodes strategically placed next to the inkjet head, ensuring immediate effect after the UV ink droplets have been jetted onto the substrate. This thickening or gelling is now more typically known as pinning. The process enhances the management of drop size and image integrity.

The Excelerate PIN-101 fits between inkjet heads for a smaller printing engine, allows a remote computer to control power levels to the LED head via a single control system, accommodates different ink formulations, and has lower maintenance and consumables costs.