Precision and speed are core output indicators for UV flatbed printers, with precision being somewhat related to speed. "How many minutes per panel," the printing speed has been a primary selling point for many manufacturers.

How should you correctly interpret the descriptions of print speed on the machine's manual? This session will unveil several misconceptions about UV flatbed printing speed. Print speed? Which speed are you referring to?

Misconceptions about the printing speed of UV flatbed machines primarily include three aspects: theoretical speed, speed under different modes, and actual production speed.

It's important to note that when most machine sales reps talk about speed, they're referring to theoretical speed. Only a few professionals might mention speeds under different modes, but these are not actual production speeds. The gap here is at least calculated in multiples.

Section 1: Theoretical Printing Speed

Refers to the printing speed achievable by the device in the extreme mode, disregarding precision and manual loading/unloading, and it can only be achieved under special printing conditions. For instance, it's often heard that one can print 60 square meters or 80 square meters in an hour, which is simply not possible.

II. Printing Speed Under Different Modes

Refers to the speed under the multi-pass printing mode, which is actually not accurate. Although a higher pass number corresponds to slower speed, other factors such as feathering amount, unidirectional or bidirectional, material loading and unloading, and the time for coating or alcohol also come into play. In actual printing, it is generally not achievable.

III. Actual Printing Speed

Refers to the print speed, taking into account factors such as precision, manual loading and unloading, and the time for wiping alcohol or coatings in the actual production process.

There's a relatively simple calculation formula: theoretical speed divided by 2 equals print speed in production mode divided by 2 equals actual print speed. For instance, if the theoretical speed is 40㎡/hour, the print speed in production mode is 20㎡/hour, the actual print speed would be 10㎡/hour. The data calculated using this formula may vary by 10%-15%.

Factors Affecting Actual Printing Speed:

Material loading and unloading time

In the advertising industry, using a standard board as a unit of measure, it typically takes 4 minutes to manually lift, align, and remove the printed material.

Assuming a production speed of 16㎡ per hour for the UV flatbed printer model 2513, it takes approximately 12 minutes to print a standard sheet. Adding an additional 4 minutes for manual loading and unloading, the total time required is 16 minutes, meaning less than 4 standard sheets can be printed per hour.

Pre-press Processing Technology

Some materials require coating wiping before printing, others need flame treatment, and some need alcohol wiping, etc., all of which can affect the actual printing speed of UV flatbed printers; these factors cannot be overlooked.

III. Machine Stability

There is a significant gap in quality among different manufacturers. Some low-quality UV flatbed printers require minor repairs every three days and major repairs every five days; others might only need maintenance every two to three months.

Section 4: Staff Technical Proficiency

Incorporate skilled technicians for graphic and software operation efficiency, as this will significantly reduce the scrap rate.

How to Maximize Actual Printing Speed

One, Upgrade the configuration of the UV flatbed printer

Incorporating increased nozzle speed, upgrading to higher-performance nozzles, and opting for dual-row printing mode, among other enhancements.

Selecting Larger-Scale Equipment

When operating the UV flatbed printer, the handling of the material behind is carried out simultaneously, allowing for the replacement of the front material while printing the latter part, thereby ensuring continuous printing without machine downtime.

III. Other Factors

Selecting appropriate print modes, feathering settings, and so on, these are greatly influenced by the varying skill levels of technicians.