The second annual Print UV Conference was held this March in Las Vegas. The sold-out event attracted 150 attendees and a broad range of sponsors.

    According to Steve Metcalf, president and CEO of Air Motion Systems (AMS), the conference's success is a testament to the technology's growth. “Just trying to cover UV in one breakout session is inadequate,” he says. “Once a printer invests in UV it opens the door to so many variables. Beyond the [growth] opportunities, there's the challenge of getting familiar with inks, chemistries, coating formulations and different printing sequences. Networking also is important. Working together with key suppliers in the UV industry helps bring it all together.”

    Conference organizers recruited users to address different aspects of UV on plastic, packaging and general commercial applications. While the printers didn't divulge all of their secrets, most were generous.

    “In the past, some probably wouldn't have shared [a lot of] information, but the growth is so strong and it's the future direction of so many printers that it behooves everybody to contribute,” says Metcalf.