How UV Inkjet Printing Works in production
Previously, marking in a sawmill environment was limited to low-resolution "dot printing" — with poor readability and limited information — or labels that slowed production rates. Labels caused unnecessary constant stops for changing rolls and adjusting mechanical arms, and labels that came off or stuck together during production and transport.
With modern UV-curing inkjet technology, all of this is replaced with high-resolution, permanent stamps and codes directly on wood or packaging materials.
What we offer
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The wood passes — The planks are transported on a roller conveyor or chain conveyor at full production speed — no braking is required.
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Sensor detects — A photocell and an encoder register the plank's position and speed and trigger the print at exactly the right moment.
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Ink is applied — The Piezo print head sprays microscopic droplets of UV ink — text, barcodes, QR codes, and high-resolution graphics.
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UV lamp cures — Immediately after printing, the ink passes through a UV LED lamp. The ink polymerizes instantly — dry and permanent in milliseconds .
Advantages of UV Inkjet Inkjet
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Instant curing — UV ink cures in milliseconds — no bleeding, no waiting times, no smudging, no risk of smearing during further handling.
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High resolution — 360 DPI enables crisp barcodes, QR codes, 2D codes, and detailed black and white text that is sharp and machine-readable.
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Durable marking — UV-cured ink is resistant to moisture, UV light, abrasion and chemicals. The marking remains throughout the chain.
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No loss of production rate — Prints at speeds up to 300 m/min — adapts to existing line speed without bottlenecks.
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No labels — Eliminates paper, plastic, glue and mechanical application arms. Less waste, fewer stoppages, lower operating costs.
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Flexible content — Each printout can be unique — variable data, serial numbers, date stamps and traceability codes without conversion.
Comparison — Marking techniques
Resolution — Dot Matrix (DOD): Very low (up to 32 dots) — Labels: High (300 DPI) — UV Inkjet: High (up to 360 DPI)
Barcode / QR — Dot Matrix (DOD): Very limited — Labels: Yes — UV Inkjet: Yes, directly onto wood in black and white for high contrast
Durability — Dot Matrix (DOD): Medium–high (fades, bleeds) — Labels: Very low — peels off — UV Inkjet: High — permanent
Production speed — Dot matrix (DOD): High — Labels: Low — plus stop when changing — UV Inkjet: Very high — up to 300 m/min
Consumables — Dot Matrix (DOD): Ink and solvent — Labels: Labels + ribbon + adhesive — UV Inkjet: Ink only
Maintenance / Stop — Dot Matrix (DOD): Low–Medium — Labels: High — mechanical — UV Inkjet: Low — no moving parts
Variable content — Dot matrix (DOD): Limited — Labels: Limited — UV Inkjet: Fully variable