Why Do UV Printers Use Belts Instead of Lead Screws for the X-Axis?

This is a question almost every customer asks.  As an editor, I once had the same doubt.  Let me explain based on my experience.

In most UV printing equipment, lead screws and guide rails are standard for X/Y-axis motion.  Larger machines typically use thicker, lower-precision lead screws due to load and accuracy requirements.  Components like lead screws, guide rails, cable carriers, and bellows covers are considered standard in mechanical design.  With this preconception, many customers worry when they see UV printers using belts for the X-axis: "Why not use lead screws?  Is this a cost-cutting shortcut?"

Take Dingli UV Printers as an example.  For our X/Y-axis systems, the Y-axis uses dual lead screws (despite higher costs) to ensure precision, while the X-axis employs belts.  Why?  The answer isn’t cost—it’s speed.

Standard UV flatbed models (e.g., 1612, 2513, 3020, 3324, or even 4+ meters) require high-speed motion over long distances.  For instance, the X-axis of a 2513 model spans ~3.5 meters.  At this scale, lead screws struggle to achieve the required speed, and protective bellows covers (for dust prevention) would wear out rapidly.  Larger industrial machinery often exposes its motion systems for similar reasons.

But does a belt compromise accuracy?

No.  Every component has optimal performance parameters.  Dingli uses German-engineered belts that maintain precision within 0.02mm (2 "silk units") and outlast competitors.  A high-quality belt lasts up to 3 years, and its long-term maintenance costs are lower than lead screws.  For UV printers, belts are the optimal solution.