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Why UV

Chances are that several times today you have touched an object "cured " using ultraviolet (UV) processing. By simply reaching for your morning cereal box, handling a CD or DVD, reading a magazine, using a credit card, typing on a keyboard, driving a car, or just walking on a floor, you have used a UV cured product. Thousands of products used by millions of people every day are improved because UV is part of the process solution.

The UV Curing Process

Also called “photopolymerization “ the Ultraviolet (UV) curing process is a photochemical reaction. Specially formulated inks, coatings and adhesives in combination with a small percentage of material called photoinitiator, are exposed to a spectral range of ultraviolet light.  Nearly instantly they harden by crosslinking the liquid constituents.  The result of UV curing can be impressive: much less waste, lower energy consumption, higher productivity and reduced or eliminated pollutant emissions.

Seven Compelling Reasons to Convert to UV Technology

  1. Improved Productivity: Since most UV curing applications require less than five second of UV exposure, the productivity gains can range from 40 to 300 %.
  2. Superior Quality: UV cured coatings have superior performance properties over conventional thermal cured coating's.
  3. Environmentally Friendly: UV coating formulations , also called 100% solid, are typically VOC and HAP's free allowing for EPA permit exceptions in some districts. Overspray coatings can be collected and re-used providing a 90 to 95% coating transfer efficiency.
  4. Low Energy Consumption: UV curing only consumes 20% of the energy needed for conventional coating systems.
  5. Floor Space Savings: UV curing lines use approximately 60% less of floor space then conventional thermal systems.
  6. Lower Capital Cost: UV coating systems normally require a lower capital cost investment versus conventional thermal coating systems.
  7. Return on Investment: Faster, Smaller, Better & Cleaner = $ $ $ Dollars

Some have called it the best solution under the sun. Others more modestly claim it simply does just what they needed it to do. Regardless, more and more manufacturers, engineers and chemists are incorporating UV curing within their manufacturing processes.

However...

Finishing Processes incorporating radiation curing substantially differ from conventional finishing processes.

This is due to four facts:

   With radiation curable coatings, inks and adhesives you are dealing with raw materials rather than pre-polymerized formulations;
  UV curable formulations are converted to solid polymers within a spectral range of UV in seconds versus 30 to 40 minutes for convection heat, and
  The optical and physical characteristics of the curing system and their interaction with the optical properties of the coating formulation are an integral part of the coating performance. Neglecting any aspects of their interaction will result in the limitation of the cure window.
  The limitation of line of sight curing must be taken into consideration when developing both the product and the process.

A successful UV finishing process is the practical result of a proper process design. Neglecting any of its distinctive characteristics will ensuingly emanate into a costly endeavor. Selecting the right consulting firm is essential to bring about a profitable implementation of the UV finishing process.

That is where we come in ......

UV RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY INC.
14 Mantell Crescent
Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 3N6
Phone: 905 619 0973 Cell: 905 435 8484
e-mail uvtech@rogers.com
Copyright ©2007 UV Research & Technology Inc. All rights reserved