Paint & Coatings Industry - April 2008 - (Page 44)

The Future of UV Coatings is Now! 1. Irradiance, watts/cm². This parameter indicates the intensity of the light or the UV lamp output needed; the greater the irradiance, the greater the depth of curing. 2. Wavelength of the irradiance, nm range (or UVB, UVC, UVA, UVV bands). This parameter helps deter- mine the best bulb type for the cure (H, D or V). This wavelength also affects the photoinitiators used in the formulation and its absorbance. 3. Time, seconds or ft/min. The time needed for the formulation to cure will determine the lamp configuration. A static cure will specify the time in seconds and a dynamic cure, as in conveyored parts, will report speed in ft/min. 4. Energy, joules/cm². Energy is a measurement of irradiance and time. Logically, intensity of the light and the amount of time the coating sees this light, will have a great impact on the cure response. Typically, the paint line operator uses this measurement to monitor their process using a device called a radiometer. Radiometers Three factors are important to an efficient UV-cure system: irradiance, energy and wavelength. These can be measured by a radiometer, which is about twice the size of a modern cell phone. This device can be attached to the conveyor or part fixture and passed across the UV light, simulating the UV exposure to the part (coating). Values can usually be read from an LED screen. Once a satisfactory UV process is established, this instrument can be used to quantify the preferred exposure and ensure repeatability and reproducibility. UV Coating Benefits While gathering information and data regarding the investment into a UV coating line, the following benefits should be considered. Low Capital Investment Several factors contribute to this such as: • no drying oven required; • less overhead conveyor length; • smaller area for unloading painted parts; and • smaller system footprint. A UV-curing system will typically require only one tenth the floor space of a conventional thermal oven. A conventional oven can easily be 100 feet long x 10 feet wide and consume over 1,000 square feet of floor space. Assuming a conservative $0.50/ square foot/month, the annual costs to house a 1000-square-foot thermal oven is $6,000, compared to only $600 to house the UV system. Visit ads.pcimag.com 44 PCI04084TMNC.indd 1 APRIL 2008 | W W W . P C I M A G . C O M 3/12/08 3:21:39 PM http://www.vantex-t.com http://www.vantex-t.com http://www.vantex-t.com http://www.vantex-t.com http://ads.pcimag.com http://WWW.PCIMAG.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Paint & Coatings Industry - April 2008

Paint & Coatings Industry - April 2008 Contents Viewpoint Industry News Calendar of Events Company News Mergers and Acquisitions Names in the News Snapshots of Success – Automotive Applications Designing UV-Curable Materials for High-Temperature Optical Fiber Applications The Future of UV Coatings is Now! Milling Media Review Part 1 – Bead Density Effect Preparation and Properties of UV-Curable Polyurethane Acrylate Resins for Metal Surfaces Conquering Color Harmony High-Performance PU Crosslinkers for Two-Component Waterborne Applications Decorative Film Laminates How Long Will the Gilding Glitter? Gaining a Competitive Advantage Using Benchmarking Supplier Showcase Materials Watch Products and Literature Classifieds Advertiser Index Automotive Color Trends New England Museum Solves Century-Old Vanderbilt Mansion Mystery

Paint & Coatings Industry - April 2008

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