Media & Substrates

There are tons of UV curing applications, its constant innovation has led to consider that UV curing is one of the most versatile market in the world, this without mentioning that its characteristics provide multiple advantages and great results over many different materials.

Faster production and lower costs are some of the most common challenges for automotive manufacturers and suppliers face.

UV Curing is a great potential solution when it comes to industrial coatings and to transform automotive parts and body manufacturing.

Here are some of the many benefits of using UV Curing coatings instead of heat:

  • Reduce floor space and utility costs, UV Curing doesn’t require large ovens to execute the process.
  • Coating process time. UV-cured coatings can take a few seconds to cure, so there is no comparison with the 30 minutes baking cycles. This also helps reducing sag, dirt defects and oven cleaning processes.
  • Reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can be harmful chemicals. UV curing operations ranges from 0-15%, while traditional baking processes ranges from 40-60%.
  • Improving resistance to scratch and marks.
  • Durability and resistance to chemical degradation.
  • The filter effect of UV absorbers protects the substrate against color change and photochemical degradation, which can lead to delamination.

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    Drying and curing of coatings, photo courtesy of Heraeus


    The benefits of using UV Curing lights on automotive manufacturing are high and manufacturers must step up and start implementing UV. So basically, UV is changing the entire game to improve automotive processes and deliver better quality products in less time.


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    UV Curing for car coatings, photo courtesy of Auto Body Connect


    Published in UV-Curing

    We all know UV Curing is a very extended market that has been there for many years when it comes to the wide format printing world. Its applications are involved in multiple industries around the globe and in different trade shows, we can expect new releases and new possible applications to use UVC.

    One opportunity for the UVC world is to reduce the Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) by automating the process in the current hygiene protocol integrating UV with health care equipment. UV curing brands making medical equipment are creating smaller UVC LEDs to develop portable and handheld disinfection devices to improve the protocols. UV Curing LEDS are a major upgrade for HAI preventions, they deliver targeted UVC light in the optimal disinfection wavelength range and the energy consumption is little.


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    UV Curing LED lights, photo courtesy of Banggood


    Using UV Curing LEDS to address a specific surface and to achieve a specific log reduction has allowed to re-create better designed devices that complement chemical disinfection by delivering a uniform and efficient UV disinfection process. Here are two potential applications into the HAI industry:

    Reduction of Clostridium Difficile (C-diff, a pathogen that can survive weeks or even months over a surface. It can be present on clothing and high-contact devices such as mobile phones, laptops, stethoscopes, diagnostic tools, etc. Nowadays this is commonly treated with isopropyl alcohol disinfection wipes but they have an offensive odor, dries the skin out and can damage equipment. UV Curing LEDs can be applied in an easier way, and without being so invasive as alcohol.


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    Clostridioides difficile Infection, HAI, photo courtesy of CDC.


    CLABSI or Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections cleaning are also being disinfected with alcohol for preparing catheter hubs. The process involves a 30-second scrub with alcohol and other 30 seconds to dry and be effective. This process is completely manual so the risk of human error could be very harmful and fatal, that’s why a LED device, attached to an infuser and delivering a consistent, trackable UVC dose could be a more efficient and process.

    UV Curing LEDs has made their way into the health industry, and it is great to see how more brands are joining the market as it is a great opportunity to implement and improve healthy and cleaner habits into hospitals.


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    Hospital operating room, courtesy of Medical News Today.


    Published in UV-Curing

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