Meeting Review
uv.eb West 2009 Showcases New
Opportunities for Energy Curing
BY DAVE SAVASTANO
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Energy curing has been one of
the bright spots for the coatings industry, as ultraviolet
(UV) and electron beam (EB) curing
continue to enjoy solid growth. The
key drivers—faster production, better performance properties and environmental friendliness—are even
more attractive to end-users now.
With this in mind, RadTech
International North America hosted
uv.eb West 2009, a two-day conference held at Sheraton Gateway Hotel
at LAX in Los Angeles, CA. This biennial show focused on new applications, including the growing possibilities for printed electronics and photovoltaics.
In a sign that there is strong interest in energy curing, uv.eb West 2009
was a solid mix of suppliers and end-users, with concurrent sessions on
the second day that covered the
gamut from photovoltaics and inkjet
to wood, metal and plastic and
defense and aerospace coatings.
INTRODUCTION TO
UV/EB TECHNOLOGY
The conference began on Feb. 17 with
a full-day look at UV and EB. The
morning session began with David
Harbourne of Fusion UV Systems,
who presented “Intro to UV/EB
Technology.” The interest in environmentally friendly technologies is
clear. UV and EBhave good track
records, with California’s South
Coast Air Quality Management
District (SCAQMD) identifying
UV/EB as “advanced technologies.”
“What California does today, the
rest of the U.S. does tomorrow, and
we have a great deal to talk about
with UV and EB,” Harbourne said.
Steve Lapin of PCT Engineered
Systems next provided an “Overview
of UV/EB Curing Equipment,” noting
that “UV and EB are complementary,
not competing, technologies.” Lapin
was followed by Jim Raymont of EIT
Instrument Markets, who talked
about “Process Control & UV
Measurement.”
“A Breakthrough in the Use of
UV/EB Materials for Food
Packaging,” by Ron Golden of
FocalPoint Consulting, spoke about
favorable U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) rulings on the
use of UV/EB.
“Food packaging material is subject to FDA regulation, not the
method of manufacturing,” Golden
said, adding that there could be
broader end-user acceptance of food
Photo: BASF
packaging printed with UV/EB components.
Rita Loof, RadTech’s director of
regulatory affairs, next discussed
“Stay in Compliance with UV/EB: A
Regulatory Overview.”
“UV/EB can ease regulatory burdens and help industry stay in compliance and in business,” Loof concluded. “Increased production and
VOC reduction can go hand-in-hand.”
Paul France, principal engineer-tech. entrepreneur printing and decoration, global packaging and device
development for The Procter &
Gamble Company (P&G), closed the
introductory session with a special
presentation from an end-user’s perspective.
France told the audience that just
in terms of Tide alone, P&G produces
450 million bottles of Tide annually.
P&G has 400 printers, all of whom
are UV capable, and for P&G, devel-
