LED Curing Technology for Coatings
April 2016 www.coatingsworld.com Coatings World | 51
More Uptime
There is no warm up time required and
less downtime due to the instant on/off
of LEDs. LED offers higher consistent
yields and reduced waste compared to
traditional UV curing. There are no reflectors to clean or shutters to replace.
With no moving parts, the maintenance
is minimal.
Greater Stability
Because of the uniformity and long-term
consistency of LED lights, designers can
develop safer, more stable, and more reliable processes. LEDs last more than
20,000 hours of operation, with only a
minimal drop-off in power over the life
of the curing unit.
More Compact Designs
Floor space is valuable in all types of businesses. LED light sources can be used to
build more compact coatings lines, with
shorter web paths that minimize waste.
Better Cure
Users report that LED light sources produce better cures and better adhesion on a
wide range of materials. The longer wavelength output—such as the UV-A range
seen from UV LEDs—penetrates through
thick and pigmented systems producing
through-cure of the material that ensures
surface adhesion and the ability to cure
pigmented wood coatings.
Energy Consumption
Users can save up to 70% or more on
energy bills. Energy cost savings can be
substantial, particularly if energy costs
continue to rise.
Safer Workplace
LEDs contribute to workplace safety
because they don’t generate dangerous
UV-C radiation, excessive heat, or noise.
The UV-A wavelength light is not harmful to the eyes.
Wood Coatings
One of the original drivers for developing LED wood coatings was to extend the
use of UV curing to heat sensitive wood
substrates such as pine, fir, spruce, mahogany, and other resinous, oily woods.
Traditional UV lamps can cause problems
on heat-sensitive wood materials. When a
resinous wood such as pine gets too hot,
the resins or pitch come to the surface, or
“bleed,” causing problems with coating
adhesion and discoloration. For example,
if the surface of a pine board exceeds 50
°C, the scrap rate increases significantly.
Properly drying resinous wood is an
important factor for successful UV coat-
ing. The inconsistencies of wood products
from pallet to pallet and even board-to-
board, make it desirable to find a lower-
temperature UV-curing solution that will
enable consistent finishing and coating
results, and possibly enable the use of less
costly lower-grade woods.
