Commercial usage in the commercial use of UV Curing LEDs is progressing rapidly due to the improvement in energy output as well as the increasing the availability of adhesive, ink and coating chemical formulations. The power output of UV LEDs is growing at the rate of 12 percent per year!
This means that applications that require more rapid production speeds are becoming possible.
This article will provide engineers in process design and development with an overview of UV Curing with LEDs, its benefits for production lines in manufacturing, and the next steps to help that you are ahead of the competitors.
UV LED Output
In contrast to traditional UV curing that produces a broad spectrum of light the output of UV LEDs used for curing is currently available in three narrow, almost monochromatic wavelengths: 395, 365, as well as 405nm.
This will mean less output wasted (unneeded or ineffective wavelengths) however, it also means that formulators for chemistry are need to come up with new chemistry that can be sensitive to these specific wavelengths and still meet the exact coating, ink, or adhesive needs. Some applications like the electronics of encapsulating or potting fiberglass composites and UV powder coatings laminating and spot cure adhesives already make use of longer wavelength additives, also known as “doped” arc lamps. Therefore, these are an ideal fit for UV LED curing.
Commercially-owned UV LEDs for curing
At present, UV LED curing is utilized commercially in graphic arts printing including digital inkjet offset sheet-fed printing, as well for industrial inkjet marking and coding, adhesion bonding sealing, screen printing optical fiber coatings wood decorating and coatings applications, photoresist as well as many other applications across industries like medical devices, automotive electronics packaging, building materials, packaging as well as alternative energy sources and numerous others. Retrofitting production lines that already have UV curing systems with UV curing technology (in place of or as a substitute) is an inevitable option for some applications, due to the massive technological advancements and the economic benefits that can be realized.
Design of manufacturing processes and the economic advantages of curing with UV LEDs
As compared to current UV curing technology , UV LED curing systems provide higher uptime due to their longer lifespan and their instant off/on capability. UV LEDs last 10 % more (10,000plus hours) than curring systems using arc UV.
The capability to turn off or on instantly of UV LEDs means there’s no waiting for a line to be restarted or work with the maintenance-prone shutters, as is the case with LED UV Curing Lamps. A higher level of uptime means higher production rates.
Systems for curing UV light function at much lower temperature than conventional UV curing. This makes it possible to treat heat-sensitive materials without harming the material. Controls for dimming allow you to adjust the exact amount of amount of UV energy required to meet evolving process requirements. Additionally, in addition to reducing production waste, this improved flexibility and control of processes can enhance the capabilities of your production and result in greater utilization of your production line.
If there’s room in your line and you have the space, adding UV LEDs to the existing UV curing could provide additional versatility and also the ability to use it as a “test bed” prior to implementing it on other lines or plant areas.
The small size that comes with UV LED curing devices make them simple to retrofit into production lines in manufacturing including conveyor lines in 3D or flat form as well as indexing machines robotic arms. UV LEDs require cooling, but this is done using the internal fan type of muffin or water cooler. There’s no need for shutters and heat management and light shielding has been significantly simplified. In addition, since UV LEDs don’t produce the ozone (traditional UV lamps generate ozone by emitting short-waves at 180 nm – 220 nm) and do not contain mercury, working environment is more secure.
Modern process designers require solid constant UV curing procedures that are easy to reproduce, or move around the world. UV LED systems are less hefty and smaller, which means moving them is easier and more affordable as compared to traditional curing with UV.
Because UV LEDs require significantly less exhaust air or cooling production lines at lower or higher elevations will not require significant differences in cooling capacity. Thus, UV LED curing offers the most reliable and consistent process, no matter where it’s located on the world’s manufacturing sites.
UV LED curing has significant savings on operating costs when as compared with traditional curing because of the energy savings, the fewer consumable components, and lower maintenance costs. UV LEDs typically consume around 30% to 70% lesser energy as compared with traditional UV curing. Being able to store consumable components like ballasts, lamps and reflectors in stock lowers the cost.
In the end, less maintenance comes due to less time spent cleaning or servicing other components like reflectors, shutters, ballasts and fans.
Challenges
In the same manner that LED technology is replacing certain interior lighting, automotive lighting, and other conventional lighting sources UV LED curing could eventually replace the traditional UV curing technologies for certain coating, ink and adhesive applications thanks to the benefits discussed in this article. However, there are challenges to be overcome for UV Curing with LEDs within a few manufacturing processes like finding the right and readily available chemical formulations.
Needing a tough coat are particularly challenging to UV LED curing since short wavelengths, which are well below 360 nm, are necessary for curing on surfaces.
The combination of UV LED curing with current UV curing is the ideal solution.
Next steps
What should process development engineers and design engineers do to make sure they do not get out of the loop?
Begin by learning regarding UV LED curing technology, equipment suppliers, and potential chemical formulation partners to determine whether UV LED is a fit to the manufacturing process you are using.
Then, establish connections with reputable service providers who can help you create reliable and flexible LED curing techniques through laboratory testing and in-plant experiments. It is essential to have partners who will help you determine the feasibility of your idea, calculate ROI, and offer guidance and development assistance.