Stiles Machinery Promotes UV LED Curing

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - An award-winning technology for curing both pigmented and clear UV coatings can save you energy and floor space, with added benefits for processing sensitive materials and protecting the environment.

UV coatings applied to a wide range of material types and dimensions are cured when exposed to cool, radiant emission from LED bulbs mounted in an industrial focused array.

First introduced in 2011 by Bürkle GmbH for curing flat panel finishes, UV LED curing technology advanced again this year, when Venjakob made it available for three-dimensional surfaces. The Venjakob UV LED oven received an award at the Innovation Conference held during the 2013 LIGNA Tradeshow in Hannover, Germany. This innovation combines UVB and UVC emitters, which work at different wavelengths to cure finishes very deeply and consistently across a surface within the same oven.

Save energy and expense

UV LED curing technology makes it possible to save big on your power usage. While a conventional arc lamp has a connected load of about 40 kilowatts, an LED unit has only about 5 kilowatts. Add the 2-kilowatt UVC emitter and your combined connected load remains a low 7 kilowatts. That’s a 33 kilowatt power savings with an 83% energy reduction! Through energy savings alone, you can expect a return on your investment in this technology in two to five years, depending on cost per kilowatt in your region.

Extend bulb life

LED bulbs deliver more than 10,000 hours of service, compared to the 2,000 hours associated with arc lamp bulbs. You can further extend this long lifespan by setting LED lamps to activate instantly when parts are present and shut off when they aren’t.

Protect sensitive materials

Because they don’t emit infrared light in the UVB wavelength, LED curing units can cure UV finishes applied to thin, delicate materials and materials containing sap without damage. The addition of a UVC emitter adds a small amount of infrared heat; however, the board surface will rise by only about 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Eliminate exhaust requirements

With both the LED unit and the UVC emitter mounted within the same enclosure this cool curing process doesn’t generate ozone—eliminating the need for an exhaust to atmosphere. An attached chilling unit mounted close to the oven cools the LED unit, which itself is mounted on a belted transport conveyor, assuring easy transport of parts.

At Stiles, we’re passionate about advances in equipment that bring manufacturing forward. As an innovation that delivers economic, efficiency and environmental benefits, UV LED curing technology is a great example. With it, finishing processes improve, manufacturers across industries do more with less, and together, we redefine what’s possible.

About Stiles Machinery Inc.

For over 45 years, Stiles has been helping manufacturers succeed. More than the largest supplier of quality machinery, Stiles provides a Total Production Solutions approach by also offering equipment integration, financial services, education, service and parts. By having a wealth of solutions whether defined as people, products or services, Stiles merges the best thinking and the best ideas in a solution that works best for their customers. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Stiles has regional offices and service centers in Toms River, New Jersey; High Point, North Carolina; Coppell, Texas; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. For more information, contact Steve Waltman, Vice President of Marketing & Communications.

 

.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.