Wood Finishing Ultraviolet Lamps
Using light instead of heat, the UV curing process has been in existence over 40-years. History has proven it a better alternative to solvent-based coatings, offering many no environmental pollutants, no solvents to evaporate, no long drying tunnels, no wasted floor space and no loss of coating volume.
UV curing is not all no’s. There are many yeses…… yes it is environmentally responsible, yes it increases solvent resistance, yes it increases durability, yes it’s faster and the biggest yes, it saves you money. These are difficult economic times. To be relevant one must lower cost without sacrificing product performance. UV provides the edge increasing productivity, improving product quality, all the while under an environmentally-friendly umbrella. Many cabinet shops and furniture manufacturers are now using ultraviolet (UV) curing. Cabinet doors are ideal candidates and greatly benefit by being able to be immediately handled post finishing. Moldings and intricate shapes can be sprayed and instantly cured in specially designed curing A UV finish is exceptionally durable. Abrasive and impact resistance tests are superior to solvent based materials. UV finishes are found on furniture, guitars, banjos, millwork, moldings, sheet goods and prefinished hardwood flooring. UV coatings can be sprayed (used on shaped objects, i.e. furniture) or applied in a flat line process for coating flat panels. Since UV systems cure instantly there is a reduced need for cooling air. Less air movement reduces the chance of “shop dirt� in the finish. Typically UV finishes will be a cleaner compared to solvent based finishes. There are many established players in the wood finishing UV equipment industry. These include Aagaard-Finnrose, Barberan, Cattinair, Cefla, Delle Vedove (DV-Systems), Deimco, Dubois, Giardina, Hymmen, Makor and Efsen Engineering. As is the case with many industrial processes, established American and European names have given way to those from the Far East. Not to worry, our ability to clone Chinese lamps is unrivaled. There is little comparison between lamps from China and those manufactured by TCS Technologies.
The UV spectrum is divided into four regions: UVA (310 to 390 nm), UVB (280 to 310 nm), UVC (250 to 280 nm) and UVV (390 to 445 nm). For clear UV-curable coatings (top-coat) UVA and UVB output is critical. Here the standard mercury lamp excels. The most popular lamp for UV wood finishing is the standard mercury (Hg) lamp. It is long-lived and performs well over a wide range of coatings Many wood profile products use highly pigmented coatings, especially white. For white coatings thicker than 1.5 mils, a gallium-doped bulb (high UVV output) followed by a regular mercury bulb provides optimum depth of cure together with good surface cure. Always remember, since the gallium iodide bulb provides depth of cure, it should be used before the mercury bulb.
A typical UV wood finishing line combines one (1) gallium iodide lamp followed by two (2) or three (3) mercury lamps. Gallium provides depth of cure for pigmented stains while mercury lamp provides surface cure. Gallium iodide lamps cost more and have a shorter useful life. In general, operation of gallium lamps requires special ballast. Mercury lamps operate fine with metal halide (gallium) ballast but oftentimes you cannot run a gallium lamp with mercury ballast. Today more than ever you have to work smarter and leaner. TCS Technologies can help. We offer an extensive line of replacement UV curing lamps for virtually all wood finishing equipment. We provide exceptional value combining increased curing performance all the while saving you money. We invite you to learn more about our products and experience the quality and value we can bring to your business. Choose from our extensive range of mercury and gallium iodide lamps for most wood finishing equipment including:
| American Ultraviolet |
Cattinair | Cefla | Delle Vedove |
| DV-Systems | Deimco | Dubois | Giardina |
| Eltosch | Koch | Superfici | Aagaard-Finnrose |
| Hymmen | Efsen Engineering |
Hanovia | Makor |
| Barberan | IST |
There are a multitude of lamp variations used in UV wood finishing. The table below references common UV curing lamps manufactured by TCS Technologies. Many more are available. If you cure with UV, TCS Technologies has the right lamp for you.
| 1400MCX/TR | 1400MC/TR |
| 1425AQX/GA | 1425QX/GA |
| 2478 | CK1500 |
| 28-625-00132 | 28-625-00240 |
| 601100064 | PM211700 |
| 601100289 | 601100284 |
| 6555A12C | UVH 14224-4 |
| 6612IP41 | 270302 |
| 9-52D016-000 | 9-52D011-000 |
| A94111FCB | UVH20022 |
| A94111MCB | 6556AC41 |
| A94481MCD | DUHM360-C |
| AN334207 | 6575A441 |
| H15K/56/5C23S1 | 1932 |
| H18K/60AC/108752 | H18K/60AC+/5C24S1 |
| HA312-C | A94251GCB |
| HA355C | DUHM355/C-410 |
| UV200BPY/DF/GA/5 | UVH 2028-8 |
| UVH16522-0 | 6855A441 |
| 1419BMZ | BMZ |
| 2-1678 | 2-1330 |
| 6254600024 | 9-52D018-000 |
| 6559AP41 | 1400/Max |
| 601100063 | 6254600067 |
| 400-300 GA |
H15K/56AC/083/3516-G |
| 601100275 | AN334205 |
| Codice | 30L02182 |
| 011172TR | 111140000000E |
| 9-52D019-000 | A604042 |
| HA342-C2 | A94481GCB |
| 601100063 | T923-380 |
| DUHM360-C-410 | 6612AP41 |
| 6565A443 | UVH19022-0 |
| H15K/56/083/3516 | Y18K/60AC/5C23S1 |
| Y15K/56AC/5C23S1 | H15K/56AC/5C24S1 |
| A94251MCB | 601100276 |
| 951 | MD9 |
| HG330/0 | HM330/C 410-DV |
| 109502 | 1319BM |
| A94651MCB |
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Contained below are typical drawings of wood finishing UV lamps
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