Develop and Test UV Formulations
Let Excelitas Noblelight guide and support your UV formulating development. We’ll help ensure your lab testing translates to a successful UV curing process on real-world production lines with:
- Discussion and advice from our UV chemists
- UV curing equipment for testing in your lab
- Testing in our Application Competence Centers
- UV curing equipment for pilot line or customer line trials
- Access to machine builder, toll coater and other UV testing facilities
- Bringing together a partner development team – chemistry, UV equipment/expertise , and machine builder or line integrator to work with your customers
UV Curing Application Competence Center
The Noblelight Application Competence Centers (ACC) are the perfect place to take your UV formulation to the next level. We can replicate a full-scale production process without compromising confidentiality. Plus our UV curing application specialists work alongside you to conduct UV curing testing of your formulations.
Benefits:
- Avoid risks and costs to test at a customer facility too early in your development
- Maintain confidentiality
- Advance your formulation development faster – wider variety of UV curing equipment and process set-ups, more testing in less time
Services offered:
- Analytical evaluation of cure & physical properties
- UV curing process design & optimization – optimize lamp configuration, bulb spectra, working distance to your formulation
- Feasibility testing of new processes – investment costs, production rates, etc. for calculating your customer’s ROI
- Training you and your team during testing – radiometry, curing specifications, equipment operation, safety
The chart below lists the testing capabilities that are available at each US American site based on the type of equipment and the application tools.
| Equipment | Gaithersburg, MD | Germany ACC | Japan | China | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microwave lamp systems | F300 MB | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| LH6 | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| F600/VPS (x2) | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| LH10/VPS (x2) | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| UV-LED | Semray® UV4003/4103 | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| Semray® UV2000 | |||||
| Semray® UV5000/7000 | |||||
| Noblelight arc lamps | |||||
| Xe-Flash lamps | |||||
| Conveyor | LC6 benchtop, 150mm wide | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| Floor standing, 25 - 50cm wide | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| Nitrogen inerting | ■ | ■ | ■ | ||
| 3-D curing facility | Microwave lamps | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| IR lamps | sw/mw/cb-lamps and modules | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| Radiometers | EIT Power Map | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| EIT Power Puck II | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| EIT LEDCure | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| Noblelight NobleProbe | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| Application | Meyer bars / K Bars | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| Hand applicators for flexo inks | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| Applicator for offset inks | ■ | ■ | ■ | ||
| Spray application booth and spray gun | ■ | ■ | ■ | ||
| Test equipment | Surface temperature IR thermometer | ■ | ■ | ■ | |
| Cross hatch adhesion | ■ | ■ | |||
| Gloss meter | ■ | ■ | |||
| Pencil hardness | ■ | ■ | |||
| General | Lab oven | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
UV Curing Equipment for Testing and Trials
Excelitas Noblelight offers loaner/rental UV curing systems for testing your UV formulation at a customer’s facility or pilot line. This typically follows testing in our Application Competence Center which confirmed and validated feasibility of your UV formulation for their production process. Before a customer will invest in a new UV process using your formulation, they need to prove it will work in a production setting.
Our technicians typically assist with UV curing equipment set-up and trials to ensure the system operates properly and safely. Depending on the specific length of the trial and type/amount of UV curing equipment needed, fees may apply. Contact us to discuss your specific needs and schedule.