Introduction

The use of UV curing as a decorating, finishing, or bonding technology presents a number of economic benefits over alternative methods. An economic benefits analysis for any one application may be substantially different from another. Cost savings may accrue from factors such as better utilization of space, reduction of work-in-process, increased productivity, energy savings, production yield, reducing or eliminating VOC processing, and product quality and performance. With the surprisingly wide range of applications that are presently successful with UV curing adhesives, inks, and coatings.

UV curing is generally recognized to offer a number of benefits and advantages over the use of conventional, or solvent-based materials. Some of these benefits can be directly related to cost while others are less tangible, and relate to product performance, quality, durability, or safety, for examples. Both tangible and intangible factors are quite specific to different applications.

GENERAL

In establishing an overall economic analysis, there are a number of comparisons and cost benefits that UV curing is a proven solution for many industries and applications which can be considered:

    Process uptime

•          Energy consumption
•          Production rate
•          Reduction of work-in-process
•          Material cost 
  • Re-usable and non-reusable
•         Maintenance costs 
•          Yield
•          Disposal of waste
•          Space utilization

The intangible benefits, as mentioned, can be even more compelling as a driving force, but may difficult to analyze and quantify:

•          Health and safety
•          Quality
•          Cycle time reduction
•          Increased capacity
•          Process not achievable by another method

It is also clear that decisions to use UV in a process, or to adapt or convert an existing process to UV curing depend on the establishment of a functional benefit before a cost-benefit analysis is undertaken. In other words, “prove that it works before we invest in it” In vast majority of new applications for UV curing, a functional benefit was the REASON for selecting UV curing but was only later followed by the cost-benefit JUSTIFICATION.

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