Guidance for Selecting and Using Dymax Spot, Flood, and Conveyor Systems

Light-curing equipment selection and use often raise practical questions during process development and production. This Q&A addresses common topics related to Dymax spot, flood, and conveyor curing systems to support informed decision-making.

Q: What types of light-curing equipment does Dymax offer?

Dymax offers three main categories of light-curing systems: spot, flood, and conveyor. In addition, there are equipment accessories and radiometers to support process control and safety. 

• Spot Curing Systems: High-intensity LED or UV spot lamps that deliver precise light energy to small, targeted areas and are ideal for localized adhesive or coating cures. 
• Flood Curing Systems: Modular systems using UV/Visible light (e.g., metal-halide bulbs) to flood an area with curing light that are useful for curing larger surfaces or multiple parts at once.
• Conveyor Systems: For high-volume or automated lines where parts pass under UV/LED flood lamps to achieve consistent, repeatable cures.
• Accessories & Radiometers: Supporting tools such as light shields, replacement bulbs, light-guides, safety eyewear, and radiometers to monitor light intensity that help ensure consistent and safe curing conditions.

Q: What are the advantages of using Dymax light-curing equipment over conventional adhesive/curing methods?

There are several advantages when combining Dymax light-curable materials (LCMs) with properly matched curing equipment:

• Speed & Efficiency: Light curing often completes in 1–30 seconds, significantly reducing cycle times, enabling faster throughput and lower “work-in-progress.”
• Process Integration & Flexibility: Systems can be used standalone (e.g., bench-top spot lamps) or integrated into automated assembly lines, giving flexibility for low-volume prototypes or high-volume manufacturing.
• Cleaner, Safer, More Environmentally Friendly: Light-curing eliminates the need for solvent-based adhesives or two-part chemistry mixing, reducing chemical handling, disposal, and regulatory burden.
• Quality & Consistency: Because Dymax develops both the LCMs and curing equipment, systems are optimized holistically, ensuring good adhesion, appropriate depth of cure, minimal shrinkage, and consistent results across batches.

Q: How do you choose which curing configuration (spot, flood, conveyor) is right for a given application?

The “right” curing configuration depends on your part geometry, volume, throughput needs, and process constraints. Consider:

• Spot systems when you need to cure small, discrete areas (e.g., bonding components, precise adhesives) with high precision or minimal heat exposure.
• Flood systems when you have larger surfaces or multiple parts that can be cured simultaneously, especially when uniform coverage is key.
• Conveyor systems when you need high throughput on production lines, especially in automotive, electronics, medical device, or other high-volume manufacturing.

To achieve a complete cure, the wavelength output of the light source should align with the photoinitiators in the material, since mismatched spectra can prevent the adhesive or coating from curing fully.

Q: What kinds of materials can be cured/bonded with Dymax equipment?

Dymax light-curing systems are compatible with a broad range of substrates, including plastics, glass, and metals.

When used with Dymax LCMs (adhesives, coatings, encapsulants, potting compounds, sealants, etc.), the equipment supports many applications: conformal coatings for electronics, adhesive bonding in optoelectronics or medical devices, encapsulation, gasketing, and more.

Q: How does Dymax ensure that its curing equipment and materials work together effectively (i.e., that a cure is “complete” and consistent)?

Several aspects ensure synergy and process reliability:

• Dymax designs both the light-curable materials and the curing equipment. This vertical integration ensures the photoinitiator chemistry and light output are well matched.
• Use of radiometers: Operators can monitor light intensity before or during production to confirm curing energy remains within the required range, helping to detect bulb degradation or shield/light-guide issues.
• Control of exposure parameters: Many spot-cure systems allow fine control over intensity and exposure time, which is important for repeatability and adapting to different materials or part geometries.
• Support from Application Engineering: Dymax offers technical support to recommend materials and curing processes for specific parts, including testing and pre-production trials to validate performance. 

Q: Which industries or market segments is Dymax light-curing equipment commonly used in?

Dymax systems are used broadly across multiple markets, including automotive, electronics, medical devices, aerospace & defense, optical/telecommunications, energy, industrial infrastructure, and consumer/industrial wearables. 

For example:

• In electronics: for conformal coating, encapsulation, potting, and optical display bonding of printed circuit and board-level components
• In medical: assembly, bonding, and coating of devices, such as syringes, catheters, and breathing circuits
• In industrial/energy: parts manufacturing and assembly when fast curing, bonding or sealing are important

Q: What should a manufacturer do before they commit to full-scale implementation of a light-curing system?

A best practice is to engage early with Dymax’s Application Engineers by submitting your substrate details, part geometry, required adhesives/coatings, and production throughput to the team. Dymax can then recommend suitable LCMs and light-curing equipment and often conduct testing or pre-production trials.

Also, consider running a pilot: use radiometers to confirm light intensity, test for complete cures (adhesion, strength, durability), and validate cycle times under realistic manufacturing conditions.

The combination of Dymax’s broad portfolio of light-curable materials and a full lineup of spot, flood, and conveyor curing systems gives manufacturers flexibility, speed, and quality, making light curing a competitive option for many assembly and coating scenarios across industries.

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