Two market leaders in the global ultra-violet light-emitting diode (UV LED) curing market have entered into a cross-licensing of intellectual property (IP) patents expanding access and protecting customers rights to technology.

Patents held by UK-based Integration Technology Ltd (ITL) and North American based Lumen Dynamics Group Inc. (LDGI) are to be cross-licensed, enabling ITL products entry to the North American market and Lumen Dynamics enhanced access to its European counterpart.

The patents allow for greater control of the curing process while increasing the energy saving potential of the process.

A world pioneering designer and developer of ultra-violet curing solutions for wide format inkjet printing, static head inkjet, industrial applications, and various new emerging technologies, ITL first filed its UK  and subsequent European patent in early 2003.

Filing its US patent in early 2001, LDGI is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of light-based delivery solutions within the life sciences, medical devices, optoelectronics and graphics digital printing markets.

Under the patents, users are able to control individual segments of a UV LED array to optimise the optical profile for each application. Applications could range from simply zoning the array for curing target areas of the image to more complex scenarios enabling the identification and exposure of complex geometric shapes. The Lumen patent specifically addresses varying power intensity across the array to optimise its cure efficiency.

“This agreement marks an important step taken in both recognising the emerging new market potential for UV LED curing and for protecting ours’ and Lumen Dynamics’ respective rights together with our customers’ usage of our technologies,” says ITL Managing Director, Adrian Lockwood.

“We recognized the benefits of UV LED technology to our customers very early on when it first became available,” says Allan Firhoj, President and CEO at LDGI, adds: ”bringing these two patents together not only strengthens both company’s portfolios of UV LED curing solutions, but also reinforces our position as IP leaders in UV LED curing property rights.”

ITL and Lumen Dynamics are also founder members of the recently-formed UV LED Curing Association. The new association has been established to address a growing need within the market for current and potential researchers, suppliers, integrators and end users to gain a better understanding about UV LED technology and the significant benefits it brings to numerous applications.