Attendees from across the globe descended upon Chicago for RadTech North America’s bi-annual UV & EB Technology Expo and Conference. The event was held April 30^th through May 2^nd and is the World’s Largest UV & EB conference and exhibition dedicated to fostering educational, technical, and scientific advancement in the manufacture and use of ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) curable products. 

A three hour UV LED End Users Session drew nearly a third of all conference attendees as the overall adoption and interest in this revolutionary technology continues to energize the UV curing industry.  The session covered the basics of LED technology, its use in coatings and ink jet applications, and the nuances associated with photoinitiator and resin selection as well as UV measurement.  The session concluded with a 45 minute panel discussion featuring six diverse industry experts.  Companies who presented during the LED session or served on the panel included American Ultraviolet, BASF, Collins Ink, Cytec, DSM, EIT Instrument Markets, Integration Technology, LED Engine, Light Curable Coatings, Lumen Dynamics, and Phoseon Technology. 

Events such as the UV LED End Users Session are helping bridge the knowledge gap among potential users and demonstrate the viability and feasibility of LED technology as a solution for a growing number of UV curing applications. Many conference attendees expressed their amazement regarding how far UV LED technology had progressed and increased its market presence since RadTech’s UV & EB conference was held in Baltimore just two short years ago. Jim Raymont, Director of Sales at EIT Instrument Markets, reinforced this sentiment during the panel discussion in which he stated that he is now aware of at least 25 different companies actively engaged in developing industrial UV LED curing systems. 

In a separate session presentation on the North American UV Market, Gary Cohen, Executive Director of RadTech North America, cited a recent RadTech survey in which members expressed their confidence that the use of UV LED curing systems for digital inkjet, screen, and flexo ink applications as well as adhesives and field applied coatings would be common place within the next five years as the technology continues to overcome short-term limitations. 

Additional information about RadTech and UV LED curing technology can be found at www.radtech.org and www.uvledcuring.org.