There are a few reasons which can result in Bad Cure or damage to the UV Curing Lamp itself. These issues generally result in reduced UV light intensity, either due to the deterioration of the lamp or the transparency of the quartz body is affected. Generally the customer in such cases will change the UV Lamp to a new one. However if we take due care of a few aspects, these issues can be avoided and lead to a much improved UV Lamp life. The main reasons that effect a UV Curing Lamp’s life and how to prevent them are listed below :
Contaminated or Damaged Reflectors : In most cases it has been observed that UV Reflectors are the most neglected part of a UV system. Users are generally not aware of the fact that a substrate will get 70% UV Light from reflectors itself and only 30% directly. A damaged or a contaminated reflector will adversely effect the curing of the substrate. It is advised to clean the reflectors using Isopropanol & Lint free cloth to keep them effective. If the reflector gets damaged or is highly contaminated beyond cleaning, they should immediately be changed with new ones.
Optimum UV Lamp Temperature : It is absolutely necessary to maintain proper temperature of UV Lamp in a UV system. The UV Lamp shoulder temperature should be maintained at 600 to 800 degree Celsius. There could be following two issues in a UV Cooling system that could lead to a reduction in a UV Lamp’s Life.
- Over heating of a UV Lamp can lead to Clouding or White Spots. This reduces the amount of UV Light passing through the Lamp and results in Bad Curing. If the UV system is overheated and you replace the Lamp, the same issue will crop up in the new Lamp also.
- Overheating can also result in Bowing / Bending or deformation of UV Lamps as shown below. It is highly recommended to rotate the UV Lamp by 180 degree every 15 days.
- Over Cooling of a UV Lamp will lead to a mirror coating effect at the Lamp ends. This is due to combination of tungsten from the electrode and mercury, condensing onto the inside of the lamp ends giving it a mirror coated effect. To avoid this make sure that the UV system is not producing too much Cool Air and it is getting evenly circulated along the Length of the Lamp.
Contaminated Air flow : If the UV System is Air Cooled and the Air being circulated to cool the Lamp is contaminated, this results in spot devitrification. Do make sure that the cooling system is clean and not contaminated with dust and other particles. The picture below shows the result of contaminated air being thrust upon UV Lamp through Reflector holes :
Electrical Specifications : Please make sure that the UV Lamp Electrical Specifications match perfectly to your Power Supply. As shown in below picture, if the UV Lamp is exposed to an over current, it could lead to Lamp Seal and Cap damage.
Avoid frequent Switching ON / OFF of Lamp : When you switch ON a UV Curing Lamp a high Current is supplied to ignite the Lamp. The Current will gradually decrease and become stable as per the specifications. If you are frequently switching the Lamp ON/OFF, you are exposing it to a high current every time. The best option is to keep the Lamp at stand by mode of 50% or Lower as provided by the Power Supply manufacturer. Switch off the Lamp only if you are not going to use it for a much longer duration. As shown below, frequent switching of a Lamp could lead to Black ends.
If you take care of the above points, it will certainly improve the life of your UV Curing Lamps and also the Curing. We at DR Optical Disc India Pvt. Ltd. along with our principals Alpha Cure of UK, are always dedicated to provide with the best quality Lamps. Also we intend on keeping our Customers well informed and educated regards UV Lamps, so that they can derive the best out of our UV Lamps.
For any further details please contact below :
Best Regards,
( Director )
DR Optical Disc India Pvt. Ltd.
“An ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company”
A-17, Ground Floor, Phase -II,
Mayapuri Industrial Area, New Delhi – 110064
Tel :- +91-11-41833602 / 03,
Cellphone :- +91 9818150020, +91 9717050020
With Inputs from www.alpha-cure.com
DRATHORE - BLOG 
Leave a comment