Most UV conveyor problems on a new line are layout problems wearing a chemistry costume. Parts arrive too far apart or too close together, wait too long between dispense and cure, or reach the lamp at the wrong height — all decided on the floor plan before the lamp is switched on.
Q: Where should a UV conveyor sit relative to the dispensing station?
A: Directly downstream, with belt pitch and speed set by the dispenser’s cycle
The UV conveyor should receive parts straight from the dispensing station with as little handling and waiting in between as the process allows, because uncured adhesive can still flow, wick, or pick up contamination. Its belt speed then has two jobs at once: carry parts away at the rate the dispenser produces them, and deliver the dose the adhesive needs. Laying out the station well means making those two numbers agree.
Step 1: Turn the Dispenser’s Cycle Into a Belt Speed
Start from the upstream cycle time and the spacing you want between parts on the belt (the pitch). The belt must advance one pitch per cycle.
Consider a hypothetical cell where the dispenser completes one part every 12 seconds and parts sit 8 inches apart on the belt. The belt must move 8 inches every 12 seconds: 8 ÷ 12 = 0.667 in/s, or 40 in/min, which is 3.33 ft/min. That falls inside the Incure CDM™ range of 1.5 to 12.0 ft/min, so the conveyor can keep pace.
Step 2: Check That Speed Against the Dose
Now confirm the lamp head delivers enough energy at that speed. Dose scales inversely with belt speed, so it can be worked out from a published point. The CDM™ L88 flood head delivers 6,325 mJ/cm² UVA at 12 ft/min; at the hypothetical 3.33 ft/min it delivers about 6,325 × 12 ÷ 3.33 ≈ 22,800 mJ/cm². If the adhesive needs far less, the pitch could be widened or the belt run faster with a buffer; if it needs more, the line needs a slower pace or a higher-dose head. The point is to settle this on paper, before the conveyor is bolted down.
Step 3: Size the Floor Space
The standard CDM™ chassis measures 137 × 36 × 41 cm; the CDM™ Compact measures 76 × 37 × 34 cm and weighs 15.9 kg, light enough for a two-person lift when layouts change. Allow clear space at both ends for transfer — the infeed from the dispenser and the outfeed to inspection or the next operation — plus access to the lamp head for radiometer checks and maintenance. Belt width is 9 inches on both chassis, so part orientation at the dispenser should already fit inside the chosen head’s maximum part width, from 1 inch on the M51 to 8 inches on the L88.
Email Us with your dispenser cycle time, part pitch, and part width and Incure can check whether the speed and dose line up before you finalize the layout.
Step 4: Plan the Handshake Between Stations
How the two stations talk to each other depends on the lamp family:
- UV LED heads (L64, L88, M51, M62) accept PLC, RS-232, and foot-switch signals with timer or continuous modes. The dispenser’s controller can tell the conveyor when a part is coming, and the lamp can run only when needed.
- Mercury-arc heads (F100–F500) have no external control port; belt speed is the only control, so the lamp runs continuously and the layout must tolerate that.
If the cell is meant to be fully automated, settle the lamp family early, because an arc head cannot be retrofitted with the LED control interface.
Step 5: Leave Room for Utilities and Shielding
Arc configurations need forced-air cooling and exhaust ventilation, so the layout must route ducting from the lamp head without crossing walkways. Every configuration runs on auto-ranging 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz power. Position the infeed and outfeed so operators are not standing in line with the lamp opening, and plan eye protection rated for the source in use. If a separate bench chamber is still needed for rework or sample curing, an Incure B/C-Series™ cure chamber can sit beside the line without occupying the conveyor.
A Layout Checklist
- Dispenser cycle time and target part pitch recorded.
- Belt speed calculated and confirmed inside 1.5–12.0 ft/min.
- Dose at that speed checked against the adhesive data sheet, with margin.
- Part width checked against the head’s maximum width.
- Control handshake chosen (LED interlock or arc continuous running).
- Ducting, power, transfer space, and operator position drawn on the plan.
The configurations behind these numbers are listed in the Incure CDM™ UV conveyor guide, and the broader case for conveyorized curing is in the curing conveyor industrial guide.
Contact Our Team to review a proposed UV conveyor layout for your line.
Visit www.incurelab.com for more information.