Two arc lamp configurations on the same UV curing conveyor can carry the same lamp model number and differ by a single letter. That letter decides whether the process gets UVC at all, and whether it gets double the UVA dose — two outcomes that are easy to confuse on a quote and costly to get wrong.
Q: What is the difference between x2AC and x2A arc lamp heads on a UV conveyor?
A: On Incure’s CDM™ conveyor, an x2AC configuration is one lamp assembly with a UVA tube and a UVC tube, giving broadband output. An x2A configuration is two UVA-only heads mounted in series, doubling UVA dose at the same belt speed with no UVC output. Pick x2AC if the adhesive’s qualification includes UVC; pick x2A for more UVA dose without UVC.
What Is Inside Each One
- x2AC (single assembly, broadband). One overhead unit holding one UVA tube and one UVC tube. On the F100x2AC, the UVA tube peaks at 365 nm and the UVC tube emits at 254 nm. The two tubes ship and replace together as one assembly.
- x2A (dual head, UVA only). Two UVA heads in series along the belt. Each part passes under both in one pass, accumulating dose from each. There is no UVC tube in the configuration.
Both are available for the F100, F200, F400, and F500 lamp heads.
The Dose Difference in Published Numbers
At every belt speed, the x2A delivers twice the UVA dose of the matching x2AC. Incure’s figures at 6 ft/min:
| Lamp | x2AC (mJ/cm² UVA) | x2A (mJ/cm² UVA) |
|---|---|---|
| F100 | 1,050 | 2,100 |
| F200 | 2,250 | 4,500 |
| F400 | 2,630 | 5,260 |
| F500 | 1,480 | 2,960 |
At the slowest 1.5 ft/min setting, the F200x2A reaches 18,000 mJ/cm² UVA against 9,000 for the F200x2AC, and the F400x2A reaches 21,000 against 10,500 for the F400x2AC.
The practical consequence is throughput: because dose halves when speed doubles, an x2A can run at roughly twice the belt speed of its x2AC counterpart for the same UVA dose target.
Why More Dose Does Not Make x2A a Substitute
It is tempting to read the table and conclude that x2A is simply the stronger option. It is not a substitute when the adhesive’s qualification specifies UVC exposure. A process validated under broadband mercury-arc cure needs the UVC component, and an x2A configuration has none. Incure states plainly that broadband qualification data does not transfer to the UVA-only configuration without re-validation, even when the UVA numbers look higher.
The reverse also applies. A process qualified as UVA-only does not need the UVC tube, and running it on x2AC leaves half the available dose on the table.
Email Us if you are unsure whether your adhesive’s qualification includes UVC; Incure can help read the requirement before you specify a head.
Facility Implications
Choosing x2A removes the UVC part of the handling requirement — no UVC-rated exhaust ventilation or UVC-specific protection beyond standard UV practice. That makes x2A attractive where a facility has not installed UVC ventilation. Both configurations still need forced-air cooling and exhaust ventilation like every arc head on the CDM™, and the x2A’s second head adds thermal load that the ventilation must handle.
Maintenance Differences
- x2AC: one assembly, one replacement. Plan at the 1,000-hour rating or when measured intensity falls below process minimum.
- x2A: two heads, both replaced on the same cycle. A fresh head next to a worn one leaves the two exposure zones mismatched.
Arc heads are rated past 1,000 hours with up to 45% intensity decay, so a radiometer check after each replacement belongs in the procedure for both.
Width and Height Do Not Change
Adding the second head increases dose, not footprint. The F100 and F200 configurations allow up to 8 inches of part width in both forms; the F400 and F500 allow up to 5 inches, with a 3.0–6.5 inch curing height, on either the standard CDM™ or the CDM™ Compact. None of the arc configurations has an external PLC or RS-232 port, so belt speed remains the only process control in both forms.
Upgrading Between Them
Because both forms share the same chassis, moving between them is a lamp-head change rather than a new conveyor. Incure describes a common path: start with an x2AC for a new process with uncertain requirements, then add dose later if production data shows it is needed — keeping in mind that moving from x2AC to x2A also removes UVC, so it is only an upgrade for UVA-qualified processes.
Selection Summary
- Does the qualification include UVC? Yes: x2AC.
- UVA-only qualification and dose is short at target speed: x2A.
- UVA-only and dose is sufficient: either; x2AC offers no UVC benefit here, x2A offers speed headroom.
- No UVC ventilation in the facility: x2A or an LED head.
For more on conveyor curing in general, see the curing conveyor industrial guide; the CDM™ lamp-head category guide places this choice alongside the LED options, and the Incure F-Series™ flood lamp guide covers the arc lamps themselves.
Contact Our Team to confirm the right arc configuration for your conveyor.
Visit www.incurelab.com for more information.