Two UV curing conveyor systems can carry spec sheets that look almost interchangeable, then cure the same part very differently. The difference is usually printed right there on the sheet, in a qualifier — a wavelength, a distance, a belt speed — that was skipped on the first read.

Q: How do you read a UV curing conveyor spec sheet correctly?

A: Never read a number without its conditions — wavelength, working distance, and belt speed travel with every figure

A conveyor spec sheet is a set of measurements taken under stated conditions. Irradiance means little without the wavelength and working distance it was measured at; dose means little without the belt speed; part width means little without the lamp head it applies to. The seven lines below are the ones most often compared out of context, illustrated with figures from the Incure CDM™ platform.

Line 1: Peak Intensity (mW/cm²)

What it tells you: how strong the light is at one point, at a stated distance and wavelength.
The trap: comparing intensities across wavelengths or heads as if they were one scale. The CDM™ L88 flood head lists 1,900 mW/cm² at 385/395/405 nm but 1,600 mW/cm² at 365 nm. The M51 focused-beam head runs the other way — 6,150 mW/cm² at 365 nm and 5,100 at the longer wavelengths. The relevant figure is the one at the wavelength your adhesive absorbs.

Line 2: Curing Energy or Dose (mJ/cm²)

What it tells you: the total energy a point on the part receives in one pass.
The trap: reading a dose without its belt speed. The L64 lists 4,750 to 38,000 mJ/cm² UVA — the low figure at 12 ft/min and the high at 1.5 ft/min, an eightfold spread that matches the eightfold speed range. Also note that these curing-energy figures are estimates from the measured irradiance profile, the illuminated length, and belt speed; actual dose varies with working distance, part height, reflectivity, and measurement method.

Line 3: Intensity Versus Dose Together

The trap: assuming the higher-intensity head also delivers more energy. The F500x2AC lists 590 mW/cm² against 490 for the F400x2AC, yet at 6 ft/min it delivers 1,480 mJ/cm² UVA against 2,630, because its aperture is shorter along the belt. Read both lines and match them to whether your adhesive is limited by a minimum irradiance or by total dose.

Email Us with the two spec sheets you are comparing and Incure can help line up the figures under matching conditions.

Line 4: Maximum Part Width

What it tells you: the widest part the head cures fully across.
The trap: confusing it with belt width. Every CDM™ configuration runs a 9-inch belt, but maximum part width ranges from 1 inch on the M51 to 8 inches on the L88, F100, and F200, and 5 inches on F400/F500. The belt can carry wider parts than the lamp can cure.

Line 5: Curing Height

What it tells you: the adjustable lamp-to-part range.
The trap: assuming every head works at every height. LED heads adjust 0.5–2.0 inches; F400/F500 heads adjust 3.0–6.5 inches. Published LED intensities are stated at 2 inches, so a process run at a different distance needs its own measurement.

Line 6: Uniformity

What it tells you: how evenly the head irradiates its zone, as a ratio.
The trap: comparing a dynamic figure with a static one. Dynamic uniformity is measured with the belt moving and is the one that reflects how parts actually cure. The F100/F200/F400 arc heads list 0.82 dynamic and 0.75 static at 2.0 inches; the F500 lists 0.81 and 0.74; the L88 lists 0.89 dynamic at 2 inches.

Line 7: Lamp Life

What it tells you: rated hours and the intensity loss expected over them.
The trap: reading hours without the decay percentage. LED heads are rated beyond 20,000 hours with 20% or less decay; arc heads beyond 1,000 hours with up to 45% decay. A process qualified at new-lamp output needs margin for the end-of-life value, not just the starting one.

Lines That Are Easy to Overlook

• Control interface: PLC, RS-232, and foot switch on LED heads; none on arc heads.
• Configuration suffix: x2AC includes a 254 nm UVC tube; x2A is two UVA-only heads.
• Belt material: polypropylene (standard CDM™) or stainless-steel wire (CDM™ Compact).
• Power: auto-ranging 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz, with forced-air cooling.

A Reading Habit That Prevents Mistakes

Before comparing any two figures, write the conditions next to each: wavelength, distance, belt speed, static or dynamic. If the conditions differ, the comparison is not yet valid. The full configuration data is in the Incure CDM™ UV conveyor guide, the family-level decision is in the guide to choosing a CDM™ lamp-head category, and the broader overview is in the curing conveyor industrial guide.

Contact Our Team for help interpreting a UV curing conveyor specification.

Visit www.incurelab.com for more information.