LightSources and LightTech’s low pressure UV lamps are used in worldwide applications for curing adhesives and resins, as well as inks in high-quality magazines and newspapers. Low pressure UV curing systems produce no hazardous byproducts and have a lower operating cost than heat-based curing systems.
For many years, only high pressure UV curing at the UVA wavelength was available. In the last few years, however, low pressure UV curing, using a wavelength of 254nm, has been increasingly used to cure inks, coatings, lacquers, and resins.
Because low pressure lamps can operate with much less power than medium pressure lamps, they are perfect for applications that require dimming. Both low pressure mercury lamps and amalgam lamps produce UVC; however, there is a growing trend for amalgam lamps for the efficient drying of inks and adhesives with a cationic base.
Before amalgam lamps, low pressure UV curing lamps produced outputs only up to 150 watts. Using more current would cause the lamp to overheat, and the output would drop off. An amalgam lamp can produce an output of 300 to 1000 watts, one-third of which is usable UVC energy. Amalgam lamps offer the ability to downsize the system while maintaining maximum efficiency for UV curing.
Our Proprietary Pellet Amalgam Technology
Long known for innovation, Light Sources and LightTech takes great pride in pioneering pellet technology for amalgam lamps. This cutting edge technology was developed and patented by both Light Sources in the United States and by LightTech in Europe.
The major benefit of pellet amalgam technology compared to spot amalgam technology is that pellet amalgam lamps can not only be operated to produce higher UVC intensity, but they provide higher UVC output at 80% and 60% dimming operation modes. This difference allows for increased output with reduced costs.
Other benefits of our pellet amalgam technology include greater efficiency in any mounting orientation (horizontal or vertical) and operation in more extreme ambient environments.