In the 1970s, UV-curable products first appeared in the coatings world. Their initial presence was felt in the less-than-luxurious areas: sealers and primers. These products were designed to be workhorses that allowed for speed of application. However, as time passed, and the need for greater productivity became prevalent in other markets, the UV-curable product line raised its hand for investigation.
The late 1980s and early 1990s started to show a substantial increase in the desire for UV-curable coatings. Not only was it a matter of application speed but it also provided another option for ecologically beneficial coatings in addition to waterborne. Resin manufacturers really started to put a focus on high-quality resins for topcoat systems.