The use of gas catalytic, UV and combination IR/convection ovens, as well as IR boosters, is growing. The growth of UV-cure powder coatings for MDF has been hampered by the sluggish economy.
Thermal reaction of a coating provides superior performance and predictable drying times. Convection heating has long been the benchmark for curing most coatings, providing a fairly wide process window and predictable results across a broad range of operating conditions (time, temperature, mass, etc.) While convection ovens are still widely used and have broad acceptance in the marketplace, there are some new ideas and some old ideas being used with greater frequency.