Paul Mills is an industry consultant working primarily in new coatings technologies, including UV cure and antimicrobial coatings. He consults to a number of coating and equipment suppliers and is president of UV Robotics, a company specializing in robotic UV curing of complex and large parts. Paul is a board member of RadTech and is a frequent contributor to Finishing Today. He can be reached at pmillsoh@aol.com.
It seems like each time the window has opened wide for UV, it has closed
just as quickly, as some competing technology has slithered in to fill the
void.
From tier-one automotive to appliances, giant chunks of manufacturing are disappearing in the U.S. Once again, as industries embrace UV technology, the technology is threatened. Is there anything we can do about it?
It seems like each time the window has opened wide for UV, it has closed just as quickly, as some competing technology has slithered in to fill the void. UV powder was supplanted by thermoset powder while the laminate suppliers developed new, lower priced materials to hold on to their turf. And as composite manufacturers turned to UV when they could no longer spray their styrene laden resins, those same suppliers came up with non-styrene versions before the UV guys could get out of the blocks.
