Though the ultraviolet (UV) market has been growing at double-digit
rates over the past decade or so, there has been much speculation
as to how effectively the technology has penetrated the industrial
finishing market. While many finishers have acknowledged that UV
coating technology offers considerable benefits—it is widely regarded
as being both environmentally friendly and efficient—others have
been more cautious, due primarily to their unfamiliarity of the
technology.
In an attempt to gauge the acceptance of UV coatings in the industrial
finishing market, Products Finishing magazine recently conducted
an online survey on the topic. This article will attempt to analyze
the results of the survey and provide some direction as to the role
of UV technology in the industrial finishing industry in the next
few years.
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Figure 1: Will your
job shop/plant invest in capital equipment in 2004?
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Figure 2: Have you ever
considered investing in UV coating technology?
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The Respondents
Job Titles. Conducted online between January 1 and
February 15, 2004, the survey received 137 responses. Survey respondents
qualified themselves as either owners/managers (24.58%), engineers
(29.66%) or chemists (19.49%). The remaining responses came from
shop floor workers, consultants and other types of job shop personnel.
Operations Performed. Operations performed by those surveyed
also varied dramatically. Forty-two percent of respondents are currently
working with liquid spray coatings, while 29% are powder coating.
Fourteen percent of respondents are running an e-coat line and 26%
of respondents are plating or anodizing. Twenty-three percent of
the respondents indicated that they were performing a finishing
operation other than plating, painting or powder coating. (Many
of those surveyed performed more than one finishing process.)
Substrates. About two-thirds of the respondents said that
they are involved in metal finishing, while 35% of the participants
indicated that they performed finishing operations on plastics.
Other substrates included hardwood, medium density fiberboard (MDF)
and other materials. Some finishers perform coating operations on
more than one substrate.
Capital Investment Outlook. Of the respondents, approximately
62% said they expect to make some kind of investment in capital
equipment (excluding replacement parts and used equipment) in 2004
(see Figure 1).
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Figure 3: Will your
shop/plant invest in UV coating technology in the next five
years?
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The Results
Approximately 27% of the survey respondents indicated that
they are currently using ultraviolet coating technology—in some
incarnation—in their facilities. Among those not currently using
UV technology, the results were almost evenly split between those
who have and have not considered investing in the technology in
the past. Approximately 39% responded to the question in the affirmative,
while almost 34% of respondents indicated that they had not previously
considered investing in UV technology (see Figure 2).
Although just under 40% of respondents indicated that they had
previously considered investing in UV technology, a majority of
survey participants said that they would “definitely” or “probably”
consider making an investment in UV technology within the next five
years (Figure 3).
About a third of those surveyed said they would “probably not”
consider investing. Impressively, just seven percent of participants
indicated that they definitely would not make an investment in UV
within the next five years—an indication that UV technology is possibly
earning greater acceptance among prospective users. Gary Cohen,
executive director of RadTech International North America, says
he’s pleased—but not altogether surprised—by the positive results.
“A few years ago, a lot of finishers looked at UV and determined
that it hadn’t matured enough. But in the time between then and
now, a lot of research and development has gone into making the
technology more viable. These days, we’re seeing it used in more
facilities with some great operational benefits.”
Of those respondents who said they would not invest in UV technology
within the next five years, the rationale for not investing had
a tendency to fall into one of two major categories. Thirty-two
percent of respondents said that they simply did not know enough
about the technology to merit an investment, while 30% indicated
that the costs associated with introducing UV technology into their
facility were prohibitive. Just under 10% of participants said that
they did not feel that UV technology was on par with the existing
technologies they employed in their facilities. Some responded that
their parts were too large or too complex for UV technology while
others said that they simply wouldn’t use the technology enough
to warrant an investment.
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Figure 4: Which substrate
holds the most potential for growth of UV coating technology?
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According to Mr. Cohen, the stigma associated with the cost of
introducing UV—or any new technology for that matter—is something
that many finishers can overcome with big picture thinking. “The
thing you have to look at is the total cost of using UV,” he said.
“A lot of finishers look at the surface of the issue and see higher
material costs and the need to introduce new equipment into their
shop. But the reality is that once you factor in the long-term energy
savings, UV technology becomes a lot more appealing in the eyes
of many.” Mr. Cohen also said that equipment costs are less of a
concern than they used to be. “In the past, equipment has been very
costly, but it has come down considerably,” he said. “There are
more suppliers now building equipment for the UV finishing market.
Consequently, we’re seeing better equipment offered at a lower cost.”
Examining UV’s Potential
In terms of UV’s potential with regard to specific substrates,
41% of the respondents said that plastic held the highest potential
for growth of UV coating technology. Metals were a close second,
coming in at 36%. The relatively poor showing of UV-friendly substrates
like MDF (11%) and hardwood (6%) might be attributed to the fact
that incredible potential in these areas has already been realized
(see Figure 4).
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Meet Our Winner!
Randy Tucker,
a Process Engineer with Flex-N-Gate in Ada, Oklahoma was selected
as the winner of the Products Finishing “UV Awareness Survey.”
He is currently working with UV technology in a research and
development capacity. As the winner of the survey, Mr. Tucker
will receive a Panasonic DVD player and the “Adventures of
Indiana Jones” DVD box set. Asked for his opinion about the
future of UV technology in the finishing industry, Mr. Tucker
said “I think it’s going to be a huge market.” Products Finishing
magazine thanks all of the survey participants.
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Asked to identify the single-greatest benefit of UV coating technology,
most participants (40%) cited the speed of the process. Although
UV coatings are applied in very much the same way that conventional
coatings are applied, curing, which is achieved when UV energy striking
the surface causes the photoinitiator to trigger the polymerization
reaction in the paint, is almost instantaneous.
Performance (23%) and energy savings (18%) are also perceived as
key benefits of UV technology. Though the introduction of UV technology
into a facility often requires some kind of capital investment,
the long-term energy savings associated with UV curing typically
justify the initial expense. Eleven percent of respondents pointed
to the environmental benefits of UV technology, while three percent
suggested that appearance was a major benefit (see Figure 5).
One of the most promising signs for the UV industry is that ultraviolet
coating technology appears to be permeating the finishing industry’s
stream of consciousness in rather exceptional fashion. When asked
to cite sources from which they had heard about UV technology, almost
three-quarters of the respondents indicated that they had heard
about UV technology from multiple sources. Key sources include trade
publications (67%), the Internet (42%), interaction with suppliers
(43%) and trade shows or technical conferences (40%). One-third
of the survey participants indicated that the topic of UV technology
had come up in discussions with other finishers.
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Figure 5: Based on your
knowledge of UV coating technology, what is the greatest benefit
in your opinion?
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Summary
When compared to its status a few years ago, it is evident
that the acceptance of UV technology among finishers has grown dramatically.
While little more than a quarter of our survey respondents said
that they were currently using the technology, more than 60% of
the participants said they would at least consider making an investment
in UV technology within the next five years.
Based on the survey results, it’s clear that UV curable coatings
are being viewed by an increasingly large number of finishers as
a viable, cost-effective technology. Not too shabby for a segment
of the industry that didn’t exist 20 years ago.
