UV Curing worked example

UV Adhesive Bond Cure Time at 22% depth-of-cure and process safety margin: a worked example

This worked example runs the uv adhesive bond cure time numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 22% depth-of-cure and process safety margin instead of the typical 30%. Estimate cure time for a UV adhesive bondline at a given irradiance - including the depth-of-cure penalty for thick or pigmented beads.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Bondline dose target: 3,000 mJ / cm² (held at the documented default)
  • Measured irradiance at the joint: 300 mW / cm² (held at the documented default)
  • Depth-of-cure / process safety margin: 22 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 30)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Base cure time (sec) = bondline dose target ÷ irradiance at joint.
  • Recommended bond cure time works out to 12.2 sec to bond cure at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Base cure time works out to 10 sec to bond cure at these inputs.
  • Depth-of-cure margin applied works out to 22 % at these inputs.
  • Irradiance at joint works out to 300 mW / cm² at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where depth-of-cure and process safety margin sits at 30% and the headline result is 13 sec to bond cure, this scenario comes in 6.15% below the baseline at 12.2 sec to bond cure.
  • Use it when setting a new cure-station timer, qualifying a new adhesive, or after any change to lamp distance, power or the adhesive's opacity. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Recommended bond cure time: 12.2 sec to bond cure (headline result)
  • Base cure time: 10 sec to bond cure
  • Depth-of-cure margin applied: 22 %
  • Irradiance at joint: 300 mW / cm²

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live UV Adhesive Bond Cure Time calculator, set depth-of-cure and process safety margin to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.