UV Curing worked example

UV Conveyor Belt Speed with required dose of 400 mJ / cm²: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop required dose to 400 mJ / cm², then walk the calculation through step by step. Set conveyor belt speed (fpm) so parts spend long enough under the UV lamp to hit a target dose at a known irradiance.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Required dose: 400 mJ / cm² (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 800)
  • Lamp cure-zone length: 10 in (held at the documented default)
  • Measured irradiance at belt: 1,200 mW / cm² (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Required dwell (sec) = required dose ÷ measured irradiance.
  • Belt speed setpoint works out to 150 ft / min at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Required dwell under lamp works out to 0.33 sec at these inputs.
  • Lamp cure-zone length works out to 10 in at these inputs.
  • Measured irradiance works out to 1,200 mW / cm² at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where required dose sits at 800 mJ / cm² and the headline result is 75 ft / min, this scenario comes in 100% above the baseline at 150 ft / min.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to required dose, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes a single uniform irradiance value across the cure zone and a flat part at belt height; it ignores spectral match (UVA/UVB/UVC weighting), reflector focus, part topography, and lamp warm-up, all of which change the real dose a 3D part receives.

Results at a glance

  • Belt speed setpoint: 150 ft / min (headline result)
  • Required dwell under lamp: 0.33 sec
  • Lamp cure-zone length: 10 in
  • Measured irradiance: 1,200 mW / cm²

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live UV Conveyor Belt Speed calculator, set required dose to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.