UV Curing worked example

UV Cure Area Energy at 98% optical coverage efficiency: a worked example

Push optical coverage efficiency up to 98% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it when scaling from lab coupons to production parts, comparing flood-cure area coverage, or estimating the total energy demand of a large coated surface.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Cured surface area per pass: 500 cm² (unchanged)
  • Target UV dose for full cure: 1,200 mJ / cm² (unchanged)
  • Optical coverage efficiency: 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Theoretical energy (mJ) = cure area × dose target) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 612,245 mJ total UV energy for required quantity, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 600,000 mJ for theoretical energy at 100% coverage.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 12,245 mJ for energy allowance for coverage loss.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 98 % for optical coverage efficiency.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where optical coverage efficiency sits at 85% and the headline result is 705,882 mJ total UV energy, this scenario comes in 13.27% below the baseline at 612,245 mJ total UV energy.
  • It computes the total delivered UV energy in millijoules required to hit a target dose over a defined cure area, adjusted for optical coverage losses. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Required quantity: 612,245 mJ total UV energy (headline result)
  • Theoretical energy at 100% coverage: 600,000 mJ
  • Energy allowance for coverage loss: 12,245 mJ
  • Optical coverage efficiency: 98 %

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live UV Cure Area Energy calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.