UV Curing worked example

UV Cure Area Energy at 61% optical coverage efficiency: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop optical coverage efficiency to 61%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Convert UV dose and cured area into total UV energy delivered to a coating, ink film, adhesive pattern, or resin surface.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Cured surface area per pass: 500 cm² (held at the documented default)
  • Target UV dose for full cure: 1,200 mJ / cm² (held at the documented default)
  • Optical coverage efficiency: 61 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 85)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Theoretical energy (mJ) = cure area × dose target.
  • Required quantity works out to 983,607 mJ total UV energy at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Theoretical energy at 100% coverage works out to 600,000 mJ at these inputs.
  • Energy allowance for coverage loss works out to 383,607 mJ at these inputs.
  • Optical coverage efficiency works out to 61 % at these inputs.

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 39.34% above the baseline at 983,607 mJ total UV energy.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to optical coverage efficiency, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes uniform dose across the whole area and a single efficiency figure; it does not account for shadowing on 3D geometry, spectral mismatch between lamp and photoinitiator, or oxygen inhibition at the surface.

Results at a glance

  • Required quantity: 983,607 mJ total UV energy (headline result)
  • Theoretical energy at 100% coverage: 600,000 mJ
  • Energy allowance for coverage loss: 383,607 mJ
  • Optical coverage efficiency: 61 %

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live UV Cure Area Energy calculator, set optical coverage efficiency to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.