UV Curing worked example

UV Dose Margin at 14% minimum acceptable process margin: a worked example

This worked example runs the uv dose margin numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 14% minimum acceptable process margin instead of the typical 20%. Compare a measured UV dose against the chemistry's required dose and see how much headroom (or shortfall) you have before lamp drift puts you under-cure.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Required cure dose from datasheet: 1,200 mJ / cm² (held at the documented default)
  • Measured dose at part surface: 1,560 mJ / cm² (held at the documented default)
  • Minimum acceptable process margin: 14 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 20)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Margin (%) = (measured dose ÷ required dose) − 100%.
  • Dose margin works out to 76.92 % of target at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Headroom vs minimum margin works out to -62.92 points at these inputs.
  • Required dose works out to 1,200 mJ / cm² at these inputs.
  • Measured dose works out to 1,560 mJ / cm² at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where minimum acceptable process margin sits at 20% and the headline result is 76.92 % of target, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 76.92 % of target.
  • Use it during routine radiometer checks and lamp-aging audits to decide whether the line still cures safely or needs a lamp swap. 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

  • Dose margin: 76.92 % of target (headline result)
  • Headroom vs minimum margin: -62.92 points
  • Required dose: 1,200 mJ / cm²
  • Measured dose: 1,560 mJ / cm²

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live UV Dose Margin calculator, set minimum acceptable process margin to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.