Finishing worked example

UV Dose and Cure Margin with measured irradiance at part of 2,100 mW / cm²: a worked example

What does the result look like when measured irradiance at part reaches 2,100 mW / cm²? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it for first-article setup, lamp-change checks, adhesive and coating validation, or any job where cure quality depends on dose at the part surface.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Measured irradiance at part: 2,100 mW / cm² (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 850)
  • Exposure time under UV: 1.8 sec (unchanged)
  • Material cure-dose target: 1,200 mJ / cm² (unchanged)
  • Effective lamp cure-zone length: 2 ft (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (UV dose (mJ/cm²) = measured irradiance (mW/cm²) × exposure time (sec)) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3,780 mJ / cm² for uv dose, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 315 % of target for dose margin.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.57 sec for required exposure.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 210 ft / min for max speed for target.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where measured irradiance at part sits at 850 mW / cm² and the headline result is 1,530 mJ / cm², this scenario comes in 147% above the baseline at 3,780 mJ / cm².
  • A figure at this level is achievable when measured irradiance at part is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. Dose assumes irradiance stays constant across the exposure and ignores spectral match — a UVA-heavy datasheet dose is not interchangeable with a UVC lamp reading, so always use a radiometer band that matches the datasheet.

Results at a glance

  • UV dose: 3,780 mJ / cm² (headline result)
  • Dose margin: 315 % of target
  • Required exposure: 0.57 sec
  • Max speed for target: 210 ft / min

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.