How do you calculate total UV dose in a multi-lamp tunnel?

Add the dose each lamp deposits as the part passes under it. With lamps delivering 320, 340, 310, and 300 mJ/cm², the total cumulative dose is 1,270 mJ/cm².

Why sum per-lamp doses instead of just reading total?

A puck radiometer gives you the sum automatically, but breaking it out per lamp shows which lamp is weak or aging. In the default, lamps 3 and 4 together contribute 610 mJ/cm² — if one drops, the sum tells you how much cure headroom you lose.

Is more total dose always better?

No. Beyond the chemistry's cure point, extra dose wastes lamp life and energy and can over-cure — yellowing, embrittlement, or adhesion loss. Match total dose to the datasheet requirement plus a margin, not the maximum.

Total dose vs peak irradiance — which matters?

Both. Dose (mJ/cm²) drives depth of cure and conversion; peak irradiance (W/cm²) drives surface cure and initiation. A part can hit total dose yet stay tacky if peak intensity is too low — this tool covers only the dose sum.

How do I know if 1,270 mJ/cm² is enough?

Compare it to the coating or adhesive datasheet's specified cure dose, then keep a margin for lamp aging. Use a UV Dose Margin calculation against the required dose to confirm headroom.

What if my tunnel has fewer than four lamps?

Enter 0 for the unused stations. The tool simply sums whatever you enter, so a two-lamp tunnel just uses stations 1 and 2.

UV Curing calculator

UV Multi-Lamp Dose Calculator

UV multi-lamp tunnel total dose adds up the per-lamp energy density each station delivers as a part travels a conveyorized curing tunnel, giving the cumulative dose in mJ/cm² the coating or adhesive actually receives. Process engineers and coating chemists use it to confirm a part hits its chemistry's minimum cure dose across a multi-lamp bank, and to see how much each lamp is really contributing. It matters because cure is cumulative: a single weak lamp or one that's dropped off with age can leave the part short of full cure even when the others look fine. Summing measured per-lamp doses turns a radiometer pass into an auditable number.

What this calculator does

Sum the per-pass dose contribution from each lamp in a multi-lamp UV tunnel to confirm the part hits its total cure dose target.
Use it on multi-lamp tunnels (typical on UV web presses, conveyor coaters, large-area assemblies) to confirm the cumulative dose meets target after a lamp swap, intensity decay, or one lamp dropping out.
It sums the individual UV dose contributions from up to four lamp stations to report the total cumulative dose delivered along the tunnel.

Formula used

Total cumulative dose = sum of all lamp contributions (mJ/cm²)
Compare against the chemistry's required dose with UV Dose Margin.

Inputs explained

Lamp station 1 dose contribution:
Lamp station 2 dose contribution:
Lamp station 3 dose contribution:
Lamp station 4 dose contribution:

How to use the result

Use it after a radiometer profiling run to total per-lamp doses, or during tunnel design to check whether a lamp count and spacing will reach the required cure dose.
It sums energy density only; it does not account for peak irradiance thresholds, spectral match to the photoinitiator, or dose delivered outside the measured band — high total dose can still under-cure if peak intensity or wavelength is wrong.

Common questions

How do you calculate total UV dose in a multi-lamp tunnel? Add the dose each lamp deposits as the part passes under it. With lamps delivering 320, 340, 310, and 300 mJ/cm², the total cumulative dose is 1,270 mJ/cm².
Why sum per-lamp doses instead of just reading total? A puck radiometer gives you the sum automatically, but breaking it out per lamp shows which lamp is weak or aging. In the default, lamps 3 and 4 together contribute 610 mJ/cm² — if one drops, the sum tells you how much cure headroom you lose.
Is more total dose always better? No. Beyond the chemistry's cure point, extra dose wastes lamp life and energy and can over-cure — yellowing, embrittlement, or adhesion loss. Match total dose to the datasheet requirement plus a margin, not the maximum.
Total dose vs peak irradiance — which matters? Both. Dose (mJ/cm²) drives depth of cure and conversion; peak irradiance (W/cm²) drives surface cure and initiation. A part can hit total dose yet stay tacky if peak intensity is too low — this tool covers only the dose sum.
How do I know if 1,270 mJ/cm² is enough? Compare it to the coating or adhesive datasheet's specified cure dose, then keep a margin for lamp aging. Use a UV Dose Margin calculation against the required dose to confirm headroom.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.