UV Curing worked example

UV Multi-Lamp Tunnel Total Dose with lamp station 1 dose contribution of 800 mJ / cm²: a worked example

Push lamp station 1 dose contribution up to 800 mJ / cm² and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. 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.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Lamp station 1 dose contribution: 800 mJ / cm² (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 320)
  • Lamp station 2 dose contribution: 340 mJ / cm² (unchanged)
  • Lamp station 3 dose contribution: 310 mJ / cm² (unchanged)
  • Lamp station 4 dose contribution: 300 mJ / cm² (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Total cumulative dose = sum of all lamp contributions (mJ/cm²)) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,750 mJ / cm² total dose for total cumulative dose, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 800 mJ / cm² for lamp 1.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 340 mJ / cm² for lamp 2.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 610 mJ / cm² total dose for element 3 + 4.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where lamp station 1 dose contribution sits at 320 mJ / cm² and the headline result is 1,270 mJ / cm² total dose, this scenario comes in 37.8% above the baseline at 1,750 mJ / cm² total dose.
  • It sums the individual UV dose contributions from up to four lamp stations to report the total cumulative dose delivered along the tunnel. 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

  • Total cumulative dose: 1,750 mJ / cm² total dose (headline result)
  • Lamp 1: 800 mJ / cm²
  • Lamp 2: 340 mJ / cm²
  • Element 3 + 4: 610 mJ / cm² total dose

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live UV Multi-Lamp Tunnel Total Dose calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.