UV Curing worked example

UV Shielding & Guarding Coverage at 92% guard coverage efficiency after overlap and cutouts: a worked example

Push guard coverage efficiency after overlap and cutouts up to 92% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it during cell design or safety retrofits when bidding out UV curtains, side panels, or a tunnel enclosure for an open conveyor cure cell.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Open UV emission face area to enclose: 12 ft² (unchanged)
  • Number of operator-exposed sides: 3 sides (unchanged)
  • Guard coverage efficiency after overlap and cutouts: 92 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 80)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Theoretical shield area = open face area × exposed sides) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 39.13 ft² guard area for required quantity, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 36 ft² guard area for theoretical amount.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3.13 ft² guard area for loss allowance.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 92 % for coverage efficiency.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where guard coverage efficiency after overlap and cutouts sits at 80% and the headline result is 45 ft² guard area, this scenario comes in 13.04% below the baseline at 39.13 ft² guard area.
  • It computes the total guard area required to shield a UV source by multiplying the open emission face area by the number of exposed sides, then dividing by the achievable coverage efficiency. 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

  • Required quantity: 39.13 ft² guard area (headline result)
  • Theoretical amount: 36 ft² guard area
  • Loss allowance: 3.13 ft² guard area
  • Coverage efficiency: 92 %

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live UV Shielding & Guarding Coverage calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.