UV Curing calculator

UV Shielding Coverage Calculator

Open conveyor UV cells are the most common source of stray UV in a plant — tops, sides, and entry / exit openings all leak. This calculator sizes the total guard area needed (UV-blocking curtain, light-tight panels, or tunnel enclosure) from the open lamp-face dimensions, the number of exposed sides, and a coverage allowance for overlap and seal area. Use the output as a quoting basis when sourcing curtains or shielding panels.

What this calculator does

  • Estimate total guard / curtain / enclosure area needed to contain stray UV from a cure station, given the open-face area, number of sides, and a coverage allowance.
  • 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.
  • Estimates the total ft² of UV-blocking shielding (curtain, panel, enclosure) needed to contain stray UV from a cure cell.

Formula used

  • Theoretical shield area = open face area × exposed sides
  • Total shielding required = theoretical area ÷ coverage efficiency

Inputs explained

  • Open face area to shield: Total open footprint of the cure zone (length × width); add entry / exit openings if not in tunnel.
  • Number of exposed sides: 1 = top only (rare), 3 = top + two sides, 5 = top + sides + ends (full enclosure minus belt).
  • Coverage efficiency: % of shielding that is effective after overlap, seams, and seal area; 75–85% typical.

How to use the result

  • Use it for bid sizing on UV curtains and panels, during cell layout for a new station, and on safety retrofits driven by an industrial-hygiene assessment.
  • Sizes area, not material. Match curtain / panel material to the lamp band (mercury needs UV-C-rated material; UV-A LED can use simpler UV-A polycarbonate). For complex 3D enclosures, take CAD measurements rather than rectangular open-face footprint.

Common questions

  • What's a typical coverage efficiency to use? 75–85% for curtain assemblies (overlap at every panel join eats material). 90% for hard panels with engineered gaskets. Drop to 60% if the application has lots of access openings (operator reach-in zones, vacuum / air ports, sensor cutouts) — each one needs its own micro-shielding.
  • What material blocks UV? For UV-C / mercury arc: black PVC-coated polyester curtains rated for UV blocking, opaque painted steel panels, or UV-rated polycarbonate sheet. For UV-A LED: standard polycarbonate or acrylic blocks UV-A well. Verify the material's transmission spec at the wavelength your system emits — clear polycarbonate transmits UV-A poorly but UV-C very poorly.
  • Do I need to enclose the belt entry / exit? Yes, with light-trap baffles. Open entry / exit on a conveyor cell is the most common stray-UV failure path. Use overlapping curtain strips with at least 2× the height of the part stack, or add a baffled tunnel that the part snakes through.
  • How does this relate to UV Safety Exposure? Use UV Safety Exposure to confirm the operator-position irradiance is below the ACGIH TLV after shielding is in place. This calculator sizes the shielding; the safety calc validates the design works.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.