Price: 10.00
Recent advancements in hardware and software have enabled a new UV process management methodology based upon the establishment of UV process windows. Process windows are a toleranced set of critical parameters which establish where one's UV process works best. Operating within the windows optimizes productivity and reduces waste. Jim Raymont, among others, presented the concept for establishing and maintaining UV process windows at the Coating 2001 Conference proceedings. The paper was later published in the May-June 02 RadTech 1 The paper reviewed what needs to be defined, documented and measured in order to establish the process windows and create performance logs. This article expands upon recent hardware and software advances that simplify the process of controlling UV processes within virtually any UV curing application. Three of the most important advancements that make this management method possible are the advancements in programmable logic controllers, UV measuring equipment and electronic ballast power supplies. Combining these hardware technologies enables the creation of a software system that automates and permanently documents the UV process production management outcome. This approach to process management represents a dramatic breakthrough from present methods. The current approach to management of the UV process is what Jim Raymont states is the "stumble" approach. When problems occur, personnel "stumble" around for days or weeks trying to get pack-up and running again. This is the result when the process conditions required to get the optimum
cure of the product were not clearly established in the first place mainly due to the absence of technology to observe and record parameters in real time. Now, it is possible, in fact it is beneficial to utilize the available technologies mentioned above and record the baseline data required to monitor the system on a continuous basis. Thus, REAL TIME data is available to operators and mangers alike in order to maintain consistent productivity, reduce scrap, and
reduce set-up time. This improves bottom line performance. Within this process control management philosophy are two major areas of information potential. First, the hardware and software enables data collection for such things as start cycles, full power hours, idle hours, total operating hours, average process speed, lamp performance, lamp characteristics, lamp history, etc. Second, is using the data to identify and diagnose problems so that optimum performance can be maintained. To this end the system may display such things as total power versus radiant power given that electronic ballasts can provide input data for power, voltage and current and UV measuring instruments can provide data concerning irradiant power ), effective UV energy (radiant energy density 2 or and even in multiple spectral bandwidths. PLC technology has advanced to the point where it is convenient to program control loops so that process elements such as web speed, fan drives and other process control systems can be married to the UV output using the ballast and lamp and UV measurement system software.
