Five things you can do to help your UV curing lamps last longer

As the economy continues to remain under inflationary pressure and businesses look to ensure they are operating as efficiently as possible, we thought it would be a good idea to update a previous blog that looked at how you can get the most life out of your UV curing lamps.

Everyone runs their systems and lamps to their own needs and specifications but by following a few easy and simple tips you may be able to extend the life of your lamp well beyond the usual expectations.

Alpha-Cure has always been associated with quality and reliability, producing tens of thousands of UV curing lamps every year for our customers. Our UV lamps generally have a warranted life of 1,000 hours, but this can easily be extended provided the lamp is run in accordance with our guidelines and conditions. In fact, Alpha-Cure regularly hears from customers who report that their lamps are still curing at 4,000 hours, thanks to the environment they are operated in and adherence to a stringent cleaning and maintenance programme.

Hints and Tips

Alpha-Cure’s technical team support customers and distributors around the world with troubleshooting and technical advice, and here they share their best practice for handling, cleaning and replacing UV lamps.

•  Always wear latex gloves when unpacking and then handling a UV lamp, as any residue and oil from your fingertips will contaminate the surface of the lamp and cause issues once it is ignited.
• Before placing the lamp into the UV system, ensure you clean the lamp body with isopropanol-based wipes.
• For longer lamps, rotate them every 100-200 hours to avoid deformation of the quartz and ‘bowing’.
• Avoid excessive starts – this can cause contamination due to the electrodes throwing off tungsten into the lamp. When you remove the UV lamp from the system, check that the electrical connections are tight and not eroded.
• Ensure the UV system is clear of all external contamination, such as inks and paper dust, and clean the lamps regularly with isopropyl wipes. Allow the lamp to cool for at least 5 minutes after the power has been turned off before you handle the lamp.

Need more help?

Alpha-Cure has over 25 years of experience in UV technology and are experts in troubleshooting issues with lamp and UV system performance. To help you with any UV lamp challenges you may come across we have created an online Troubleshooting Guide. The Guide covers the main issues we regularly hear about and what can be done to help prevent them from happening. Check it out here.

However, even the very best products crafted from the best materials will need to be replaced in the end. Alpha-Cure can provide replacement UV lamps for virtually any UV system, as well as system spares and accessories including:

• UV system reflectors
• Quartz plates
• UV testing and monitoring products.
• Chokes, ballasts and ignitors

Contact Alpha-Cure’s technical sales team on 01327 263900 or email sales@alpha-cure.com to discuss your requirements.