Modern UV curing systems for wood and floor coverings enable fast, energy-efficient, and low-emission production processes. With UV and UV LED technologies from IST UV, manufacturers achieve high-quality surfaces with maximum process reliability—from parquet flooring to industrial wood-based materials.
UV curing of varnishes and coatings is well established in the wood and flooring industry. It offers the following advantages:
This allows productivity, quality, and sustainability to be optimally combined.
In oak parquet, excessive heat during UV curing can cause tannins to leach out of the wood. This can cause yellowing of the surface and alter the natural colour of the wood. Our FREEcure system significantly reduces the amount of heat transferred to the wood substrate. This minimises the release of tannins and preserves the natural colour of the oak parquet flooring.
Advantages of FREEcure for wooden floors:
Thanks to excimer technology, gloss levels from 2 to 25 gloss units (60°) can be achieved, depending on the process parameters and coating formulation. Using short-wave UV radiation (172 nm), the excimer lamp produces polymerisation extremely close to the surface: a micro-wrinkled film forms on the paint surface, while deeper layers remain unaffected and can be cured conventionally at a later stage.
This process enables particularly matt and abrasion-resistant surfaces without the use of matting agents, resulting in a uniform, streak-free finish. In addition, excimer technology is particularly gentle as a cold light source – ideal for sensitive substrates such as thin films or wood panels.
Another advantage is that IST METZ's in-line excimer systems cover working widths of up to 4 metres, which greatly facilitates integration into existing production lines.
