UV Curing Lamps

UV Curing Lamps – Overview and Types

Ultraviolet (UV) curing is a process in which high-intensity UV light triggers rapid polymerization in coatings, inks, and adhesives, instantly converting them from liquids to solids. This technology enables manufacturers to achieve faster production speeds, improved finish quality, and avoid the use of harmful solvents or heat-based drying. LightSources is a leading manufacturer of UV curing lamps and offers three main types of UV lamps to suit different industrial curing needs:

• Medium Pressure UVA Curing Lamps – High-intensity mercury vapor lamps that emit a broad spectrum of UV (primarily UVA and UVC). These are used for high-speed curing of inks, varnishes, and other polymers, as well as in specific germicidal applications due to their strong UVC output.
• High-Pressure UV Curing Lamps (Metal Halide) – Mercury-based lamps operating at high pressure, often doped with metal halides to tailor the UV output. UV resin-curing lamps deliver very intense UV radiation (with peaks in UVA and UVC) for fast curing of thick resins, composites, and specialized materials. Common additives (e.g., gallium or iron iodide) shift the spectral output to match specific photoinitiators, making these lamps ideal for demanding applications across many industries.
• Low-pressure UVC Amalgam Curing Lamps – Low-pressure mercury lamps enhanced with amalgam technology to boost output. They predominantly emit UVC at 254 nm and are energy-efficient, making them well-suited for curing specific specialty formulations, such as cationic epoxy-based inks and adhesives. These UV light curing lamps consume much less power than medium- or high-pressure lamps and produce no hazardous byproducts, making them a cost-effective curing solution for specific use cases.

Each lamp type has distinct operating characteristics (pressure, power density, and spectral output) that make it optimal for particular curing processes. For example, high-pressure metal halide lamps excel at quickly hardening thick or pigmented coatings, medium-pressure lamps provide broad-spectrum UV for high-throughput curing or water disinfection, and low-pressure amalgam lamps efficiently cure certain inks at 254 nm, especially where lower heat and energy usage are priorities. 

All LightSources UV curing lamps are built with premium materials (such as ultra-low-water-content quartz and proprietary electrode designs) to ensure long life and high UV output. We also specialize in custom-designed UV lamp solutions, tailoring arc lengths, wattage, and bases to meet specific OEM requirements.

Medium Pressure UVA Curing Lamps 

Medium-pressure UVA curing lamps are mercury vapor UV lamps that operate at intermediate internal pressures and very high arc temperatures (approximately 600–900 °C). They emit a polychromatic spectrum of ultraviolet light covering UVC, UVB, and UVA wavelengths (roughly 200–400 nm) at high intensity. This broad UV output and high power density enable medium-pressure lamps to initiate rapid photochemical reactions for curing processes. In particular, when emitting in the UVA range (~367–400 nm), medium-pressure lamps are highly effective at curing inks, varnishes, and polymer coatings almost instantly.

One significant advantage of medium-pressure UV lamps is their sheer power: these lamps can run from 100 up to 700 Watts per inch (WPI), with arc lengths from just a few inches to over 7 feet (2–85 inches) in custom designs. This translates to roughly an order of magnitude higher UV output than that of low-pressure lamps, enabling faster cure times or the treatment of larger areas in industrial processes. In fact, medium-pressure UV lamps are so intense that they are also commonly used in germicidal applications such as municipal wastewater disinfection and marine ballast water treatment, where their high UVC output enables treatment of large volumes in compact systems. The ability to deliver significantly more UVC energy than low-pressure lamps means higher flow rates and smaller reactor footprints for water treatment– a testament to their power and efficiency.

LightSources’ medium-pressure (MPUV or MPHO) lamps are quality-engineered for durability in demanding settings. Each lamp is built with ultra-low-water-content fused quartz for maximum UV transmission and thermal stability. The electrodes consist of pure tungsten with a coiled thoriated tungsten over-wind, which enhances electron emission and prolongs lamp life. A hermetic seal using molybdenum foil in a hard quartz capillary ensures a robust, vacuum-tight construction at the lamp ends . Thanks to this precision construction, our MPUV lamps maintain about 90% of their UV output over their service life, providing consistent curing performance until end-of-life. 

We offer a wide range of customization options – from arc length and tube diameter to power density – so that the lamp can be optimized for your specific curing system or process. For example, LightSources can design medium-pressure UVA lamps anywhere from ~100 WPI for temperature-sensitive processes up to 700 WPI for extremely high-speed curing, in virtually any length needed.

Medium-Pressure UVA Curing Lamp Applications

Medium-pressure UVA lamps find use in industrial UV curing systems for wood and paper coatings, packaging and label printing lines, optical fiber coatings, and electronic assemblies, among others. Their high UV intensity (especially in UVA) makes them ideal for high-throughput production – e.g., curing inks on a fast-moving web in a printing press or instantly drying painted automotive components on a conveyor. At the same time, the broad-spectrum output (including UVC) provides versatility; the same lamp technology is used in disinfection systems that require intense UV (though, for curing, the UVA portion is most utilized). In summary, medium-pressure UV curing lamps are a powerful solution when rapid curing and a broad UV spectrum are needed, offering a combination of high intensity and flexibility that many advanced manufacturing processes demand.

LightSources Medium-Pressure UVA Lamp Solutions

 We pride ourselves on delivering reliable, long-lasting medium-pressure UV curing lamps to our OEM and industrial clients. Our MPUV light curing lamps are vacuum-sealed and manufactured in state-of-the-art facilities to ensure consistent performance. LightSources can customize these lamps to your specifications – including special envelope shapes (linear, U-shaped, spiral), custom electrical connectors, and even specific doping of the mercury fill if a tailored output spectrum is required. All standard medium-pressure lamps produce intense UVA and UVC output; however, for specific applications, we can introduce metal-halide additives (similar to those in high-pressure lamps) to shift or strengthen particular wavelength ranges. Whether you need a lamp for a UV curing conveyor system or a specialized bulb for a proprietary curing device, our engineering team will work with yours to develop the optimal medium-pressure UV lamp solution.

High-Pressure UV Curing Lamps (Metal Halide) 

High-pressure UV curing lamps are mercury arc lamps designed to operate at higher vapor pressures and power levels than standard medium-pressure lamps. Often referred to as metal halide UV lamps, these bulbs have various metal halide compounds added to their mercury fill. The additives (such as iron, gallium, lead, or others) alter the lamp’s spectral output, creating intense UV emission at specific wavelengths that align with the absorption peaks of different photoinitiators. 

High-pressure lamps typically emit intense UVA and UVB output, with a basic mercury spectrum having major peaks at 254 nm (UVC) and 365 nm (UVA). By dosing the lamp with metal halides, additional peaks can be achieved – for instance, gallium-doped lamps boost output in the ~400–450 nm UVA range, while iron-doped lamps increase output in the 350–400 nm range (near UV–visible). This ability to target the UV spectrum makes high-pressure curing lamps highly versatile for different applications. Iron-doped lamps, for example, shift more energy toward longer UVA/visible wavelengths, improving penetration for curing thicker or heavily pigmented materials. Gallium-doped lamps emphasize the ~405 nm range, which is especially useful for curing formulations containing titanium dioxide (white) pigments – wavelengths above ~380 nm pass through TiO ₂ more effectively, allowing the UV to reach the photoinitiators in the material.

Because of their high operating pressure and customized spectra, high-pressure UV light curing lamps can deliver very high intensity UVA for fast curing. UV resin curing lamps are capable of almost instantaneously curing or “freezing” inks, adhesives, and coatings – for example, immediately hardening thick epoxy resins or opaque paints that would be challenging to cure with standard mercury lamps.

HPUV curing lamps typically have output peaking in the UVA range (around 365 nm) and can be formulated to extend into the visible UV-V range (~400+ nm) with appropriate additives. They still emit some UVC, which in some instances can contribute to surface cure or provide germicidal benefits (e.g., curing and sanitizing a coating in one step). However, their strongest emissions are at longer UV wavelengths than those of medium-pressure lamps. 

High-pressure lamps operate at power densities of 300–700+ WPI (similar to MP lamps or higher) and require dedicated ballasts capable of handling their higher starting voltage and sustaining the plasma arc with the added metal halides. These ballasts and lamp systems are designed to maintain stable output and maximize lamp life even with the more complex chemistry inside the arc tube.

High-Pressure (metal halide) UV Curing Lamp Applications

High-pressure (metal halide) UV curing lamps are used across a wide range of industries that demand rapid, thorough curing. Typical applications include automotive and aerospace coatings (e.g., curing clearcoats on cars or composite parts), industrial adhesives and potting compounds, printing and reprographics (especially for inks that require specific UV wavelengths), pharmaceutical and medical device coatings, and even niche uses like cosmetic packaging, fiber-optic cable production, and dental materials. Because different products and materials may use photoinitiators sensitive to different UV bands, the ability to fine-tune a lamp’s output with additives is invaluable.

For instance, in the printing industry, standard mercury HPUV lamps (strong in 254/365 nm) might be supplemented with gallium to cure UV-curable white inks or with iron to cure thick black or dark pigmented inks, ensuring a complete cure through the entire layer. High-pressure curing lamps are also standard in UV paint and lacquer curing systems, where their high irradiance shortens cure times to mere seconds. Some specialty applications, like UV-curing of silicone or epoxy in medical devices or photochemical reactions in research, also rely on metal-halide UV lamps for their specific spectral output needs.

LightSources’ High-Pressure (HPUV) Curing Lamp Solutions

LightSources produces High-Pressure UV Curing Lamps in a range of configurations, all engineered for robust performance. We can provide mercury-only HPUV lamps (which emit strong 254 nm and 365 nm UV) or additive metal-halide lamps, precisely doped to your required spectrum (common choices are gallium and iron additives, but others, such as lead or indium, are available on request). Our HPUV light curing lamps are built with the same high-quality quartz and electrode technology as our medium-pressure lamps, ensuring they withstand the thermal and electrical stresses of high-power operation. 

Each lamp is thoroughly tested for output and longevity. In typical use, standard high-pressure mercury lamps have a strong production at 365 nm (the mercury “g-line”), and our extended-life designs can operate for 2,000–3,000 hours with minimal UV degradation. When doped with metal halides, the lamp will exhibit additional spectral lines (for example, a gallium/indium lamp shows enhanced emission at 400–420 nm). We work closely with equipment manufacturers to ensure our lamp’s electrical requirements and physical design (arc length, end fittings, etc.) integrate seamlessly into curing systems. 

Customized base connectors, cooling requirements, and even arc lengths are accommodated – whether you need a compact short-arc lamp for a handheld UV curing device or a long-arc lamp for a wide-format curing system. LightSources also offers expert guidance on which UV spectral output is best for your application, leveraging our deep knowledge of photoinitiator chemistry and UV process engineering.

In summary, high-pressure UV curing lamps provide maximum UV curing power and spectral customization. They are the go-to solution for challenging curing applications that require high intensity and specific UV wavelengths to achieve a full cure. With LightSources’ high-pressure lamps (mercury or metal-halide), industries ranging from automotive, aerospace, and electronics to printing, medical, and even water treatment (for advanced oxidation processes) benefit from faster curing, improved product throughput, and reliable performance.

Low-Pressure UVC Amalgam Curing Lamps 

Low-pressure UVC amalgam lamps are a very different style of UV curing lamp that operates on the low-pressure mercury arc principle. Standard low-pressure mercury lamps (like typical germicidal lamps) emit a monochromatic UVC wavelength at 254 nm. While historically low-pressure lamps were mainly used for disinfection, advances in photoinitiator chemistry and UV formulations have enabled their use for curing certain materials. In fact, over the past decade, the industry has seen a rise in UV-curable cationic inks and resins, often epoxy-based formulations, that cure efficiently under deep UV (UVC) exposure. 

To address these, LightSources developed Low-Pressure UVC Amalgam curing lamps, which leverage amalgam technology to significantly increase the UV output of low-pressure lamps. Unlike medium or high-pressure lamps, these function at much lower temperatures and pressures, resulting in reduced energy consumption, minimal heat output, and less visible light emission. They produce mostly 254 nm UV (and some 185 nm for ozone-generating types), which is effective for initiating cationic polymerization in certain epoxies and adhesives. Although 254 nm is outside the UVA range that most free-radical photoinitiators need, many cationic photoinitiators (such as iodonium or sulfonium salts) absorb in the UVC range and can be activated by 254 nm photons, leading to a curing reaction. This allows low-pressure lamps to cure specialized materials that were traditionally cured by higher-intensity UVA systems.

One key feature of low-pressure amalgam lamps is energy efficiency. Because nearly all the lamp’s output is concentrated at 254 nm (a wavelength that specific photoinitiators directly utilize), there is little wasted energy in other spectra. Low-pressure lamps also convert a good fraction of input power into UVC output (typically ~30–40% efficiency) and can have extremely long lifespans (up to 8,000–12,000 hours or more) compared to medium/high-pressure lamps. 

Additionally, low-pressure curing systems run cool and often do not require elaborate cooling or exhaust , since they don’t produce the infrared and ozone output that higher-pressure lamps do. This makes them ideal for applications where excessive heat could damage the substrate or where ventilation is limited. Dimmability is another advantage – low-pressure amalgam lamps can operate at a fraction of full power (even down to 60–80% output) and still maintain stable UV emission, which is useful for processes that need adjustable UV intensity.

Historically, the drawback of low-pressure UV lamps was their limited power. A conventional low-pressure UV lamp could only be driven to about 100–150 W output; beyond that, the lamp would overheat and actually lose UV efficiency. The introduction of amalgam (a mercury alloy) inside the lamp solved this problem by regulating the mercury vapor pressure. Amalgam lamps can operate at much higher input currents without saturation, yielding UV outputs of 300–1000 W in a single lamp – up to 10× the UVC power of older low-pressure designs. 

Approximately one-third of an amalgam lamp’s input power is converted to UVC radiation, a very high efficacy for UV systems. This means a single amalgam lamp (which might be 1–2 meters long) can do the curing work that previously required a bank of many smaller lamps. As a result, systems can be downsized and simplified while still achieving effective curing throughput. LightSources has further innovated in this area with our patented pellet amalgam technology, which provides even greater UVC output stability across various operating conditions (including different orientations and dimming).

Low-Pressure UVC Amalgam Curing Lamp Applications

Low-pressure UVC amalgam curing lamps are particularly suited for curing cationic UV inks and coatings, such as certain screen printing inks, electronic encapsulants, and epoxy-based optical fiber coatings. These materials benefit from the 254 nm output because their photoinitiators directly respond to UVC. The curing process with cationic systems has the added benefit of post-exposure polymerization – unlike radical-curing, a cationic cure will continue even after the lamp is off, due to the nature of the acid-catalyzed reaction This means even a brief exposure to a UVC lamp can initiate a curing reaction that proceeds to completion without constant illumination, which can be advantageous for thick or shadowed areas. 

Beyond cationic systems, some specialized adhesives and coatings (for example, certain UV-curable silicones or urethanes) have photoinitiator packages designed to work with low-pressure UVC lamps due to heat sensitivity or to simplify equipment. Low-pressure UV curing units are also used in situations where a lower-intensity, more uniform UV is desirable – for instance, curing a thin, transparent coating where high-intensity UVA might cause surface curing to proceed faster than depth curing. 

Using 254 nm UVC can sometimes achieve a more uniform cure throughout the thickness of a coating. Additionally, because these lamps double as excellent germicidal sources, they are sometimes integrated into processes that require both curing and sterilization (e.g., curing a biocompatible coating while simultaneously ensuring a sterile environment).

LightSources Low-Pressure Amalgam Curing Lamp Solutions

LightSources offers Low-Pressure UVC Amalgam curing lamps in various lengths (typically 1 m to 2+ m) and power levels (300 W to 1200 W output) to accommodate different system sizes. We design these lamps with our proprietary pellet amalgam fills to ensure consistent UV output over a wide temperature range and orientation. Each lamp is made of high-purity quartz (with options for ozone-free quartz if 185 nm output is not desired) and is assembled with precision to maintain optimal mercury amalgam distribution. We can customize end fittings and bases (single- or double-pin, ceramic, etc.) and even provide private labeling for OEM customers who integrate our lamps into their equipment. 

Because low-pressure lamps have unique electrical requirements (they typically use electronic ballasts specific to the lamp wattage), our team can assist in specifying or designing a suitable ballast and control gear to pair with the lamp. Our specialty is in developing a complete solution – we will collaborate with your engineers or designated ballast suppliers to tailor the UV curing lamp design to your application’s needs, whether you require a specific lamp geometry, a certain UVC output at target conditions, or a particular warm-up/dimming behavior. 

LightSources offers high-quality UV curing lamp replacements for brands such as Primarc Baldwin , and Superior Quartz .

In summary, low-pressure UVC amalgam lamps represent a modern, energy-efficient approach to UV curing for specific niches of the industry. They offer advantages such as lower heat, longer life, and targeted UVC output for materials that benefit from it. LightSources’ expertise in amalgam lamp technology ensures that even as UV curing applications evolve (such as the growing use of cationic UV inks), we provide cutting-edge lamp solutions with dependable performance and the flexibility to be customized for new and innovative uses.

Learn more about UV Curing , UV Curing Applications , and explore our Educational Resources on UV Curing, including FAQs, Downloadables, and a UV Curing glossary. 

Reliable UV Curing Lamps Engineered for Performance

LightSources’ UV curing lamps are trusted by engineers worldwide for their durability, efficiency, and precision across a wide range of curing applications. Whether your process demands the high output of medium-pressure UVA, the spectral customization of high-pressure metal halide, or the targeted performance of low-pressure UVC amalgam lamps, we deliver solutions engineered to your technical needs. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and customization ensures reliable performance in even the most demanding environments.

LightSources is a global leader in UV curing lamp technology, delivering advanced solutions engineered for precision, efficiency, and durability. As an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer, we combine expert design with rigorous quality standards to support high-performance curing across industries. Contact us today to partner with our team and elevate your curing capabilities with high-tech UV curing lamps.