Guide to UV Measurement
Peak Irradiance
Peak irradiance is the highest power level of radiant power arriving at the work surface. It has been found that many UV curable inks and coatings respond better to higher peak irradiance, rather to longer exposure to a lower level of energy. Higher bulb power, concentrating reflectors and smaller bulb diameter yield higher peak irradiance.
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Irradiance Profile of Several Lamps
All three lamps illustrated deliver the same total energy to a surface passing under them, but with different irradiance levels (note that the area under each curve is the same but the peak is very different). These bulbs have the same electrical power input ("watts per inch") but are of different diameters, the smallest yielding the highest peak.