RadTech Europe hosts biennial energy curing conference

The event, whose theme was ‘UV/EB – growing through innovation’, covers a wide range of markets -- from printing and packaging to flooring, automotive, electronics and consumer goods. 

RadTech Europe 13 was not only the thirteenth such annual event, but also the opportunity to celebrate RadTech Europe’s 25 years as the professional pan-European association promoting the use of UV/EB curing technology for inks, coatings and adhesives. ‘Curing’, said RadTech Europe president David Helsby, ‘is a process in the manufacture of many products, and a key factor in finishing that makes fit-for-purpose goods.’ The association’s high visibility within the industries it serves is, he added, ‘a reflection of our exceptionally strong, expert membership, and of the committed volunteer teams that constitute our board, and the conference program committee.

Current market profile for energy curing

With supply and demand of crude acrylic acid now very close, new capacity needs to be identified to keep the industry on track.  In 2010, it represented 1.9 percent of the global coatings market, projected to grow by the end of 2013 to 3 percent and 3.9 percent in 2014.   The Asia-Pacific region commands the major market share – 5.4 percent. Worldwide, usage is mostly in industrial coatings (44 percent), with OP lacquers a 21 percent share, electronics applications 19 percent, and printing inks 12 percent.

In Europe, it is the German-speaking countries – Germany, Austria, and Switzerland – that command by far the largest market share overall, 40 percent. In terms of end-use markets, wood coating is by far the most important, representing 38 percent of usage, with OP lacquers and printing inks in joint second place with 22 percent of the market.

According to The Global Radiation Cured Products Industry market report, produced by Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney in the spring of 2013, current market trends include ‘new applications such as inkjet, field applied floor coatings, and water-based UV could stimulate growth beyond modest growth prospects.’

‘There is also a current incursion of UV LED into traditional UV lamp territory – expected to grow at a CAGR of 43 percent through 2017, and new developments in 3D technology – once seen as prototyping, now often seen as OEM manufacture.’

Graphic arts

In the graphic arts markets, there are differences in predicted growth rates.  Between 2011 and 2016, mainstream packaging use will grow at an estimated 24 percent, but UV inkjet print for labels and flexible packaging will see an estimated 250 percent growth over the same period.

Environmental considerations are as strong in the market for printing inks as elsewhere, and of all the environmentally-friendly ink technologies, UV inks are the fastest growing. UV inkjet inks are a major global growth opportunity, accelerating to an estimated 38 percent of the total market by 2017.  

Industrial coatings

In industrial coatings, a geographical growth to the east of Europe is evidenced, alongside significant technology shifts reflecting increased emphasis on energy costs and corrosion resistance, among other factors, and increased interest in water-based UV and EB systems.

Regulations and compliance

Regulatory and compliance requirements, from REACH  and the Swiss and German ordinances to brand owner compliances and restrictions on components such as solvents and BPA create challenges for all curing systems – but radiation curing is well placed to meet them.  

‘The unpredictables’

The real threats to the industry, today and tomorrow, are being  described as ‘The Unpredictables’:  volatility in crude oil and raw materials prices and availability, as well as in freight and interest rates, and fluctuations in currency and stock markets.

Specialist parallel conference sessions

The conference program covered twelve specialist parallel sessions covering well over 90 technical sessions. All proceedings of the RadTech Europe conference can be obtained in the online Knowledge Center of RadTech Europe (www.radtech-europe.com). They are included as articles and can be search by title, author and/or industry. RTE members can download the articles for free; non-members pay a small amount per article.