Revolutionary UV curing for wood and furniture surfaces

At INDIAWOOD, IST METZ will be presenting innovative UV, LED, and excimer technologies for the efficient curing, gelling, and matting of coatings on wood and wood-based materials at booth J 423 B (German Pavilion, Hall 4). The focus will be on FREEcure, a novel UV curing technology that does not require photoinitiators and significantly reduces energy consumption.

UV curing coatings have become increasingly established worldwide in recent years for the surface finishing of wood and furniture products. This technology uses UV light to cure coatings in a matter of seconds – a process that is significantly faster, more energy-efficient, and more environmentally friendly than conventional thermal or solvent-based methods, while also achieving excellent mechanical properties such as scratch and chemical resistance.

FREEcure sets new standards in energy-efficient UV curing

To consistently further develop this proven technology, IST METZ has created FREEcure, a novel UV curing technology that does not require migration-relevant photoinitiators and significantly reduces energy consumption. FREEcure uses a high proportion of high-energy UVC light to trigger polymerization directly – without a conventional initiator and with significantly reduced technical effort.

This reduces energy and operating costs by up to 75%, while achieving production speeds of 30–50 m/min per unit. At the same time, odor development and regulatory risks are minimized. The technology is suitable for both 100% UV systems and aqueous UV dispersions and enables more compact plant layouts with lower space and maintenance requirements. FREEcure thus sets new standards for sustainable, high-performance surface curing in the wood and furniture industry.

LEDcure NX – Water-cooled LED UV system

With the LEDcure NX, IST METZ is adding a new, water-cooled LED UV system for industrial curing processes to its portfolio. The system achieves an efficiency of 48% at up to 79 W/cm and ensures uniform, reproducible curing with reduced energy consumption and low thermal stress on the substrates.

Thanks to its modular design, water cooling, and optional SMARTcure connection, LEDcure NX offers high process stability, low operating costs, and long-term investment security – backed by a warranty of up to 10 years.

Excimer technology for matt surfaces

Excimer lamps with a wavelength of 172 nm generate an extremely high-energy UV emission that triggers targeted polymerization in the uppermost layer of the UV-curable coating film. Due to the low penetration depth, a thin, shrinking film with microscopic folds is created, which ensures a uniform matt appearance. In the subsequent final curing process, the surface is completely cured using conventional UV technology – the result is mechanically and chemically highly resistant, deep matt surfaces that are ideal for demanding wood and furniture applications.