By Liz Stevens, writer, UV+EB Technology
In May 2025, RadTech UV+EB 2025 took place in Detroit, Michigan. “EB+UV for Coil Coating,” a panel discussion at the event, explored characteristics of UV and EB coil coatings, including fast crosslinking, compatibility with heat-sensitive materials and minimized energy and water use for production. UV+EB Technology reached out to the panelists and asked them to weigh in on a handful of key questions about ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) coil coating technology and its value to industry.
The panelists represent an industry association, as well as equipment and material manufacturers and suppliers. Karl Swanson is president of PCT Ebeam and Integration of Davenport, Iowa. PCT Ebeam and Integration is a maker of electron beam and x-ray systems, building electron beam technology since 2003. David Cocuzzi is technical director at the National Coil Coating Association, Cleveland, Ohio, an association of businesses engaged in the process of coating coiled metals, including coaters and suppliers to the coil coating industry. Marcus Hutchins is business development manager for the Americas and for additives, Allnex USA, Inc., with US headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia. Allnex is a global specialty chemicals company for industrial coating resins, crosslinkers and additives. Chris Davis is sales director, Hoenle Americas, Sugar Grove, Illinois. The company is a developer, producer and seller of industrial UV technologies worldwide, LED UV units and LED UV equipment, components and supplies. Pauline Maillot is America’s technical director with Beckers, Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Beckers is a supplier of coil coatings and a supplier of industrial paints worldwide. Im Rangwalla is the market and application development manager at Energy Sciences Inc., with North America offices in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Energy Sciences Inc. is a provider of low-energy electron beam technology systems and solutions.
Karl Swanson, who moderated the panel, noted the real-world credentials of the panelists. “The panel included representatives across the entire EB/UV value chain,” said Swanson. “Not only were the panelists able to express a general interest in coil coating as an application, but they also were able to cite examples and learnings from real applications.” Stressing that the panel was not an academic discussion, Swanson described it as offering insight into “a proven field of use that is at the early stage of what is likely to be significant adoption in the coming years.”
How would you describe the problem that using EB and UV can solve in coil coating?
The National Coil Coating Association’s David Cocuzzi described the problem this way. “The problem that UV and EB can solve in coil coating is two-fold – pertaining to energy and equipment,” said Cocuzzi. “These technologies dramatically can minimize gas consumption, although some still will be needed in the cleaning section of the coil coating line, and they eliminate the need for a thermal oxidizer.”
Allnex USA’s Marcus Hutchins expanded upon Cocuzzi’s comments. “Using UV and EB allows a manufacturer to increase productivity,” said Hutchins, “and it also allows a reduction in greenhouse gases; you no longer need an oven.” Hutchins also pointed to speed, energy demands and plant-floor space requirements. “UV and EB are really compact compared to conventional coating systems with the long ovens that are needed to cure a coil. With a good UV system or EB, in a blink of eye, it’s fully cured. There is no waiting for solvent to dry off, and there is no need to maintain the temperature that conventional systems need for curing.” Hutchins noted sustainability issues. “It’s just not sustainable to continue to make these football field-sized manufacturing lines; there is a real need to be more sustainable, to be more careful with the environment.”
Hoenle America’s Chris Davis echoed points made by Hutchins. “The problems solved include energy costs and production overhead (as well as throughout),” said Davis. “The traditional issues with coil coating lines are the energy costs for the ovens, as well as the physical plant-floor real estate needed for them.”
Beckers’ Pauline Maillot reiterated the energy issue and environmental issues and also pointed out superior paint coverage. “What makes UV/EB a solution in today’s coil coating picture is its ability to use 100% solid, solvent-free formulations,” Maillot said. “This significantly increases the surface coverage per kilogram of paint, allowing users to achieve up to double the coverage compared to conventional coatings. More importantly, it drastically reduces VOC emissions and the CO₂ footprint, which are critical for both regulatory compliance and environmental sustainability.”
Energy Sciences’ Im Rangwalla cited a long list of problems addressed by implementing UV and EB technologies. “UV/EB technology reduces energy consumption compared to thermal processes by over 60%,” he said. “It reduces carbon emissions by over 50%, and it is 100% solids chemistry – no solvents needed, and no solvent capture or incineration required. There is no preheating the metal, and there is no post-production cooling; the process is done at room temperature.” Rangwalla cited the reduced plant-floor footprint for UV and EB, and the ability to work at high speeds with wide web. “This technology offers unmatched abrasion, scratch and other properties,” said Rangwalla, “and it is the most sustainable curing option.”
PCT Ebeam and Integration’s Karl Swanson summed up the most important points on this topic that were shared during the “EB+UV for Coil Coating” discussion at RadTech UV+EB 2025. “A common theme was that EB/UV has shown to be a practical method for coil coaters to make significant progress toward carbon reduction goals,” said Swanson. “A key reason for this is the massive reduction in energy consumption that the technology provides compared to conventional, gas-fired drying ovens.”
What message do you think the coil coating industry needs to hear about EB and UV?
Cocuzzi: “I think the industry needs to hear about examples of coating lines that are running under commercial conditions and are producing product that has successfully been fabricated and installed.”
Hutchins: “What the industry needs to hear is compelling statistics on the success of the technologies. It is about data generation, like what Beckers is doing to show energy use and to show how to change the carbon footprint by incorporating a UV/EB line into a system. The data points show lower CO2, more sustainability. There also is higher throughput; with UV and EB there is no wait of several days or even weeks for some coatings to fully cure. With a UV system, full performance properties are delivered right then and there.”
Davis: “I think the industry needs RadCure education. The coil coating industry also is very cautious about introducing high-impact items to their production lines. We understand the concerns and the need to provide full validation of RadCure solutions in this industry before those in the industry are ready to take dramatic steps with equipment or production.”
Maillot: “The main message to be shared in the coil coating industry is that the revolution that UV/EB started in our industry is a revolution that needs to be furthered by tackling it together. We all need to collaborate – coating manufacturer, coater, equipment manufacturer, pretreatment company and end users. It is new for everyone, and we need to make sure we have constant communication across the industry.”
Rangwalla: “The industry needs to hear that EB + UV is the most sustainable curing option.”
Swanson: “The common theme is the need to share specific details on the advantages that EB/UV offers coil coaters. Successful examples exist. Working together to provide the industry with this information will help to advance the adoption of this technology.”
What kind of input or feedback would you like to receive from the coil coating industry?
Hutchins: “I guess, how real is this shift to UV and EB technologies? We have seen coil manufacturers and brand owners begin to advertise UV systems, but it would be nice if there was a roadmap of how they see EB and UV becoming more utilized in the market space so that we could start plotting a path forward. We do not need the fine details, just a high-level idea of future projects’ specs, like the UV/EB coating needs to be resistant to these chemicals and have this type of weatherability, or that it needs to have this type of gloss. As a raw material supplier, there is risk in committing resources for new development, so it is important that we have communication and buy-in from the customers.”
Davis: “We would like to hear that they have open minds and are willing to give us an opportunity to present the solutions (and the coatings involved).”
Maillot: “We already have a lot of interest, and we would like to see the continuation of our conversations to make UV/EB a viable path toward greater energy efficiency, faster processing and reduced environmental impact. For us, it’s important also to discuss specific challenges, such as cost, equipment limitations or performance concerns – so that we can collaboratively address these barriers.”
Rangwalla: “We would like to hear what application for coil industry would adapt energy curing, and the specifications for what the industry needs.”
What gloss range is achievable from EB and UV cure for coil applications?
Hutchins: “We are finding that the easiest way to control gloss with UV systems is by using a combination of different curing methods. Excimer cure allows you to get very controllable gloss without having to add a lot of filler. That is detrimental with UV and EB coatings that are 100% solids because they drop viscosity fast and then they must be diluted with monomers which dilutes the overall high-performance of the UV systems. With excimer, it is easy to get between 20% and 5% gloss retention using a combination of technologies.”
Davis: “We are seeing gloss down to 1 GU at 60 degrees and upwards into the full gloss requirements. It is the Supermatt which is technically challenging, and that is one of our standard applications.”
Maillot: “We are continuously extending the gloss range for UV/EB products, so that it will match the range of conventional products. For some specific use cases, we reach the existing gloss range already. However, it is important to highlight that the type of equipment used may have an impact on the final gloss. Again, communication and collaboration between coater and coating manufacturer are critical to ensure that the line and the formulation will be compatible to achieve the targeted gloss.”
Rangwalla: “A combination of excimer plus EB or UV+EB can provide ultra-low gloss <10 to ultra gloss > 70 with the same coating/paint. Also, the range of gloss in between that low and high marker can be achieved.”
What are the biggest hurdles to overcome for a large-scale conversion to UV/EB technologies in coil coatings?
Cocuzzi: “The largest industry served with pre-painted metal is building and construction. Most of the customers that bring the product to market offer an extensive warranty. Understanding the performance of a coating – not just the aesthetic properties, such as color retention, gloss retention and chalking, but especially understanding performance like adhesion of the coating – is paramount in convincing a customer to convert to energy-cure materials.”
Hutchins: “The largest hurdle is probably delivering a combination of viscosity, flexibility and hardness. Historically for UV systems, to make it flexible, it must be made softer. If it needs to be harder, the functionality is increased. The coating needs to be hard, but it also needs to be flexible. And the customer needs to be able to post-form it, to stamp things out in it. The hurdle is in juggling a lot of requirements simultaneously for the coating to work in a coil application.”
Davis: “The main hurdle that we see is the concern about a complete cultural shift and change of methods in production for the industry to fully embrace UV/EB.”
Maillot: “One of the hurdles is that downstream customers often have established specifications and long qualification cycles. Getting buy-in for UV-/EB-cured systems requires extensive validation and time. Many customers are waiting for a broader range of coatings before committing to new equipment, while coating manufacturers require access to production-scale lines to refine and demonstrate product performance. Bridging this gap through joint development and shared success stories will be key to building momentum and more confidence across the value chain.”
Rangwalla: “Availability of chemistry for broader, demanding outdoor applications is a hurdle. So are viscosity concerns and issues around adhesion.”
Regarding the long-term warranties offered in the coil coating industry, who carries the liability?
Cocuzzi: “The coating supplier carries the liability.”
Hutchins: “The warranty is between the formulator and the brand owner.”
Davis: “Generally, the manufacturers of the coatings carry the liability.
Maillot: “In the United States, most of the warranty liability typically falls on the coating manufacturer. This applies to UV/EB technologies as well, though the limited long-term field data means warranties are approached with added caution. To support these commitments, we rely on both accelerated and natural weathering tests to make informed, responsible decisions about durability and performance of our products.”
Are there any limitations in terms of aspect when moving to UV/EB (colors, gloss, structure, metallic/mica)?
Hutchins: “With the price of the EB coming down, the biggest advantage of using EB is that electrons are fired through a coating so there is no worry about the pigment absorbing the light, reducing the effectiveness of the photo initiator which also impacts the depth of cure for that coating. Using EB simplifies some of the formulation problems, but adhesion, flexibility, low viscosity, high performance – those are some limitations that can only be overcome with help from R&D, in communication with the customer.”
Davis: “Yes, there are certain coatings that perform better when they are thermally cured, or there may be an issue with producing a UV coating that can be applied with existing equipment. Not all coil coating applications are suitable for UV conversion.”
Maillot: “As this still is an emerging technology, not all aesthetic aspects are fully available in UV/EB systems yet. Certain pigments can present formulation challenges, though effect pigments often show improved visual depth with radiation curing. Texture finishes remain an area of active development, as they traditionally rely on solvent evaporation in conventional systems. That said, we’re confident that with continued innovation, comparable visual and tactile effects will be achievable in UV/EB coatings.”
Rangwalla: “EB curing presents no issues with color/pigmentation. EB curing provides crosslinked structure, resulting in better properties. The preliminary work in providing metallic structure by incorporating aluminum flake in the paint with EB curing looks very positive.”
The bottom line
UV and EB curing have many benefits to offer for coil coating. Curing time is slashed. Surface coverage for coatings is increased. Superior abrasion and scratch resistance are delivered. Energy use is reduced. The curing equipment footprint is minimized. Environmental hazards (air in-plant and discharged to the environment) are eliminated. Management of temperature shifts for pre- and post-production is no longer needed. Solvent capture and incineration are eliminated. The need for explosion-proof production areas is eliminated.
Challenges do remain, although they are being addressed by the industry. The body of publicly available validated performance data still is small. There are hurdles to be overcome in controlling characteristics such as viscosity, flexibility and hardness, especially considering their interactive nature. Better weather-resistance performance in outdoor applications is desired, as well as better adhesion performance. Commercial availability of a wider range of pigment and surface textures still needs to be improved.
For more information about the pros and cons of UV/EB for coil coating, visit www.pctebi.com, www.coilcoating.org, www.allnex.com, www.hoenle.com, www.beckers-group.com and www.ebeam.com.
