What information should a factory provide for a UV coating or coating-line recommendation?

Selecting a suitable UV coating system requires more than knowing the finished product. Before recommending a UV wood coating or coating line, ATOP needs to understand the factory type, substrate, product shape, current coating materials, existing finishing process, available equipment, production capacity and required surface performance.

Factories currently using PU wood paint should provide details of their existing PU coating system and production process. UV coating may replace part or all of the existing process in some applications, while other products may require a hybrid process or may not be suitable for a conventional UV line.

General information required from every factory

Please provide the following information:

1. Factory type and main products.

2. Product photos, drawings and dimensions.

3. Substrate type, wood species, panel construction or flooring structure.

4. Current coating system: PU, NC, water-based, UV or another system.

5. Current coating brand and product codes, if available.

6. Technical data sheets or safety data sheets for the existing coatings, if available.

7. Current finishing-process flow, from sanding to final packing.

8. Number and function of coating layers, such as stain, putty, sealer, primer and topcoat.

9. Existing coating equipment, working width, model and production speed.

10. Photos, videos and equipment nameplates from the current production line.

11. Current production capacity and target capacity.

12. Required color, transparency, pore effect and gloss level.

13. Required adhesion, hardness, scratch resistance, abrasion resistance, stain resistance or chemical resistance.

14. Available workshop space, power supply, ventilation, dust collection and conveyor conditions.

15. Destination country and applicable product or environmental requirements.

16. Product samples or coated reference samples, when available.

The more complete the information is, the faster ATOP can evaluate whether UV coating is suitable and which coating process should be considered.

What should a plywood or wood-panel factory provide?

Plywood and wood-panel factories should provide:

• Panel type, core material and face material.

• Natural veneer, engineered veneer, paper overlay or other surface layer.

• Panel dimensions and maximum working width.

• Surface flatness, sanding quality, porosity and moisture content.

• Clear, stained, pigmented or printed finish requirements.

• Open-pore or closed-pore finish requirements.

• One-side, two-side and edge-coating requirements.

• Current sanding, filling, sealing, priming and topcoat process.

• Current use of PU paint, water-based paint or other coatings.

• Existing roller coaters, curtain coaters, spray machines, dryers and sanding machines.

• Required line speed and daily production capacity.

• Required adhesion, hardness, scratch resistance and surface appearance.

A UV roller or curtain coating process may be suitable for many flat plywood and panel applications, but the coating system must be matched to the face material, porosity, sanding condition and required finish.

What should an engineered wood or bamboo flooring factory provide?

Engineered wood and bamboo flooring factories should provide:

• Flooring structure and top-layer material.

• Wood species, bamboo type or decorative surface.

• Board dimensions, tongue-and-groove profile and maximum working width.

• Brushed, smooth, hand-scraped or textured surface.

• Current staining, putty, sealer, primer and topcoat sequence.

• Number of coating and sanding stages.

• Current PU, water-based or UV coating products.

• Existing roller coaters, curtain coaters, sanding machines and UV curing units.

• Current and target line speed.

• Required gloss, color and transparency.

• Required abrasion, scratch, stain and chemical resistance.

• Slip-resistance or other market-specific requirements.

• Photos and video of the existing finishing line.

Flooring normally requires a coating system designed for repeated wear, abrasion and surface cleaning. The coating sequence used for plywood or furniture should not automatically be applied to engineered flooring or bamboo flooring.

What should a wood-door, furniture or kitchen-cabinet factory provide?

Wood-door, furniture and cabinet factories should provide:

• Product type and intended use.

• Solid wood, MDF, plywood, particleboard, veneer or mixed construction.

• Flat, profiled, carved, assembled or component-based products.

• Photos of the front, back, edges, profiles, grooves and corners.

• Clear, stained, pigmented or high-gloss finish.

• Open-pore or closed-pore appearance.

• Current PU coating process and drying time.

• Existing spray booths, reciprocating spray machines, roller coaters, curtain coaters or drying ovens.

• Whether coating is applied before or after assembly.

• Required line speed and production volume.

• Required adhesion, hardness, scratch resistance, chemical resistance and color consistency.

• Areas that may be difficult for UV light to reach.

Flat doors, cabinet panels and furniture components may be suitable for roller, curtain or spray UV processes. Complex three-dimensional products, deep grooves and shadow areas require separate evaluation because UV light must reach the coated surface sufficiently for curing.

What should a wood-blind or profiled-component factory provide?

Wood-blind and profiled-component factories should provide:

• Slat or component dimensions.

• Wood species and moisture content.

• Flat, curved or profiled shape.

• Number of sides requiring coating.

• Holes, grooves, edges and shadow areas.

• Current dipping, spraying, vacuum coating or manual coating process.

• Current PU or water-based coating system.

• Existing conveyor, spray, drying and curing equipment.

• Product-hanging or component-handling method.

• Required color, gloss and surface performance.

• Production speed and daily output.

• Photos and video showing how products move through the existing line.

Because blinds and profiled parts contain edges, holes and narrow surfaces, their coating and curing conditions should be evaluated separately from flat panels.

What should a PVC or SPC flooring factory provide?

PVC and SPC flooring factories should provide:

• Flooring construction and surface-layer structure.

• Wear-layer material and thickness.

• Printed film, embossed surface and texture depth.

• Current surface treatment, such as corona or other pretreatment.

• Board or plank dimensions and maximum line width.

• Existing coating and curing process.

• Current UV coating product and technical data, if available.

• Roller-coating equipment, application weight and line speed.

• UV lamp type, power and curing configuration.

• Required gloss, matte or ultra-matte finish.

• Required scratch, abrasion, stain and chemical resistance.

• Required flexibility, adhesion and slip performance.

• Destination-market testing or certification requirements.

• Photos, videos and equipment nameplates from the current line.

PVC and SPC flooring require a UV coating specifically designed for resilient or plastic flooring surfaces. A standard UV wood coating should not be selected without adhesion, flexibility and performance testing.

What photos and documents should the factory send?

To reduce technical clarification time, please send:

• Photos of the finished product.

• Photos of the uncoated substrate.

• Photos of each coating machine.

• Equipment nameplate photos.

• Full production-line photos.

• A short video showing the product moving through the line.

• Factory process-flow diagram.

• Workshop layout or equipment-position drawing.

• Current coating technical data sheets.

• Current coating safety data sheets.

• Existing product-quality or testing requirements.

• Samples of the substrate and current finished product, when possible.

How will ATOP evaluate the information?

After receiving the factory information, ATOP will review:

1. Whether the product and substrate are suitable for UV coating.

2. Whether the existing PU process can be partially or fully converted.

3. Whether a UV, waterborne UV, PU-UV hybrid or existing PU process is more appropriate.

4. Which surface-preparation, coating, sanding and curing stages may be required.

5. Whether the existing machines can be retained, modified or supplemented.

6. Which coating tests and product trials should be completed.

7. Whether a single coating product or a complete coating-line proposal is required.

A final coating recommendation should be confirmed through technical review and, where necessary, substrate testing or production trials.