Based in Nürtingen, not far from Stuttgart, IST Metz GmbH develops, manufactures and sells UV curing systems for energy technology, electronics, display, medical, automotive, cosmetics, metal and flooring applications and also, of course, the wood processing industry. Some 40 years since it started out, the company now boasts the world's largest range of high-performance UV lamp and UV LED systems for curing inks, varnishes, adhesives and silicones. Its portfolio is rounded off by Excimer technology for matting, cleaning and modifying surfaces. IST Metz is using a specially manufactured transportation system to showcase both its UV and Excimer prowess at LIGNA 2019 in Hannover.

Three meters in length, the highlight of the UV specialist's stand in Hall 17 links a total of three units, each with 1,400 millimeters of lamps. First comes the LAMPcure BLK unit with a long-wave gallium lamp that influences both the viscosity of the coating and its reactivity to the light emitted by the Excimer lamp. This unit was developed for the toughest industrial requirements, and an LED version - LEDcure - with a wavelength of 365, 385 or 395 nanometers is also available for a variety of applications. Since gelling affects the feel of the varnish, even after curing, additional properties such as a soft-touch surface and an anti-fingerprint effect can be achieved. The Excimer unit’s lamps operate at a wavelength of 172 nanometers, which emits sufficient high-energy radiation to trigger a polymerization process in the uppermost part of a layer of UV-curable coating. Due to the low penetration depth of the UV radiation emitted, this process leaves behind a thin film on the wet coating without affecting the layers below. The formation of a film leads to micro-folds close to the surface, which gives it a matt appearance. This matt texture can be made permanent during final curing in the third unit using conventional LAMPcure technology. The end result is a deep matt surface finish with excellent mechanical and chemical resistance.