Light Sources

The Norland collection of long-wave, ultraviolet light sources have been carefully selected to fit all of your bonding needs when using Norland Ultraviolet Curing Adhesive. Whether you are bonding lenses, tacking electronic components, or curing optical splices, these lights are designed to cure the adhesive quickly and safely. Special features and designs have been added to some of these lights so that they work together with the Norland UVC Optical Splice.

To decide which light source is best for you, here are some points to consider. First is the size of your bonding area. It is critical that the entire adhesive area receives uniform light to insure proper curing. Second is the thickness of the adhesive. The thicker the bond line, the higher intensity of UV light is required to cure the adhesive. The third consideration is cure speed. Higher intensity lights will cure the adhesive faster but have more potential for causing strains. Lower intensity lights cure slower but tend to minimize strain in the bonded area.

   Opticure 4 & Opticure 4T

The Norland Opticure 4 Light Gun (P/N 5080 or P/N 5080T) is a small handheld light source which provides a high intensity beam of long wave ultraviolet light in an easy to control form. This light source is designed for continuous use on production lines where small areas of UV adhesive need to be cured quickly and precisely. It is recommended for bonding fiber optic splices, terminating connectors, lens bonding, printed circuit board repairs, wire tacking and mounting precision components in optics and electronics.

The Opticure 4 has a high intensity, quartz halogen lamp (P/N 5011)  that gives a minimum output of 50mW/sq.cm in the 340-400 nm range. The unit may also be equipped with a bulb to cure visible material (P/N 5010) in the 420-470 NM range. When the light source trigger is activated an audible tone sounds every ten second  the operator is in complete control of the operation of the light. At any time the curing cycle can be discontinued by pressing the trigger switch. The light is focused into a 84mm long, swivel mounted, curved fiber optic light guide, which gives the operator great versatility in directing the light. The fiber optic tip should be held within 1/2" of the surface being cured to provide full intensity. The Opticure 4 saves time because it concentrates the light exactly where it is needed to speed the cure.

The light gun can be made more versatile with accessory light guides available in larger and smaller diameters and lengths. Because of the high intensity UV and visible light emitted by the unit, protective glasses are recommended for the user. A pair of protective glasses are included when you purchase any Opticure 4.

The Opticure 4 also can purchased with a timer that has 10, 20,30 ,40, 50 second and continuous settings.  The Opticure 4 T (P/N 5080T) is recommended for use on production lines that have a procedure requiring specific time requirements for curing.  The timer makes it easier for the operator to follow the curing procedure.

Opticure 4 with Timer

Also available in a 220V model (P/N 5082 or 5082T) and 240V model (P/N 5084 or 5084T)

Polylux 500

The Polylux 500 UV curing chamber is a fully self contained light source that uses two 9 watt UV florescent bulbs.  The unit has a cure area of 4" x 5" x 2".  The inside of the chamber is completely mirrored so that all sides of your component will be exposed to UV light at the same time.  The light source has a timer with a setting of five or tens minutes The light source generates  a minimum of 8000 microwatts/sq.cm

Spectronics SB-100P

The SB-100P Lamp from Spectronics is a high intensity black light lamp that is exceptionally rugged. This efficient and dependable light source is ideal for countless applications using Norland UV Adhesive. The SB-100P uses a 100 watt mercury lamp and is available with either a flood (P/N 5505) or a spot (P/N 5500) bulb. The flood bulb (P/N 5512) has an average intensity of 6,000 microwatts/sq. cm at a distance of 6 inches over a 7 inch diameter. The spot bulb (P/N 5511) concentrates the light into a central hot spot of approximately 2 inches. The average intensity is 14,000 microwatts/sq. cm at a distance of 6 inches. Accessories for these units include a heat guard, a wall mounting bracket and a flexible arm fixture.

Spectronics Bench Mount

The Spectronics Bench Mount Lamp style XX-15A (P/N 5600) is ideal for slow, even cures over a large area. Two 15 inch bulbs are housed in a rugged anodized aluminum housing. On the inside of the housing is a specular aluminum reflector to maximize the UV irradiance. This lamp has sturdy metal brackets so that the lamp can easily be mounted overhead.

The XX-15A uses two 15 watt bulbs (P/N 5611) and typically peaks at 2,000 microwatts/sq. cm when mounted at a distance of 4 inches. The cure area of this unit is approximately 4 x 15 inches.

Mini Lamp

The UVC Mini Lamp (P/N 5300) is a portable, battery operated, ultraviolet lamp designed to cure the Norland UVC Optical Splice. After the splice has been assembled, the Mini Lamp can be easily moved to fit over the splice without interfering with the optical fibers.

The UVC Mini Lamp has a cure area of 5/8" x 4". The average light intensity of this unit is 2,000 microwatts/sq. cm and comes with 4 AA batteries.

Splice Lamp

The Splice lamp (P/N 5200) is a table top lamp especially designed for curing the Norland UVC Optical Splice. This 4 Watt, high intensity, fluorescent black light (P/N 5211) is mounted in a sturdy, hinged stand that can be lifted out of the way during assembly and then lowered into place for the cure.

The splice lamp has a cure area of 1.5 x 2 inches. The average light intensity of this unit is 2,500 microwatts/sq. cm at a distance of 1.5 inches.

Cure time for Norland UV Adhesive

When bonding two surfaces with Norland UV Adhesive, the minimum full cure is estimated at 20 times the precure time using the same intensity of ultraviolet light. This is a general statement that works well in most applications.

The precure time is defined as the time it takes to initially set or gel the adhesive so that the two surfaces being bonded can no longer be moved. For example, a 15 second precure requires 5 minutes (15 seconds x 20 = 5 minutes) for full cure. Typical precure times will be from 5 seconds to 60 seconds depending on light intensity and adhesive formulation. When different light sources are used in production for the precure and the full cure, the precure time used in this calculation must be measured using the full cure light source.

Safety

Ultraviolet light is commonly divided into two regions. Short wave UV in the 190 to 320 nanometer range and long wave UV in the 320 to 400 nanometer range. The short wave UV is considered the most dangerous because it can easily damage the eye and can cause sun burn. No short wave UV light is emitted by any of the Norland UV light sources.

Long wave UV is considered relatively safe. There have been studies that show that high intensity long wave UV and bright visible light up to 500 nanometers can cause damage to the eyes with prolonged exposure. Because Norland UV Adhesives cure so quickly, our UV lights are low to medium intensity and are extremely safe to use with minimal precautions. Do not stare directly at the light and wear UV blocking eye protection. Indirect light from these units is considered relatively harmless.