Energy curable technologies have been making significant in-roads in many markets.

To highlight these gains, RadTech – The Association for UV & EB Technology will be hosting RadTech 2018 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago,  from May 7-9, 2018. There will be a wide range of new programs this years, beginning with five Short Courses, more than 100 presentations and approximately 80 exhibitors.

There are plenty of end-users on hand to offer their insights, with presenters coming from Ford Motor, PPG, Pepsico, China Tobacco Zhejiang Industrial Co., Ltd and Coty Inc. discussing important segments from graphic arts and 3D printing to coatings, automotive and nail gels.

Among the expected highlights are more than 25 talks on UV LED, new Theatre Sessions on important trends, two sessions each on packaging and on 3D printing, and the RadLaunch new technology accelerator.

“We see consistent growth across UV+EB technology for food packaging and 3D printing driven by equipment and material advances,” said Mickey Fortune of RadTech. “We have a lot going on so we, of course, focus on several areas, but with two conference sessions and additional panel discussions each, Printing + Packaging and 3D Printing will take up a lot of the focus.

The theater sessions, which will be held on the show floor and will expand educational opportunities, include:
3D Printing;
Future of UV LED Chemistry;
Future of UV-C LED;
UV LED Myth Busters;
Trends in UV Inkjet/Digital Printing;
Food Processing & Disinfection;
Future of Automotive;
Manufacturing & Customer Use

“One of the highlights for RadTech 2018 will be the Exhibit Theater we are building on the show floor,” Fortune added. “Over the three days of our conference we will be hosting high-level presentations, and panel discussions on Trends in UV Inkjet, the Future of UV LED Chemistry, UV+EB for Food Safety, the Future UVC LED UV+EB, Manufacturing and Customer Use in the Automotive Industry, Electron Beam for Packaging, Innovations in 3D Printing, and a special edition of UV LED Mythbusters.”

The RadLaunch UV+EB Accelerator will feature 15-minute presentations about from seven companies regarding innovative processes powered by UV+EB.

“We selected seven companies this year to receive funding and mentorship in a unique, idea accelerator for start-up companies focused on UV+EB technology applications,” said Fortune. “We have everything from food disinfection to composites to metal materials for 3D Printing.”

RadTech 2018 opens officially on May 6 with a series of Short Courses. These include:

Inkjet Surface Decoration Short Course – Dr. Alan L. Hudd, Director and Founder, Alchemie Technology, Cambridge, UK. This course is part of IMI’s Industrial Print Academy;
UV/EB Professional Short Course – Dr. Mike Idacavage, Colorado Photopolymer Solutions, and Dr. Neil Cramer, Colorado Photopolymer Solutions/University of Colorado. (In addition, Dr. Idacavage will host an Introduction to the Basics of UV/EB Curing course each day.);
Advanced Photopolymerization Topics – Dr. Susan Bailey, IGM Resins, and Dr. Molly Hladik, Michelman;
Click Chemistry in Radiation Curing – Christopher N. Bowman, University of Colorado Boulder;
Design of Experiments for UV/EB Scientists and Engineers (two parts) – Dr. Allan Guymon, University of Iowa.

Monday, May 7 features three concurrent tracks. Track A covers the topics of Adhesion Promotion/Adhesives, Automotive, 3D Printing I and 3D Printing II. Track B offers sessions on Chemistry, Overcoming Challenges, Flooring and Patterning.

Track C has segments on New Product Debut I, Photopolymerization Fundamentals I and Photopolymerization Fundamentals II.

Meanwhile, in the Exhibit Theater, there will be three panels as well as a session on UV+EB for Food Safety.

The first panel, Trends in UV Inkjet/Digital Printing, will feature Tom Molamphy of Siegwerk, Alan Hudd of Alchemie Technology Ltd. and Josh Hope of Mimaki USA.

The Future of UV LED Chemistry, the second panel, will be discussed by Jake Staples, Ashland; Mathew Mathew, Sun Chemical; John Kilbo, Siegwerk; Jo Ann Arceneaux, Allnex; Evan Benbow, Wikoff; and Jonathan Graunke, INX International Ink Co.

The third panel, The Future of UVC LED, will be the topic for Dr. Sven Schalk, Heraeus; Jay Pasquantonio, Phoseon; Dr. Max Shatalov, Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.; Jim Cosman, Aquisense; and Peter Gordon, LiTeProducts LLC.

UV+EB for Food Safety will feature moderators Tatiana Koutchma, Ph.D., research scientist in novel food processing, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC); Peter E. Gordon, MSEE, manager, LiTeProducts; and speakers focusing on fruits and vegetables.

RadTech 2018 resumes on Tuesday, May 8, with three tracks. Track A features segments on Printing + Packaging I, Printing + Packaging II, UV LED I and UV LED II. Track B covers Coatings, Formulation, Waterborne and Electron Beam. Track C features New Product Debut II.

Meanwhile, the Exhibit Theater will begin with a panel on The Future of Manufacturing and Customer Use in the Automotive Industry, including Chris Seubert, Ford Motor Co.; Peter Votruba-Drzal, PPG; and Mary Ellen Rosenberger, BaySpring Solutions.

The panel on Electron Beam for Packaging will feature Todd Fayne of Pepsico; Im Rangwalla of ESI; Vincent Luo of CGN Dasheng Electron Accelerator Technology Co. Ltd.; Kelly Williams of Futamura; and Wang Hui of China Tobacco Zhejiang Industrial Co., Ltd.

3D Printing includes panelists Maximilian Zieringer, Formlabs; Mike Idacavage, Colorado Photopolymer Solutions; and Jo Ann Arceneaux, Allnex.

Wednesday, May 9, features three tracks as well. Track A includes sessions on Photoinitiators, Cationics and a Global Market Overview discussing North America, China and Europe. Track B includes segments on Equipment, UV Nail Gel and Materials. Track C covers New Product Debut III.

The Exhibit Theater will feature a panel on UV LED Mythbusters, led by Mike Higgins of Phoseon, Jim Raymont of EIT, David Biro of Sun Chemical, and John Freismuth of Empire Screen Printing.

RadTech is also looking to help the community with a unique project that emphasizes the contribution that UV/EB curing brings to products.

“We’re currently organizing a project at the show called UV+EB for Good, where we’ll encourage all attendees to bring a food or household item to donate to a local area food bank,” Fortune noted.

“The twist is we’d like to get as many items that use UV+EB technology in the packaging. To help people select items to donate, we’re going to send around emails to the industry to crowdsource a list of food and household products that use UV+EB technology in the packaging.” 

For more information, check the web at www.radtech2018.com.