A whole wing of the new Research and Development laboratories is dedicated to the application of the products. All of the most important and most commonly used painting machinery in the coatings industry are installed, permitting testing of the products in varying application conditions, and also giving the opportunity for the client to evaluate the products from an application point of view. Machinery for roller application, spray application, curtain coater application and UV curing is available.

The on-going search for new techniques and the collaboration with leading companies in the coatings machinery industry have helped ICA in the formulation of UV products able to meet a wide range of requirements in the various sectors of industrial coatings. (cupboard doors, doors, profiles, etc.).


Polyester UV paints, widely used in coating flat panels thanks to their economic nature, offer sufficient reactivity for the necessary line speed and give good results. They are formulated using unsaturated polyester resins dissolved in styrene, the latter having both the function of a solvent and the capacity to react with the resin and therefore contribute to the total solid content of the paint.

Thanks to its many years of formulation and application experience ICA now has a vast range of polyester UV products to satisfy all needs. Recently, stimulated by market tendencies, ICA has perfected a line of matte polyester UV top coats, for spray and curtain coater application, with aesthetic characteristics and softness to touch which are comparable with polyurethane top coats, but with reduced drying times and superior surface hardness.

• Transparent and pigmented polyester UV fillers for roller application
• Transparent matte and gloss polyester UV top coats
• Transparent polyester UV base coats for spray application
• Transparent paraffinated and direct polyester UV base coats for curtain coater application
• Transparent and pigmented matte and gloss polyester UV top coats for spray application
• Transparent and pigmented matte and gloss polyester UV top coats for curtain coater application

Compared to polyester UV paints, acrylic UV products are characterized by their minor environmental impact in that the monomers contained in them are less volatile than the styrene contained in polyester UV, and therefore give a product with a solid content of 100%. Acrylic UV products have excellent elasticity, adhesion and chemical-physical resistance. Furthermore, with the use of the specific primers, it is possible to solve the typical problems created by resinous woods. The specifically formulated products for painting frames and profiles, thanks to their high reactivity, satisfy the need for working at high speeds which is typical of this sector.

The completeness of the range allows choice of a product to suit all needs and different types of spray and roller application. New products have also been introduced for application by modern technologies such as laser roller (both for base coats and top coats) and normal and vacuum coater application.

• Transparent acrylic UV primers for roller application
• Transparent and pigmented acrylic UV fillers for roller application
• Transparent acrylic UV base coats for spray application
• Transparent and pigmented matte and gloss acrylic UV top coats for spray application
• Transparent and pigmented matte and gloss acrylic UV top coats for roller application
• Transparent acrylic UV base coats for curtain coater application
• Transparent and pigmented matte and gloss acrylic UV top coats for curtain coater application
• Transparent acrylic UV base coats for vacuum coater application
• Transparent matte and gloss acrylic UV top coats for vacuum coater application

Latest generation water based UV products, with excellent chemical-physical characteristics of the dried film and ample variety of application techniques, are gaining more and more success for spray and curtain coater applications.

Traditional UV products (polyester and acrylic) must be formulated using monomers and volatile solvents to be suitable for spray and curtain coater application. On the contrary, in water based UV products the action of the solvent is carried out mainly by water. This allows the user to eliminate problems of solvent emission into the atmosphere, thus avoiding the need for costly disposal plants.

With water based UV products open pore and matt finishes can be obtained, which are difficult to achieve with acrylic UV paints. ICA's line includes pigmented top coats in any colour and tonality, surpassing the limits of the typical formulations of polyester or acrylic UV coatings, and its water based UV paints, thanks to their physical drying, permit even three dimensional objects to be coated. It is also possible to carry out mixed painting cycles using acrylic UV base coats and water based UV top coats, making the most of the qualities of each type of UV.


In water based UV paints the complete evaporation of the water from the wet film takes place before the passage under high power UV lamps. Traditional methods such as vertical tunnels, laminar hot air flow ovens and/or hot air percussion, with times above twenty minutes, normally allow the safe use with this type of product. Currently on the wood painting machinery market new technologies using special mixed hot air ovens/infrared, microwave or radio wave lamps are becoming more popular, and can noticeably reduce water evaporation times.

• Transparent and pigmented water based UV for spray application
• Transparent and pigmented matt and semi-gloss water based UV top coats for spray application
• Transparent and pigmented matt and semi-gloss water based UV top coats for curtain coater application.

Operation	Quantity g/m	% VOC
Sanding with grain 180 abrasive paper
1st COAT
Roller machine application of transparent polyester UV base coat UVF41 F	20-30
Semi drying with 1 high power UV lamp (80W/cm) at 8 m/min
2nd COAT
Reverse roller application of transparent polyester UV base coat UVS27FI	50
Drying with 3 high power UV lamps (80W /cm) at 8 m/min Sanding with grain 320 abrasive paper
3rd COAT
Curtain coater application of transparent polyester UV top coat UVOS093 (available in various gloss levels)	100	6.0
Flash off 3 minutes in tunnel at 30°C + 2 minutes with lamps TL03+ TL05 Drying with 3 high power UV lamps (80W/cm) at 8 m/min
Theoretic volatile solvent (VOC) maximum per m painted: g.60,7 - 60,8

Operation	Quantity g/m	% VOC
Sanding with grain 180 abrasive paper
1st COAT
Filler roller application of acrylic UV filler UVSS099	30-40	0
Semi drying with 1 high power UV lamp (80W/cm) at 10 m/min
2nd COAT
Laser roller machine application of acrylic UV base coat UVS5107	30-40	0
Drying with 3 high power UV lamps (80W/cm) at 10 m/min
Sanding with grain 320 abrasive paper
3rd COAT
Etched roller machine application of acrylic UV top coat UVO5095 (available in various gloss levels)	10-15	0
Drying with 2 high power UV lamps (80W /cm) at 10 m/min
Theoretic volatile solvent (VOC) maximum per m' painted: g.O

Operation	Quantity g/m	% VOC
Sanding with grain 180 abrasive paper
1st COAT
Filler roller application of acrylic UV base coat UVF5052	30
Semi drying with 1 high power UV lamp (80W/cm) at 10 m/min
2nd COAT
Reverse roller application of acrylic UV base coat UVS32	50
Drying with 3 high power UV lamps (80W/cm) at 10 m/min
Sanding with grain 320 abrasive paper
3rd COAT
Curtain coater application of water based transparent mall UV top coat UVA95 (available in various gloss levels)	100	0.5
Flash off 40 minutes in vertical oven 45°C
Passage under 2 high power UV lamps (80W/cm) at 8 m/min Theoretic volatile solvent (VOC) maximum per m' painted: g.O,S

Operation	Quantity g/m	% VOC
Sanding with grain 180 abrasive paper
1st COAT
Spray application of vehicled water based stain	15-20
Light sanding with abrasive sponge
2nd COAT
Spray application of transparent water based UV base coat UVA80	100-120
30 minutes in vertical oven 45°C
Drying with 2 high power UV lamps (80W/cm) at 8 m/min
Sanding with grain 320 abrasive paper
3rd COAT
Spray application of water based transparent mall UV top coat UVA94 100-120 (available in various gloss levels)	100	0.5
Flash off 30 minutes in vertical oven 45°C
Drying with 2 high power UV lamps (80W/cm) at 8 m/min Theoretic volatile solvent (VOC) maximum per m'painted: g.4,S"
*A similar painting cycle with polyurethane products would produce a VOC level per m painted of around 170 g

Operation	Quantity g/m	% VOC
Sanding with grain 280-320 abrasive paper
SINGLE COAT	100-120	2
Spray application of pigmented water based UV top coat UVA5076 or UVA51730 (available in various gloss levels)
Flash off in vertical oven 45 C
Drying with 2 high power UV lamps ( one gallium and one mercury) (80W /cm) at 5 m/min. Theoretic volatile solvent (VOC) maximum per m' painted: g.2
*It is necessary to carry out preliminary tests to ascertain adhesion onto the type of paper used.
**The same cycle can be carried out on MDF after application of a first coat of white water based UV base coat.

• Transparent acrylic UV primers
• Transparent and pigmented polyester UV fillers
• Transparent and pigmented acrylic UV fillers
• Transparent matt and gloss polyester UV top coots
• Transparent and pigmented matt and gloss acrylic UV top coots

• Transparent polyester UV base coats
• Transparent acrylic UV base coats
• Transparent and pigmented water based UV base coats
• Transparent and pigmented matt and gloss polyester UV top coots
• Transparent and pigmented matt and gloss acrylic UV top coots
• Transparent and pigmented matt and semi-gloss water based UV top coats

• Trans parent paraffinated and direct polyester UV base coats
• Transparent acrylic UV base coats
• Transparent and pigmented matt and gloss polyester UV top coats
• Transparent and pigmented matt and gloss acrylic UV top coats
• Transparent and pigmented matt and semi-gloss water based UV top coats

• Transparent acrylic UV base coots
• Transparent matt and gloss acrylic UV top coots

Base/top coat for UV drying which allows the realization of rapid cycles with an extremely natural finished effect and an almost invisible film.


Treatment with ageing effect, UV dried, available in a wide range of colours and coatable with UV top coots and with UV oil.

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ICA SpA has at its' disposal in their laboratories nearly every machine imaginable for the application of UV coatings - whether solvent or water based. They are also fortunate in being situated near many of the leading application machinery manufacturers and close collaboration between us has allowed ICA to produce a vast range of UV cured products suitable for anyone using or interested in using this type of technology.

• Roller applications
• Curtain coater applications
• Spray applications
• Vacuum coater applications

ICA's research in this field was presented to the European Commission and was the only one to receive an award ("LIFE") in the coatings sector. The products developed by ICA were shown to work effectively towards a reduction in atmospheric emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC).

LIFE (l'Instrument Financier pour l'Environnement) program, is an initiative launched to give financial incentives to organizations engaged in 'solid and sustainable development'. The central objectives of the LIFE program are the control and reduction of pollution in its various forms through 'clean' technologies.


ICA is also the first European woodcoatings manufacturer to achieve ISO14001 certification - described as:

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured approach to addressing the environmental bottom line. ISO 14001 is the world's most recognized EMS framework - accepted from Argentina to Zimbabwe - that helps organizations both to manage better the impact of their activities on the environment and to demonstrate sound environmental management. See www.iso.org for more information. Back to top