UV mercury lamps to be banned?

Discontinued UV mercury lamps – what the impending ban means for the woodworking industry

The European RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive pursues a clear objective:

the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic devices is to be reduced or completely prohibited. One of the key substances under focus is mercury.

Many of our industrial customers who use UV-hardened lacquers could find that this introduces significant changes – in particular the potential ban of UV mercury lamps.

UV hardening with mercury vapour lamps – a tried and tested standard under pressure

UV hardening is an established process in furniture and flooring production that is facilitated using mercury vapour lamps. These lamps generate the required UV light to harden lacquers quickly, efficiently and with a high surface quality. The most widely used are medium or high pressure lamps with a broad UV spectrum and high intensity.

Yet it’s precisely this technology that is increasingly under regulatory pressure, since its principal component, mercury, is considered a hazardous substance.

RoHS Directive:

regulation, exemptions and deadlines

The RoHS Directive basically prohibits the use of mercury in electrical and electronic devices. In the past, however, temporary exemptions were granted for certain industrial applications – including UV mercury lamps.

There is currently such an exemption in force (Annex III, entry 4(f)), which continues to permit certain mercury lamps for UV applications. It has already been extended multiple times.

The most important facts regarding the exemption:

What does it apply to?
Among others to large UV lines or modules that are integrated within complex industrial systems, and to laboratory equipment in research & development. (Details: RoHS 2, Article 2)
How long is it valid?
Up to and including 24 February 2027.
Is a further extension envisaged?
Industry associations are preparing corresponding applications. Individual companies can support these applications.
How likely is an extension to the exemption?
Roger Stark (VDMA) spoke on the topic at IST UV-DAYS 2025 and considered the chances of an extension until 2032 to be realistic.
What happens if there is no extension?
In this case, there is likely to be a transition period of 12–18 months. After that, no new systems using mercury lamps may placed on the market.
Replacement parts for existing machines are probably excluded from this – it should be possible to continue to supply and use them if the equipment was already on the market.
What are the dependencies for an extension?
The decision will largely depend on whether technically and economically viable alternatives are available with respect to the applications concerned – and the socioeconomic impacts that such a ban would have.

Which replacement technologies are available?

Which replacement technologies are available?

1. LED-UV technology

LED-UV systems are seen as the most significant future technology in the UV-hardening sector – they offer many advantages:

Mercury-free
Significantly lower energy consumption
Longer service life
No warm-up time

Challenges:

LED lamps only emit in a narrow wavelength spectrum – many existing UV lacquers are not (yet) suitable for this.
Hybrid solutions (LED + conventional UV lamps) are required in many cases.
Retrofitting of existing production lines is required.
Investment costs for new systems

2. EB technology (electron beam hardening)

Electron beam technology is a potential alternative, especially given particularly high hardening requirements.

But:

Substantially higher investment costs
Extensive process changes required
Seldom used so far in the furniture industry

Conclusion:

Does the ban apply after 24 February 2027?

The end of the UV mercury lamp is approaching – and with it a technological upheaval in many areas of industrial surface finishing. Whether the EU will once again extend the current exemption until 2032 remains an open question.

Companies that want to be future-proof should consider alternatives such as LED-UV technology at an early stage. Pilot projects, test series and conversations with suppliers of modern UV systems are the order of the day. So get in touch with us.

Conversion may be associated with investment – it does however also offer an opportunity for greater sustainability, efficiency and innovative capability in production.

Contact

Your expert on this topic

Ralf
Untiedt

EN | DE

Product Management & Marketing Product Manager

+49 2381 963 828 Send E-Mail

Back to newsroom