Frequently Asked Questions About Drying and Curing

---

• Drying removes moisture or solvents from a material, often through heat or airflow. 
• Curing involves a chemical reaction—often triggered by heat, UV light, or time—that hardens or stabilizes a material, such as adhesives, coatings, or composites. 

 Proper drying and curing ensure:

• Product integrity and performance 
• Strong adhesion and bonding 
• Dimensional stability 
• Compliance with quality and safety standards 
• Reduced defects and rework

 Common industries include:

• Automotive (coatings, battery seals) 
• Electronics (PCB coatings, potting compounds) 
• Medical devices (adhesives, coatings) 
• Printed electronics and flexible circuits 
• Aerospace, packaging, and composites manufacturing

• Convection drying (hot air)
• Infrared (IR) drying
• Vacuum drying
• Desiccant-based or dry-air systems

• Thermal curing (ovens, hot plates)
• UV/LED curing
• Moisture or humidity curing
• Microwave or induction curing, in specialized applications

 It depends on factors like:

• Material composition and thickness 
• Adhesive or coating chemistry 
• Required cure time and temperature 
• Production speed and footprint 
• Environmental and energy efficiency goals

To help you select the correct drying method for your application, the Natgraph Test Center offers a hands-on, expert-led environment where solutions are tested, validated, and refined. 

Our experienced technicians work closely with you to explore technologies, evaluate performance, and tailor a drying configuration that meets your specific requirements. By the time your project is ready to launch, you’ll have full confidence in the process and results.

More than just a testing area, the Natgraph Test Center is where innovation meets precision—combining deep expertise with real-world application to deliver the highest levels of reliability, efficiency, and performance.  Take a sneak peek.

• Incomplete or uneven drying 
• Over-curing or thermal degradation 
• Cycle time constraints 
• Energy inefficiency 
• Space limitations on the production line

Yes. Modern systems can be fully integrated into automated lines with precise control of time, temperature, and environmental conditions—along with real-time monitoring and traceability. 

Poor drying or curing can lead to adhesion failures, dimensional changes, or contamination. Controlled processes ensure consistent quality, improve yield, and support industry-specific compliance (e.g., ISO, FDA, IPC standards). 

Absolutely. Systems can be tailored for specific materials, chemistries, production rates, and footprint requirements—whether standalone, inline, or integrated into robotic cells.