IONOMY™ Partner spotlight: Globus Srl

Engineering coating application and integration for energy-cured coil coating

Coil coating is built on engineering. Coatings must be applied reliably and consistently on high-speed production lines, with performance guarantees that meet end-user requirements.

As new curing technologies such as UV and electron beam (EB) are introduced, these fundamentals do not change. What changes is the level of precision required. Radiation-curable coatings place new demands on coating equipment, application practices and line integration, particularly as curing times become much shorter.

Within the IONOMY™ ecosystem, Globus contributes its engineering expertise in coating systems and line integration and provides modular coatings solutions and coating line design to help coil coaters adapt existing knowledge and practices to energy curing.

A specialist in strip processing and coating equipment

Founded in 1995 and based in Turin, Italy, Globus is an engineering company specialising in equipment for metal strip processing, including coating, levelling, cleaning and chemical treatment. With nearly 200 coating machines supplied, Globus is an established player in coating equipment for coil and packaging applications.

Globus’ experience is firmly rooted in conventional coil coating. This long-standing background in strip processing and coating application provides a practical foundation for working with radiation-curable systems, where similar principles apply but with important technical adjustments.

Globus’ role within the IONOMY ecosystem

Within IONOMY, Globus brings expertise as an equipment manufacturer and system integrator, providing modular coating systems as well as full coating line design for coil applications. Its role is to engineer coating solutions that can operate reliably when combined with new curing technologies.

Working alongside coatings and curing partners, Globus contributes to a system-level approach, where coating application, curing units and line design are considered together. This reflects the ecosystem’s objective to provide coil coaters with a coherent and realistic pathway to energy curing, rather than a collection of individual technologies.

Adapting systems for radiation-curable coatings

Coating, curing units and line engineering are interdependent. Changes to one part of the process affect the others. As a result, radiation-curable coatings require modifications to coating equipment and application practices.

Globus has developed technical solutions specifically aimed at the application of radiation-curable coatings, with a focus on achieving the required quality performance in industrial coil coating environments.

These solutions are supported by practical experience. Globus has supplied new coating lines or sections incorporating radiation curing equipment, including digital printing lines for steel strips at Steel Dynamics in the United States, along with a second installation in China, as well as retrofitting installations within existing conventional coating lines. These applications also include curing equipment from fellow IONOMY partner, PCT Ebeam.

These references provide valuable real-world insight as coil coaters consider more compact line layouts and alternatives to traditional thermal ovens.

Industry readiness: interest combined with caution

Awareness of energy curing is increasing across the coil coating industry, driven by sustainability objectives and the potential for operational savings.

At the same time, adoption remains cautious. Coil coaters must continue to guarantee product performance to their customers, and the implications of new curing technologies must be fully understood. Readiness varies between companies, with larger organisations often better positioned to explore the required level of investment.

Engineering experience and real-world references play an important role in supporting informed decision-making.

Why Globus joined IONOMY

Globus recognises that without a collaborative effort which brings together coatings suppliers, curing specialists and engineering partners, improvements would remain limited. It joined IONOMY to add its engineering expertise and past experience, to help turn the promise of radical transformation into practical solutions that make it happen.

Looking ahead

For many years, coil coating has been seen as a mature industry, where only marginal improvements were expected. Energy curing has the potential to change that, but only if it is implemented responsibly.

Through IONOMY, energy curing is moving from concept to real installations. As UV and EB technologies continue to develop, Globus sees its role as supporting coil coaters with the engineering knowledge and experience needed to manage this transition with confidence.

This article was developed with Diego Pedemonte, Globus Srl, a partner in the IONOMY™ ecosystem.