SunSpot 2 vs SkyBeam: Which Benchtop UV Curing System?
The SunSpot 2 ($4,220) and the SkyBeam ($2,900) are both Uvitron benchtop spot-curing systems, both cure photo-initiated adhesives in seconds through flexible light guides, and both ship in 24–48 hours with a 2-year OEM warranty. The resemblance ends at the light source. The SunSpot 2 burns a 200 W mercury short-arc lamp with output from 275 to 650 nm; the SkyBeam drives up to four solid-state LED channels at 365, 385, 395, or 405 nm.
That single difference cascades into everything else, spectrum, intensity, warm-up, consumables, and how each system connects to a production line. This page puts the two head-to-head, spec by spec, and closes with verdicts for three common buyers. The three-way table that adds the handheld SkyWand is on our comparison page.
Source and Spectrum
The SunSpot 2 concentrates its 200 W arc into a liquid-filled light guide and delivers more than 18,000 mW/cm² of UVA (320–390 nm) at the tip, enough to cure most photo-initiated chemistries in 1 to 10 seconds. Because the lamp's 275–650 nm output runs from UVB/UVC through visible light, it also cures surface-inhibited and dual-cure adhesives that single-wavelength LEDs can't fully cure. If your adhesive datasheet calls for broadband or UVB/UVC content, this is the system that satisfies it.
The SkyBeam takes the opposite approach: each LED light guide emits at a single wavelength, 365, 385, 395, or 405 nm, chosen at order, so all of its energy lands where a matched photoinitiator absorbs. Peak irradiance is 11,000 mW/cm² at a 3 mm spot (365 nm), stepping to 5,600 at 6 mm and 1,500 at 12 mm. The headline number is lower than the arc's, but the two aren't measured alike: the arc figure integrates a 70 nm band, while the LED concentrates output at one peak. For an adhesive specified at 365–405 nm, the SkyBeam's usable dose is highly competitive, delivered with instant on/off and zero warm-up.
Head-to-head Specifications
| Spec | SunSpot 2 | SkyBeam |
|---|---|---|
| UV source | 200 W mercury short-arc, quick-change cartridge | Solid-state UV LED heads |
| Spectral output | 275–650 nm broad spectrum, UVB/UVC capable | 365 / 385 / 395 / 405 nm (guide-dependent) |
| Peak intensity (typ.) | >18,000 mW/cm² UVA (320–390 nm) | 11,000 @ 3 mm · 5,600 @ 6 mm · 1,500 @ 12 mm (mW/cm²) |
| Warm-up / restart | 1–2 min; 2–5 min cool-down to re-strike | None, instant on/off |
| Source life (typ.) | >2,000 hr lamp (UV1866 quick-change) | 20,000 hr LEDs |
| Independent channels | 1 lamp, up to 4 poles via splitter | 4, each with its own timer & life log |
| Exposure timer | Integral electronic timer + shutter | Auto 0–999.9 s / manual, per channel |
| Triggering | Front panel + foot pedal (included) | Front panel, foot switch, RS-232 |
| PLC / external I/O | Discrete DSUB signals (UV2156 cable) | Signal ports, safety interlock, key-lock |
| Pricing | $4,220 | $2,900 |
Values are taken from the manufacturers' instruction manuals. Both systems are in stock, ship in 24–48 hours, and carry a 2-year OEM warranty with 30-day returns on unused units.
Channels, Control, and Automation
The SunSpot 2 is built around one lamp and one operator. An integral electronic timer and mechanical shutter deliver repeatable exposures, a foot pedal comes in the box, output adjusts from 25–100%, and lamp power is regulated to ±1.0%. Multi-pole light guides can split the single lamp into as many as four balanced legs, so one system can cure four points at once, but all four legs share the same shutter and fire together. There is no RS-232 port, but the rear DSUB does expose PLC-compatible remote control, lamp on/off, shutter, hour-meter reset, and lamp-ready/ignited signals via the UV2156 I/O cable.
The SkyBeam was designed for the line. Its four channels are fully independent, each with its own intensity setting (10–100%, current-regulated to ±1%), its own 0–999.9 s auto timer, and its own LED life log. Triggering runs through the front panel, the included foot switch, or RS-232, and the back panel adds signal ports, a safety interlock, and a security key-lock. If curing has to answer to a PLC or a host computer, the SkyBeam is the one built for it, serial commands plus dedicated signal ports and interlock, no retrofit required (the SunSpot 2 offers discrete DSUB signals only).
Consumables and What's in the Box
Running cost favors the LED. The SunSpot 2's UV1866 lamp module lasts more than 2,000 hours and swaps as a quick-change cartridge, but it is a recurring purchase, and the lamp needs 1–2 minutes of warm-up plus 2–5 minutes of cool-down before a hot re-strike. The SkyBeam's LEDs are rated for 20,000 hours, ten times the life, with no lamp inventory and no warm-up at all, and its 1.0 A draw at 120 V is well under the arc's 4.7 A.
The SunSpot 2 arrives working out of the box: a UV0570 1 m × 5 mm liquid-filled light guide, the UV1860 shutter foot pedal on a 6 ft cable, UV0496 shade-5.0 fit-over safety eyewear, a US power cord, the UV2554 heat filter factory-installed, and the manual. The SkyBeam ships with its foot switch, two security keys, a terminal-block screwdriver for interface wiring, power cord, the same shade-5.0 eyewear, and the manual; its LED light guides (one to four, with 6 and 12 mm lenses) are specified at order so the wavelengths match your adhesives from day one.
Three Buyers, Three Verdicts
The mixed-chemistry lab, verdict: SunSpot 2. R&D benches and contract assemblers rarely control which adhesive walks in the door. The SunSpot 2's 275–650 nm output cures modern UVA formulations and the legacy, dual-cure, and surface-inhibited chemistries that need UVB/UVC, one $4,220 system instead of a drawer of single-wavelength heads.
The automated production cell, verdict: SkyBeam. A defined adhesive at 365–405 nm, a PLC that needs to fire and verify the cure, and uptime targets that don't tolerate lamp changes: the SkyBeam's RS-232 control, signal ports, safety interlock, per-channel timers, and 20,000-hour sources check every box at $2,900, $1,200 less than the arc.
The multi-station bench cell, verdict: usually SkyBeam. Both systems can cure four points: the SunSpot 2 splits one lamp across up to four balanced poles that fire together, while the SkyBeam gives each of four operators an independent channel, timer, and life log. Choose the SkyBeam for independent timing, unless any adhesive in the cell needs broadband, in which case the SunSpot 2 is the only fit. Either way, many cells add a $790 SkyWand for off-bench rework.
Common Questions
Which system is cheaper to own?
The SkyBeam, on both ends: $2,900 versus $4,220 up front, and 20,000-hour LEDs versus a lamp module you'll replace after 2,000-plus burn hours. What the SunSpot 2's premium buys is spectrum, coverage from 275 to 650 nm that no LED system offers. If your chemistry needs it, that's the whole decision.
Can the SunSpot 2 run on an automated line?
It can be machine-mounted, and its integral timer and shutter deliver repeatable exposures, but it has no RS-232 port, though basic PLC control (lamp, shutter, status signals) is available through the rear DSUB and UV2156 cable. For line integration with external control, interlocks, and signal ports, the SkyBeam is the purpose-built choice.
Can either system cure more than one point at a time?
Yes, both, differently. The SunSpot 2 uses multi-pole light guides to split its single lamp into up to four balanced legs that expose simultaneously. The SkyBeam drives up to four light guides on fully independent channels, each with its own timer, intensity, and life record.
