(57) @ Apparatus and method for irradiating a plurality of cylindrical articles angularly spaced about the axis of and extending longitudinally along a cylindrical turret. The turret is reciprocated back and forth under a scanning beam of radiation to expose an arcuate section of at least one of the cylindrical articles to the beam. After predetermined reciprocation, the turret is rotated by an angular increment in order to expose a similar arcuate section of another cylindrical article to the beam. The turret is also translatable axially into and out of a shielded chamber which houses the beam. To permit maximum surface exposure to the beam, each cylindrical article is rotatable about its axis while the turret is reciprocated under the beam.