Home and dry

20 April 2006




Hybrid from Heraeus

A special hybrid carbon infra red emitter for drying water based inks on multi layer, absorbent serviettes has been developed by Heraeus Noblelight. Claimed to be significantly more efficient than conventional halogen emitters, which deliver only short wave radiation, it simultaneously dries inks on the surface and provides penetrating heat to evaporate water within the serviette.

The hybrid unit combines a medium wave carbon emitter with a short wave infra red emitter in a quartz glass twin tube. This allows the use of infra red for applications which require it at the surface as well as in the deeper layers. As a result, the correct heat is distributed homogenously.

Heraeus Noblelight says the use of hybrid emitters instead of conventional halogen types saves energy. Alternatively, if the same amount of energy consumed by conventional emitters is used, it is possible to increase the serviette production output significantly.

The company says the new emitters will suit applications requiring infra red radiation of different absorption spectra or depth of penetration, such as in the drying of printed tissues or in toner fixing. Medium wave infra red is especially good for the rapid evaporation of water, as it is efficiently absorbed by water and then directly converted into heat. This is in contrast to short wave infra red radiation, which penetrates more deeply into materials.

Infra red emitters with carbon technology provide power densities of up to 150 kW/m2, with fast response times said to allow excellent controllability - so that heat is applied for only as long as is necessary.


UV lightens laminating load

Recently, GEW (EC) supplied a specialist replacement curing system to permit laminating of plastics materials using UV curable adhesives.

Franco Pagano, responsible for GEW sales in Italy, explains: “We have been involved in retrofitting a UV system for laminating that was challenging because it involved the lamination of an extensible film to a fairly rigid metallic substrate. The impact of heat for such an application can create registration problems and ripples, or even bubbles on a relatively thick final product. The added demand for a high gloss also required a high degree of curing energy that increased the need to optimize heat management.

“We removed the existing UV equipment and installed our new, electronic UV system comprising VCP-45 electronic lampheads, e-Brick power supplies and two S-wrap water cooled chill rolls – to minimize heat build-up to the substrate.”

He adds: “In addition to the heat sensitivity involved with this project, the time frame between order placement and installation was quite short. The customer needed to increase output significantly while maintaining product specifications. The use of the our new e-Brick power supply and VCP electronic curing units results in a reduction of up to 30 per cent power usage with a corresponding decrease in the heat generated.

“In addition, because we already had the configuration of the customer’s existing press within our 3D CAD program, the design and configuration of the UV system, complete with mounting and shielding hardware for the seven VCP film curing units, was accomplished with minimum downtime.”


Spooner’s space saver boosts evaporation

A compact forced convection drying system suitable for both on or off-machine applications is offered by Spooner Industries in the ModuleDryer. It is claimed to combine high evaporation rates with excellent paper web handling, allowing simultaneous turning and drying or cooling of the coated web.

Developed in co-operation with Voith Paper, the ModuleDryer features a special nozzle system that allows the coated web to be turned through a given angle (0-180 degrees) in a stable manner without any loss of heat transfer. As its name suggests, the unit is fully modular and can combine the full range of heating, drying and cooling technologies. Multiple zoning allows the system to be tailored to individual requirements.

Spooner says the system’s design can allow a reduction of around 35 per cent in machine length. High drying rates of up to 200 kg/m2 hour and thermal efficiency of around 70 per cent with heat recovery are claimed.

EB on the increase

Lawrence Wild, director of Energy Sciences agent Edlon Machinery, reports: “Last year we had an accelerated interest in electron beam curing. Firstly, manufacturers supplying several web offset presses in the US and Europe for packaging materials, curing inks and protective varnishes used ESI’s equipment. Secondly, again for installations in the USA, as a viable alternative to 100 per cent solids solventless laminating adhesives, EB adhesives have no free monomers of isocyanates. Thirdly, Sun Chemicals is developing EB curable flexo inks for CI presses using a wet on wet printing principle and curing through a single EB unit of the new compact EZCure design.”

He continues: “UV is still not considered suitable for direct contact in production of food packaging and therefore EB media (no photoinitiators in the chemistry) offers an interesting alternative to solvent/water-free products.” EB is said to offer economical drying of inks, coatings and laminating adhesives, or cross-linking of plastics film.

ESI supplies Electrocure and EZCure EB processors for electron energies in the range of 70-300kV. They are available with dose capacities up to 2,400Mrad m/min, allowing curing speeds for inks and coatings of up to 1,000m/min. Standard Electrocure processors are available for webs and boards from 45-300cm width. For treatment of heat sensitive materials at high dose, a chill drum is used under the electron beam. EZCure equipment is available for widths ranging from 50-165cm. Up-time for the processors is claimed to be typically 99 per cent.

The processors are said to meet all regulations for fully shielded equipment. Use of film dosimeters or other control systems is not necessary. According to the company, there is no radiation when the EB system is turned off and no residual radiation or radioactivity in the products treated, or the electron processor itself.

Operation and maintenance of the equipment requires no special training, ESI states. Its control can be integrated into the printing or converting line controls, and it can be programmed with product recipes.

Advantages claimed for EB processing include: no solvents; curing/drying takes place in “a fraction of a second”; there is no post curing - immediate continued processing is possible; and no heat is generated, as with UV. EB is also said to consume less energy than thermal or UV drying. EB inks and coatings are said to be less expensive than comparable UV products.

EB fully cures through all ink layers and colours and at the end of the printing press without inter colour drying, provided wet on wet printing is possible. Electrons can cure an adhesive through an aluminium foil. The drying energy of an EB system can be precisely slaved to line speed.

Nitrogen makes the most of UV

Print Concept UV has developed a nitrogen inerted UV system that provides a nitrogen rich environment for UV curing - utilizing the free radicals for curing normally lost to oxygen during the process in conventional drying systems. The resulting cure is claimed to provide improved surface qualities specifically gloss, hardness and abrasion resistance. Elimination of the typical UV odour is also a big advantage for applications involving food products.

It is also said to reduce the costs associated with UV curing, as considerably less power is required and savings are realised with the reduction of expensive photoinitiators. Heat sensitive substrates benefit from this method, as less power is needed to achieve the cure.

The new nitrogen inerted lamps can be retrofitted into existing Print Concept systems “with a minimum of investment”, the company states.


Monocassettes at AMS

UK agent Jarshire has supplied 40 Bekaert-Solaronics Monocassette drying units for the envelope, label printing and addressing equipment at Addressing & Mailing Solutions.

AMS supplies direct mail businesses and users with a range of equipment that also includes folding machines, inserters, tabbers and polywrappers. Used to speed up drying times and increase production, the Monocassette range consists of infra red heaters starting from the 1kW/360mm version up to 3kW/790mm. These are said to be easily combined into larger drying systems to cover most drying applications in the power range from 1-40kW.

The Monocassettes are said to be suitable for all forms of ink and glue drying in the converting, corrugating and printing industries, and potential customers can test the Monocassettes on their own machines, at no cost, the company states. Installation is quick and easy and, once fitted, control and operation are simple, it is claimed.


Primed for presses

The Prime UV wide web processor is designed to fit in line with Cl flexo, gravure and offset web presses - retrofitted or on new machines. It is said to feature the latest in computer controlled, air cooled UV lamp systems, and is housed within Prime’s light shielding “custom designed for the rigorous needs of the converting and packaging industry”.

The wide web processor is supplied with a Smart 2100 control platform that monitors UV drying conditions in real-time, and an energy optimizer/air filtration system that is said to ensure clean, filtered air to the curing chamber, and prolongs life and intensity of the UV lamp system.



FilesContacts


External weblinks
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Prime UV
Jarshire
Edlon Machinery
Spooner Industries
GEW (EC)
Heraeus Noblelight

FilesContacts

GEW provides a cure GEW provides a cure
Inerted UV system from Print Concept Inerted UV system from Print Concept
Monocassettes from Bekaert-Solaronics Monocassettes from Bekaert-Solaronics
Heraeus hybrid unit Heraeus hybrid unit "more efficient"


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