Posted to News on 21st Nov 2008, 14:59
Powerstrip drying system can cut energy costs by half
Process drying expert Secomak and its Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) partner, The University of Hertfordshire, have produced a 'total drying system' for the manufacturing industry, which mirrors the way hybrid cars save energy.
This new drying approach is aimed primarily at bottle and can drying applications, though the system can be customised to dry any container and has potential to dry sheet metal or plastic extrusions. According to Secomak, the results promise to be world-beating, with savings of up to 50 per cent in energy costs. The system utilised by the collaborative team involves only drying when necessary.
Equipped with sensors that can detect when a product needs to be dried, the Powerstrip engages stainless steel nozzles that, among other things, shoot compressed air underneath the bottles' crowns to dry them. Alternatively, blown air can be released through slots on the side of the machine and driven across the surface of the bottles to dry them for labelling.
This product is the result of a government-funded KTP to which University of Hertfordshire graduate in aerospace systems David Palmer has brought his skills in computational fluid dynamics, project management and project planning. He states: "The big advantage of this system is that the machine is equipped with sensors which sense when the product needs to be dried, rather than the dryer working all the time."
David Dell, Secomak Product Development Manager, backs up this notion, saying: "The theory behind our machines is identical to the engineering philosophies applied in the hybrid car. 'Supply on demand' on a production line is identical to the stopping of a hybrid car's engine when stationary. The car runs on petrol and electricity, whilst our machines run on both blower-driven air and compressed air, and is the first machine of its kind to do this. With the new package able to control noise and energy savings on all of our systems, industrial dryers will know be able to make a real difference to our environment."
As drying is one of the major energy issues within industry, using the technologies developed between Secomak and the University of Hertfordshire enables intelligent and optimised methods of drying while incorporating major savings in energy resources. For more information on Secomak KTP activities, please visit David Dell's blog at www.totaldrying.com.
