Ultra Drying System
Spectra HE™ Ultra Drying System
The Spectra HE™ Ultra Drying System is used to dry coatings on non-porous materials, films, foils, and papers where high temperatures are not effective. This system uses HTI’s patented (pending) Spectra HE™ Technology. We custom design and build solutions to suit the needs of many industries, such as printing, converting, drying non-woven fabrics, carpets, textiles, glossy paper and films, foils, printed electronics, etc. We are interested in establishing mutually beneficial relationships with both OEMs and end-users.
Features and Benefits
Increased Web Speed
Our ability to dry faster has made it possible for some customers to increase web speed by a factor of 3. Of course, this is accomplished without a reduction in quality. Achieving greater returns with the existing capital base drives healthy ROI calculations for customers.
Reduced Energy Consumption
Current drying technologies require energy for several different reasons – electricity for heating elements, fans and blowers, air compressors, plant air, and natural gas for heating. The Spectra HE™ Ultra Drying System uses electricity for a fan and heating elements only. The HTI System does not require an air compressor. Also, the volume of air is significantly reduced so the demand for plant air heating and cooling is reduced. We have seen energy savings up to 70%.
Increased Press Performance with Water-Based Inks
If drying of water-based inks is a challenge for your operation, the HTI solution is better at removing moisture than currently available drying techniques. Our tests show that water-based ink and coating applications dry at faster production speeds.
Lower Operating Temperature
Some solutions increase drying by increasing the temperature. This may result in a distortion of the material that is being dried. Our drying technology is effective at the same or lower temperature than traditional drying solutions. We manage the process so that distortion/stretching of the material to be dried is eliminated.
Energy Independent Source
The Spectra HE™ Ultra Drying System can use hot air derived by electricity (heater) or as a byproduct of combustion of fossil fuels. It uses a unique, patented process which “charges the air” so that fluids, solvents or water that are bound to a coating are released, in fact, dried, at a higher rate than using heat alone.
We know that words like new and revolutionary will raise concerns with production management. Be assured that our solution is elegant and simple, having only one moving part, the blower. Uptime will not be negatively affected by introducing our solution into your production environment.
Applications
The Spectra HE™ Ultra System efficiently drys, cools, & heats many different material types:
- Powders, chemicals, minerals, and pharmaceutical actives.
- Coatings: adhesives, paints, lacquers, sealants, barrier coatings, cold seal
- Sheet Materials: films (including polyester), paper, rubber latex, open & closed-cell foam, metal sheets, glass, shrink sleeve film and labels, composites such as fiber-reinforced plastics
- Textiles/ Apparel: woven, knitted, nonwoven-structures, yarn, staple, tow
- Paper: recycled, fine paper, tissues, paper for laminates, cardboard, paper production, paper drying, latex reinforced paper products, cellulosic and synthetic papers
- Fibers: synthetic fibers (organic & inorganic), natural fibers, molded fibers
- Food: meats, baked goods, pulses, puffed foods, snack bars
- 3D Items: cups, rubber-shaped objects, multi-material composites, metal bolts, wood, wood composites
Spectra HE™ Ultra Drying System is compatible with many different press types and processes:
- Flexographic (Central Impressions and In-line)
- Curtain coated materials, films, paper, or three-dimensional objects
- Offset and Multi-Process Lithographic
- Rotary Letter or Web Offset
- Stand Alone or Booster Drying Station for a Variety of Custom Printing Applications
Regardless of the industry – Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Cosmetics, Consumer Goods, Beverage, Food, etc, the HTI system will offer considerable advantages over your current drying system. This product can be configured to attach to any manufacturer's printing press and requires less space than most solutions currently on the market.
OEM’s and Retrofits
If drying is a bottleneck for your current operation, HTI can propose a replacement or add-on system. Our design process is to discuss your current drying method, energy use and understand the physical configuration of your equipment. Since our drying system is compact and flexible, we can add our equipment to the existing press/coater/laminator/etc. using the available area for installation. Once we have completed the design, we can estimate line speed increase, the energy demand and potential energy savings of your solution. If you’re considering buying a new press we will be happy to work with you to design a system that can be added to your press/coater/laminator/etc. when it is installed.
We are also actively working with OEMs to show the benefits of the Spectra HE™ Ultra Drying System.
A typical Spectra HE™ Ultra Drying System includes:
- Dryer Station (per color or process)
Systems are available from 1 color (custom application) to 22 colors for hot air-based presses. A 2-year warranty is provided on every system we build. Maintenance is kept to a minimum since the only moving part is the blower.