Converting to Heraeus Carbon Infrared heaters cuts energy bill

By using carbon infrared (CIR) emitters from Heraeus Noblelight to achieve the rapid print drying demanded by their high speed print heads, The Lettershop Group, of Leeds has achieved significant savings in energy and running costs compared with their previous short wave infrared system. As it is air-cooled rather than water-cooled, the new drying system has also allowed further operational benefits in terms of reduced maintenance, easier cleaning and less downtime.
The Lettershop Group (TLG) is an independent company, which has invested millions of pounds to ensure that it maintains its position as one of the most advanced integrated direct communications groups in Europe. It uses the latest web and sheet-fed technology to produce the highest quality direct mail print. An important part of this work is the generation of personalised mailings, where the basic sales material is produced on large web presses. Part-finished reels are then transferred to a personalisation area, where a range of options, both laser and ink-jet, are available to complete the mailing printing with personalised details. For large runs, TLG offers a technology, where printing heads can print at up to 1000ft/min (300m/min), delivering up to 280 million ink droplets per second. It is essential that this ink is completely dried before the mailings are passed on to the finishing department, where the reel is cut, folded and glued as required. Conventionally, this important drying process had been carried out by fitting very high power, short wave emitters in the near infrared region immediately after the print heads. These transfer a large amount of energy into the ink to effect the drying at high speeds. However, their high power also necessitated water cooling of the emitters, involving chiller units and pipework. Moreover, the short wave infrared lamps were difficult to clean and traditionally have a short working life, which means that maintenance costs can be high because of frequent downtime.
Recognising all these problems, TLG contacted Heraeus. Having established that the inks were water-based, Heraeus proposed that the drying could be carried out more efficiently if medium wave emitters were applied, as water absorbs infrared most strongly in the medium wave section of the infrared spectrum. It was also proposed that carbon infrared (CIR) emitters would be ideally suited for the application, as they combine the energy efficiency of medium wave in drying with the fast response times of short wave emitters. Following extensive tests to prove the technology, two complete lines have now been equipped with CIR emitters installed at TLG’s Leeds site. Each line is equipped with two CIR systems, which consists of a heater module, an exhaust module and a control panel. The heater module contains twenty one 8.3kW twin tube carbon emitters, with a total power output of 174.3kW, providing a total power density of 140kW/m². This compares with the installed power of between 300 and 400kW of the before used short wave systems. Moreover, the control panel allows switching of emitters in banks of three depending on the web area, which needs drying whilst P.I.D control ensures that the correct amount of power is applied irrespective of line speed. Since installation, all four systems have proved extremely efficient, providing annual energy savings of around £30,000 on each line. They have also required very little maintenance, as cleaning now takes around two to three hours compared with the two days of the before used short wave system and their original lamps are still functioning perfectly after nearly two years. In addition to saving considerable space, as there is no need for the equipment required for water cooling, the new systems are also proving more tolerant of sensitive papers, as the paper temperature for the CIR system is just 30 - 35ºC, as opposed to the 60-70ºC of the previous short wave system. Removing the requirements for water-cooling also has a health and safety benefit as it eliminates the potential of personnel being burnt by the hot water pipes.

Heraeus Noblelight GmbH, with its headquarters in Hanau and with subsidiaries in the USA, Great Britain and China, is one of the technology- and market-leaders in the production of specialist light sources. In 2005, Heraeus Noblelight had an annual turnover of 79 Million € and employed 644 people worldwide. The organisation develops, manufactures and markets infrared and ultraviolet emitters for applications in industrial manufacture, environmental protection, medicine and cosmetics, research, development and analytical laboratories.

The precious metal and technology organisation Heraeus, is a market- and technology-leader, worldwide, in the fields of precious metals, dental materials, sensors, quartz glass and specialist light sources. With a turnover of over 9 milliard € and with more than 10,600 employees worldwide in more than 100 companies, Heraus has been acknowledged worldwide for more than 150 years as a precious metals and materials specialist.
The high innovation and development potential in the organisation is promoted and encouraged intensively and in a targeted fashion. Heraeus is consolidating its leading position in various industrial sectors by customer-focused product development and considered and targeted acquisitions.

Heraeus Noblelight GmbH
Reinhard-Heraeus-Ring 7
D-63801 Kleinostheim
Germany

Press Contact:
Dr. Marie-Luise Bopp
phone 0049 6181 35-8547
marie-luise.bopp@heraeus.com

This release was published on openPR.