Heraeus infra-red dryer for Saunderson's Furniture

Citation

(1998), "Heraeus infra-red dryer for Saunderson's Furniture", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 27 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1998.12927faf.002

Heraeus infra-red dryer for Saunderson's Furniture

Heraeus infra-red dryer for Saunderson's Furniture

Keywords Colour, Drying, Heraeus, Infrared

Saunderson's Furniture Ltd, of Kilbirnie, Scotland, has recently installed another infra-red dryer from Heraeus Noblelight, of Bromborough, to assist in the colour staining and lacquering of wooden panels used in the manufacture of its wide range of high quality furniture (Plate 1).

The Kilbirnie factory produces finished items such as hi-fi cabinets, directly from bare timber. This timber, in panel form, must be colour-stained and UV lacquered before assembly.

Since the introduction of the Environmental Protection Act in 1992, there has been a trend in the woodworking industry away from solvent-based coatings and towards water-based coatings. Anticipating this trend, Saunderson decided to switch to water-based colour stainings in 1990 but this decision caused them initial problems.

These were caused at the point where the UV lacquer was applied over the colour staining. With solvent-based paints, the solvent would "flash off". However, with water-based paints the stain coat is still wet when it reaches the lacquer stage, with the result that the lacquer does not key properly and the correct finish is not achieved.

Plate 1 Heraeus infra-red equipment drying colour-stained panels prior to lacquering at Saunderson's Furniture

Consequently, it is important that the colour stain is dried before lacquering and Saunderson's began to investigate suitable drying methods. They first of all considered gas convection ovens but these were discounted because they required a footprint of some 20m and would have required a residence time of around 30 minutes for the drying to be complete.

They finally decided on two medium wave, infra-red heaters, from Heraeus. These were just 2m in length and, at a rating of 12kW each, and according to Saunderson's, they proved capable of completely drying the colour-stained panel, even at line speeds of 10m/min. In addition, they have proved to be extremely energy-efficient. They warm up to the required temperature in less than two minutes, so they can be switched off at lunchtime and during long breaks, unlike gas ovens which must be run at temperature throughout the working day.

Such has been the success of the infra-red installation that Saunderson's have recently installed a further 12kW unit to cater for another staining and lacquering stage. Over the years, the production line has been standardised into 2m stations for all operations and the infra-red equipment fits very well into this modular arrangement and has greatly facilitated the various line re-organisations which have taken place.

Infra-red drying is now said to be becoming the preferred option for companies wishing to effect the transition from solvent-based to water-based paints, especially in the woodworking industry. Medium wave infra-red has a great affinity for water and offers a very energy efficient method of drying. In addition, the simplicity and compactness of infra-red equipment allow retrofitting be carried out with the minimum disruption.

Further details are available from Heraeus Noblelight Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 151 343 0545; Fax: +44 (0) 151 343 9883.