Goss has launched a new dryer for heatset printers which it claims can cut energy consumption and emissions by more than 50 per cent
Based on the company’s Ecocool technology, the Ecoset has design enhancements including the elimination of the cooling section within the dryer, which traditionally pre-cools the web prior to the chill rolls to reduce solvent condensation.
The cooling capability of the small-diameter chill rollers is such that the web can move directly from drying to chilling without condensation occurring. With no cooling section, the overall intake of cold air into the dryer is reduced, with a subsequent reduction in gas consumption and emission.
Product manager Bas Klaver – who is based at the Goss facility in Boxmeer, Netherlands – says the smaller rollers have been shown to eliminate solvent condensation regardless of print speed, paper quality or ink coverage: “This has allowed the Ecoset design team to remove the cooling section, thereby minimising the intake of cold air,” he says.
In addition to its ecological benefits, the new dryer has a smaller footprint and also provides increased productivity over conventional dryers with separate chill sections. "Condensation is a familiar problem with conventional chill stands, causing printers to reduce press speed by up to 20 per cent for some jobs in order to avoid damage to the web,” he says.
The Ecoset dryer can maintain quality at full press speed. It also utilises a silicon applicator, just before the first chill roller, to avoid ink picking from the smaller diameter rollers. With modified silicone applicators, it is also possible to remoisten the web in order to compensate for shrinkage of the web during drying.
Currently available for all web widths between 1460-2860 mm, the dryer has low-maintenance direct drive motors and Simotion controls, web break detection and CLC cameras to ensure dryer performance.
"We estimate that an Ecoset dryer could reduce energy costs by up to US$100,000 a year over an Ecocool dryer, based on current average energy rates," Klaver says. "The potential reduction in carbon dioxide emissions due to lower gas consumption is estimated at 364 tonnes per year for a 64-page press and 283 tonnes per year for a 24-page press," he adds.
Existing Ecocool installations – of which there are more than worldwide. – can be upgraded to the new concept.
An Ecobox option – which uses thermal energy from dryer exhaust to heat the building and to heat water for various other applications within the facility – can deliver further energy-saving benefits.
