IR Dryer misconception

[3Deep]

While I'm waiting on UPS I was thumbing thru screenprinting mag and found this article, I know some you have talked about this a bunch with waterbase inks, this article was written by Mark Vasilantone from Vastex. removing moisture with IR vs gas heat

Darryl

[244]

While I'm waiting on UPS I was thumbing thru screenprinting mag and found this article, I know some you have talked about this a bunch with waterbase inks, this article was written by Mark Vasilantone from Vastex. removing moisture with IR vs gas heat

Darryl

IR can cure waterbase but is not the preferred way by a long shot. Just ask anyone doing discharge at speed which one works the best. Also typically gas will be around three times cheaper to operate than electric in most places

[3Deep]

Rich, I can't speak on this as I have never used gas for my dryers, I just found this article and thought it was interesting...vastex makes a lot of dryers as do you, question did you read what Mark wrote?

Darryl

[mk162]

i agree with Rich, while it might work, it certainly isn't the preferred method.  I think a great way is with an IR bump panel in front of a gas dryer chamber.

[TCT]

i agree with Rich, while it might work, it certainly isn't the preferred method.  I think a great way is with an IR bump panel in front of a gas dryer chamber.

Another way of doing something like this is to run a flash on the last head of the press. Gives it a "bump" also....

[Binkspot]

It can be done but god is it slow. The Maxi Cure it needs to go through twice and the Vastex needs 3 sometimes 4 times. Both are at slowest belt speed. I even tried putting the Maxi behind the Vastex with some one in between pulling from one setting on the other still no joy.

[balloonguy]

I run wb & dc through an econo red ii with a 3' chamber. It is really slow (35-45 an hour) but I have not had to run them through 2x or 3x.
Matt

[Binkspot]

I run them through until I can not smell the discharge in them (when using discharge). I know in theory they will dry eventually at room temp, guess I'm just a little over cautious.

[ebscreen]

I think the point of the article is more to tell anyone that has an IR dryer that doesn't print
WB because of it that it certainly is possible. Don't let a stupid thing like a dryer hold
you back. Evo on here used a Scamp I think.

With the apparent increase in WB printing I'd wager there's a market for smaller gas fired
dryers. And with the decrease in heat chamber length we just might see a return
to the IR bump days.

[Frog]

I think the point of the article is more to tell anyone that has an IR dryer that doesn't print
WB because of it that it certainly is possible. Don't let a stupid thing like a dryer hold
you back. Evo on here used a Scamp I think.

With the apparent increase in WB printing I'd wager there's a market for smaller gas fired
dryers. And with the decrease in heat chamber length we just might see a return
to the IR bump days.

Maybe he did, but I seem to only remember references over the years to my Scamp. and it was an original 4 footer!

The only water based I may have ever run with it was airbrushed Union AeroTex and whatever else Union had twenty years ago. I had a big stash from my old boss who gave up on it.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Evo ran a Ranar but it was a step above a scamp I believe

[ol man]

Got a buddy down the street with a workhouse ir dryer. 4 or 5 foot chamber I believe.  Does discharge thru it just fine

[brandon]

Misconception? Not really. Just depends on your volume of output. We have electric and gas dryers and cannot wait to get rid of the electric one. I'm sorry but all of the electric dryers I have had the privilege of running cannot handle hundreds of shirts an hour regarding discharge. And running them through twice doesn't count. And if you have to do that might as just slow the press down anyway.

[ZooCity]

Airflow and chamber time are the missing links. 

If you have enough air flowing in the chamber you can generate the heat anyway you like.  Gas is preferable but any form of hot (hot enough that is) moving air with a rate of exchange will do it.  We have a 10' chamber TexAir that is all electric and the appx 6' forced air section is heated with U shaped finstrip heaters.  The shirts get gently bumped on either end with IR. Gas is smarter of course but our dryer keeps up with an all air auto (single op) and a manual running DC, or the auto with a loader/puller, (think up to 700pcs/hr, depending on print size) and performs well without fixing agents or catalysts in the ink.

I would definitely used fixers and/or catalysts in short IR setups though. 

On the vastex, the problem here is chamber time.  They are based around being shorty dryers, which is rad when space is tight but you simply can't get this done without adequate chamber time. Hence it working out on two goes with something like a maxi cure on low belt speed but probably taking too many goes on dryer with a 1-2' chamber. 

[ZooCity]

But yeah, I agree this is not a "misconception".  If yer conception is that a vastex dryer is probably one of the dumbest ways to run DC than you would be correct.  I think I remember a video they made showing this and it was this super sad DC red, almost tragicomic. 

Those little dryers are excellent for what they are but the co. seems to enjoy making them appear to be more than they are.