EP4067797A1 - Vorrichtung und verfahren zum trocknen/härten von chemischen produkten - Google Patents

Vorrichtung und verfahren zum trocknen/härten von chemischen produkten Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP4067797A1
EP4067797A1 EP22153139.5A EP22153139A EP4067797A1 EP 4067797 A1 EP4067797 A1 EP 4067797A1 EP 22153139 A EP22153139 A EP 22153139A EP 4067797 A1 EP4067797 A1 EP 4067797A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pieces
tunnel
inert
inert gas
fixture
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP22153139.5A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Massimo Dal Pozzo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Cefla SCARL
Original Assignee
Cefla SCARL
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from IT102021000001580A external-priority patent/IT202100001580A1/it
Priority claimed from IT102021000001577A external-priority patent/IT202100001577A1/it
Application filed by Cefla SCARL filed Critical Cefla SCARL
Publication of EP4067797A1 publication Critical patent/EP4067797A1/de
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B15/00—Machines or apparatus for drying objects with progressive movement; Machines or apparatus with progressive movement for drying batches of material in compact form
    • F26B15/10—Machines or apparatus for drying objects with progressive movement; Machines or apparatus with progressive movement for drying batches of material in compact form with movement in a path composed of one or more straight lines, e.g. compound, the movement being in alternate horizontal and vertical directions
    • F26B15/12—Machines or apparatus for drying objects with progressive movement; Machines or apparatus with progressive movement for drying batches of material in compact form with movement in a path composed of one or more straight lines, e.g. compound, the movement being in alternate horizontal and vertical directions the lines being all horizontal or slightly inclined
    • F26B15/18—Machines or apparatus for drying objects with progressive movement; Machines or apparatus with progressive movement for drying batches of material in compact form with movement in a path composed of one or more straight lines, e.g. compound, the movement being in alternate horizontal and vertical directions the lines being all horizontal or slightly inclined the objects or batches of materials being carried by endless belts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D3/00—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials
    • B05D3/06—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials by exposure to radiation
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D3/00—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials
    • B05D3/04—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials by exposure to gases
    • B05D3/0466—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials by exposure to gases the gas being a non-reacting gas
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B21/00—Arrangements or duct systems, e.g. in combination with pallet boxes, for supplying and controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects
    • F26B21/004—Nozzle assemblies; Air knives; Air distributors; Blow boxes
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B21/00—Arrangements or duct systems, e.g. in combination with pallet boxes, for supplying and controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects
    • F26B21/06—Controlling, e.g. regulating, parameters of gas supply
    • F26B21/12—Velocity of flow; Quantity of flow, e.g. by varying fan speed, by modifying cross flow area
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B21/00—Arrangements or duct systems, e.g. in combination with pallet boxes, for supplying and controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects
    • F26B21/14—Arrangements or duct systems, e.g. in combination with pallet boxes, for supplying and controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects using gases or vapours other than air or steam, e.g. inert gases
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B25/00—Details of general application not covered by group F26B21/00 or F26B23/00
    • F26B25/008—Seals, locks, e.g. gas barriers or air curtains, for drying enclosures
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B3/00—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat
    • F26B3/28—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by radiation, e.g. from the sun

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for providing a drying oven under controlled atmosphere for photopolymerizing/drying photopolymerizable/dryable chemical products (paints or glue, generally indicated as coating) through the emission of radiations having a pre-defined wavelength.
  • the invention relates to an inert tunnel for the photopolymerization/drying of sundry materials (wood, fibrocement, glass, plastics, etc.) preferably capable of conferring a matt (opaque) finishing to pieces (panels or rolls) having a mainly flat surface, or to three-dimensional pieces.
  • the invention relates to a device suitable to prevent the ingress of atmospheric air into the drying tunnel.
  • the invention relates also to a device that improves the working of a photopolymerizing lamp, preferably an excimer lamp, with which the drying tunnel is provided.
  • a photopolymerizing lamp preferably an excimer lamp
  • the mainly flat panels to be dried after painting are provided with dimensions ranging 200x400x4 mm to 1300x3000x50 mm.
  • Materials provided in rolls can be dried too, said rolls being provided with dimensions ranging 300 mm in width and 0.5 mm of thickness, up to 1300 mm in width e 6 mm of thickness.
  • Three-dimensional pieces are pieces wherein the three dimensions of the piece are comparable. Indicatively, said three-dimensional pieces are provided with dimensions ranging 200x400x100 mm a 1300x3000x200 mm.
  • the degree of opacity of finish is usually evaluated with a numeric index ranging 1-100, wherein the panels with glossy finish score around 100, while the panels with matt finish score around 2-5.
  • a matt finish can have a score up to 30-40, while the finishes having an index of 50-60 are indicated as semi-glossy.
  • the concentration of oxygen must be at a minimum, and perfectly uniform in the point wherein the polymerization reaction occurs, that is, in correspondence of the polymerizing/excimer lamp.
  • the oxygen molecules in the site of reaction i.e. in correspondence to the polymerizing lamp
  • the concentration of oxygen tends to be higher in correspondence of the ingress and egress points of the pieces to be dried into/from the inert tunnel.
  • painted panels to be dried/finished are conveyed through closed belt conveyors inside a tunnel containing said inert atmosphere.
  • closed belt conveyors typically two rollers actuate the closed belt; usually one of them is motorized, while the other is an idle roller.
  • the closed belt In lateral view, the closed belt assumes an oval shape, with its two long sides parallel to each other. Panels are carried by the upper outward section, while the lower section is the return section.
  • the closed band conveying system can be spared.
  • feeding the drying oven by unwinding the roll through a suitable device, while the progressively unwound tract of material is slid on rollers provided in the inert tunnel, which can be motorized or idle rollers.
  • the conveying speed of the pieces to be dried in said inert tunnel may be necessary, wherein said pieces undergo treatment through an excimer lamp, or anyway through a lamp suitable for polymerizing the coating applied to the pieces to be dried.
  • the higher the speed of the system conveying the material to be dried the higher the quantity of gas needed to keep the tunnel saturated with nitrogen.
  • the conveying speed of the material inside said tunnel ranges 5 m/min to 30 m/min; in some cases, a speed 50 m/min can be reached.
  • Aim of the present invention is providing an inert tunnel (in absence of oxygen), inside which a device emits radiations of a pre-set wavelength for polymerizing/drying a coating applied to said pieces, allowing to minimize the quantity of inert gas needed to saturate the drying tunnel.
  • a further aim of the present invention is providing an inert tunnel (without oxygen), inside which a special fixture provided for the polymerizing lamp emitting radiations of a pre-set wavelength for photopolymerizing/drying painted materials, allowing to minimize the quantity of inert gas needed to saturate the inert tunnel and obtain final results free of defects.
  • Both devices the one for preventing the ingress of atmospheric air into the drying tunnel, and the special fixture provided for the polymerizing lamp, concur to the aim of lowering the concentration of oxygen inside the drying tunnel, and therefore cooperate to obtain polymerized pieces with excellent quality, minimizing the number of pieces that have to be discarded.
  • the apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a barrier device allowing to minimize the flow of gases between the inside and the outside of the tunnel.
  • the device provides an air blade at the ingress and egress ends of the pieces to be dried of said inert tunnel.
  • the atmospheric air provided by the air blade injected at the inlet and outlet of pieces can be provided with a vertical direction, parallel to the transversal section of the inert tunnel.
  • the air blade can be slanting with respect to the direction of conveying of pieces. At the inlet of the pieces, the air blade is directed in a direction contrary to the conveying direction of pieces, while at the outlet the air blade is directed in the same direction as the conveying of pieces.
  • the angle of the air blade does not exceed about 45° with respect to the vertical direction, i.e. to the transversal section of the inert tunnel.
  • the air blade should be directed toward the inside of the tunnel, it should be provided with a pressure equal to or inferior to that of the nitrogen tending to escape from said tunnel, without which the inside of the tunnel would tend to be polluted in the working area of the polymerizing lamp.
  • said air blade must be provided with an intensity and a distribution of air that are perfectly uniform on the whole section of the inlet/outlet of pieces.
  • the gaseous nitrogen contained in said tunnel tends to expand upwards, both inside the tunnel (higher concentration upwards), and immediately after escaping out from the tunnel.
  • atmospheric air comprises about 80% of nitrogen but also other gases, and especially that its specific weight varies according to the humidity degree of the atmospheric air. The airflow coming from said air blade presses down nitrogen, slowing down its outflow. For these reason, directing the air blade from top to bottom is convenient.
  • the flow of the air blade In use, the flow of the air blade must be adjusted according to the conveying speed of pieces in the inert tunnel and to the quantity of nitrogen injected into the tunnel itself; due the difference in the molecular weight between nitrogen and air, at the same pressure level, nitrogen is much faster than air.
  • the present invention is provided with different embodiments.
  • said air blade is generated by a hood, whose details will be explained further on with the help of Figures.
  • the hood generating the air blade must be produced so as to generate a laminar flow provided of an adjustable direction.
  • the speed of the inert gas measured at the egress point of the pieces, is 0.1-0.5 m/s, while the speed of the vertical supply air blade is roughly double, i.e. 0.2-1 m/s.
  • a speed of the air blade of 0.1-1 m/sec is sufficient, the specific speed being a consequence of the parameters of the machine placed upstream the inert oven.
  • the apparatus according to the present invention further comprises a fixture inside which said polymerizing or excimer lamp is mounted; said fixture is supplied with an inert gas for two reasons:
  • Such fixture in fluid communication with the inert tunnel, but sealed with respect to the external environment, pours the inert gas used for its cooling directly inside the inert tunnel, and in particular on the piece to be dried at the moment and in the point where the photopolymerization occurs, triggered by the irradiation by the polymerizing/excimer lamp.
  • the pressurization is obtained by injecting the inert gas inside a wide chamber: the expansion of the gas allows it to diffuse over the whole surface to be treated in a perfectly uniform way, by the injection through a plurality of calibrated holes.
  • a first advantage of the present invention is the possibility of obtaining an inert atmosphere in the inert tunnel while optimizing the quantity of inert gas, with a noteworthy saving in the quantity of inert gas that has to be provided in order to obtain a suitably inert atmosphere.
  • Experimental tests showed that for an inert tunnel having a transversal section of about 30x1450 mm according to the known art, 140 m 3 /h of inert gas must be provided. Conveying speed being equal, with the inert tunnel according to the present invention, 90 m 3 /h of inert gas must be provided. In other words, the consumption of inert gas decreases by 30%.
  • a second advantage of the present invention is that mechanical barriers at the inlet and outlet are not necessary, therefore the pieces can be treated while passing, allowing speeds of the production line otherwise impossible.
  • systems using mechanical barriers that must be opened and closed allow a conveying speed of about 5 m/min, while with the present invention there are no limits to the conveying speed of pieces. It was experimentally verified that conveying speeds of 50 m/min, and even up to 100 m/min can be provided.
  • a third advantage is linked to the flexibility of the inert oven according to the present invention, which can be used to dry pieces of any shape and dimension: from materials in rolls to pieces loaded side by side on the band conveyor in a casual way, so maximizing the hourly manufacturing capability. This would not be possible with mechanical closing systems.
  • a fourth advantage of the present invention is that the inert gas is injected in the points of the inert tunnel and at the moment where it is especially necessary, i.e. at the moment when the polymerization reaction is triggered by the radiations emitted by the polymerizing/excimer lamp.
  • a further advantage is that in the apparatuses according to the known art, the cooling of the polymerizing or excimer lamp is performed with a circuit supplied with cool water. This entails relevant dimensions of the fixture comprising the lamps, which does not allow to inject the inert gas directly in the irradiation area.
  • Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, in a longitudinal section: an apparatus 100, comprising an inert tunnel 30.
  • the inert oven 100 comprises a first hood 32, in its turn comprising a fan 8 for suctioning air at the inlet of pieces, and a second hood 31, in its turn comprising a fan 9 for supplying air at the outlet of pieces.
  • the Figure is a schematized view, wherein the walls of the oven were removed for better clarity. The bold arrow shows the conveying direction of pieces.
  • Said apparatus 100 comprises a belt conveyor 20, actuated by at least two rollers; a motorized roller 21, placed at the exit of the apparatus 100, while an idle roller 22 is placed at the entry of the apparatus 100.
  • Said closed band belt conveyor 20 is provided with an upper outward section 23 and a lower return section 24.
  • the pieces 10 to be dried are conveyed on the upper outward section 23; in the case represented in this Figure, panels are shown.
  • the bottom main side of pieces 10 is supported on the surface of the outward section 23.
  • Said inert oven 100 comprises a plurality of bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 providing an inert gas, in the preferred embodiment nitrogen.
  • the number of bars is determined by the designer according to the dimensions of the tunnel and to the allowed residual percentage of oxygen.
  • the direction of supply and circulation of nitrogen is shown by the small curved arrows.
  • Said inert oven further comprises a polymerizing lamp 12, in the preferred embodiment an excimer lamp, for polymerizing the coating applied at least to the top surface of pieces 20.
  • the inert oven 100 further comprises an oximeter 7 intended to detect the gaseous oxygen percentage inside said inert tunnel 30.
  • the apparatus 100 comprises said hood 32, in its turn comprising a fan 8 for suctioning atmospheric air, and at the outlet of pieces said hood 31 in its turn comprising a fan 9 for supplying air.
  • Said hoods 31 and 32 generate each an air blade for containing nitrogen inside said inert tunnel according to the present invention.
  • the air blade provided by the hoods 31 and 32 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of pieces or parallel to the transversal section of the inert tunnel 30, thanks to the presence of a wall 11 that is as well perpendicular to the conveying direction of pieces or parallel to the transversal section of the inert tunnel 30.
  • Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in a longitudinal section: an apparatus 200, comprising an inert tunnel 30.
  • the inert oven 200 comprises a first hood 31, and a second hood 31; both hoods are provided with a fan 9 for supplying air.
  • the Figure is a schematized view, wherein the walls of the oven were removed for better clarity. The bold arrow shows the conveying direction of pieces.
  • the air blade provided by said hoods 31 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of pieces or parallel to the transversal section of the inert tunnel 30, thanks to the presence of a wall 11 that is as well perpendicular to the conveying direction of pieces or parallel to the transversal section of the inert tunnel 30.
  • Said apparatus 200 comprises a belt conveyor 20, actuated by at least two rollers; a motorized roller 21, placed at the exit of the apparatus 200, while an idle roller 22 is placed at the entry of the apparatus 200.
  • Said belt conveyor is provided with an upper outward section 23 and a lower return section 24.
  • the pieces 10 to be dried are conveyed on the upper outward section 23; in the case represented in this Figure, panels are shown.
  • the bottom prevailing side of pieces 10 is supported on the surface of the outward section 23.
  • the closed band conveying system 20 is not provided, but is replaced by a (not shown) conveying system which progressively unwinds the roll, while the unwound tract of material is slid inside said inert tunnel 30, by sliding it over motorized or idle rollers.
  • Said inert oven 200 comprises a plurality of bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 providing an inert gas, in the preferred embodiment nitrogen.
  • the number of bars is determined by the designer according to the dimensions of the tunnel and to the allowed residual percentage of oxygen.
  • the direction of supply and circulation of nitrogen is shown by the small curved arrows.
  • Said inert oven further comprises a polymerizing lamp 12, in the preferred embodiment an excimer lamp, for polymerizing the coating applied at least to the top surface of pieces 20.
  • the inert oven 200 comprises further an oximeter 7 intended to detect the gaseous oxygen percentage inside side inert tunnel 30.
  • the apparatus 200 comprises two hoods 31, each provided with a fan 9 for supplying atmospheric air, said first hood 31 being placed at the inlet of the pieces 10, and second hood 31 being placed at the outlet of pieces 10.
  • Said two hoods 31 generate an air blade for containing nitrogen inside said inert tunnel according to the present invention.
  • Said two hoods 31 are substantially identical, and are placed symmetrically with respect to the central point of the inert tunnel 30.
  • the air blade provided by the hoods 31 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of pieces or parallel to the transversal section of the inert tunnel 30, thanks to the presence of a wall 11 that is as well perpendicular to the conveying direction of pieces or parallel to the transversal section of the inert tunnel 30.
  • FIG. 3 shows a detail of said hood 31 in a front view.
  • Said hood 31 comprises substantially an external housing 33 in the form of a box, and a fan 9 for supplying air allowing to generate said air blade.
  • said housing is provided with a tilting wall 11, whose tilting can be adjusted from perpendicular to the ground up to a tilting of about 45° toward the exterior of said housing.
  • Said housing 33 is provided with the shape of a parallelepiped, whose longitudinal axis is placed perpendicularly to the conveying direction of pieces.
  • Said hood 31 or 32 is placed so that the tilting wall 11 is always oriented toward the exterior of the apparatus 100 or 200.
  • the tilting wall 11 tilts in a direction contrary to the conveying direction of pieces when the hood 31 or 32 is placed at the inlet of the pieces to be dried.
  • the tilting wall 11 tilts in the same conveying direction of pieces when the hood 31 or 32 is placed at the outlet of the pieces to be dried.
  • Figures 4A and 4B are two transversal sections of said hood 31, showing the working of the tilting wall 11.
  • Figure 4A shows the tilting wall 11 in its position perpendicular to the ground
  • Figure 4B shows the tilting wall 11 in a couple of positions tilted with respect to the ground
  • the tilting wall is manually adjusted at the start of the apparatus 100, 200 according to the environmental conditions, or according to the adjustment of the other machines comprised in the production line and to the ventilation conditions of the environment.
  • the aim of the tilting wall 11 is to add a further possibility of adjustment to the supply or suction of air, which otherwise would be adjustable acting only on the number of rounds of the fan.
  • FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of an axonometric view of said hood 32.
  • Said hood 32 comprises said housing 33 made preferably of metal sheet, a wall 11 of which is tiltable.
  • Said hood 32 further comprises a fan 8 that suctions air from the environment to force it inside said housing 33.
  • the fan 8 comprises a fan 9 for supplying air toward the environment.
  • Said hoods 32, 31 further comprise a tubing 35 of a length suitable for tunnelling the air suctioned or supplied by the fan 8, 9 in a symmetrical central point of said housing 33.
  • Said air is then forced through an internal pierced wall 34 that gives to said air blade a laminar flow, regular and homogeneous for the whole length of the hood.
  • Said pierced wall comprises a plurality of small holes and is placed, slightly tilted, in front of said tubing 35 and wall 11.
  • said pierced wall 34 is provided with holes having a diameter of about 2 mm; in an area of 10 cm 2 there are provided about 100 holes.
  • the composition and the working of the hood 32 which suctions air from the inert tunnel and forces it into the environment, are substantially the same as those of the hood 31, with the difference that the fan 9 supplies air instead of suctioning it.
  • the tilting of the tilting wall 11 can be adjusted as desired within an angle of maximum 45° with respect to a vertical direction.
  • the opening of the tilting wall 11 has the effect of decreasing the speed and the pressure of the suctioned or supplied air of the air blade. Opening the tilting wall 11 leads to a more sensitive adjustment of the fan 8 or 9 with low volumes of injected inert gas.
  • a hood supplying air 31 or suctioning air 32 is linked to the overall production line.
  • the photopolymerizing oven 100, 200 is a portion of a production line comprising a wide variety of machines.
  • the supplying hood 31 can be placed when the preceding machine is provided with a suctioning system that would tend to suction the nitrogen from said tunnel 30.
  • a suctioning hood 32 can be placed when the preceding machine is pressurized with an autonomous supply of air: in this case, the excess of supplied air provided by the preceding machine might pollute the inert tunnel 30 with air coming from the environment.
  • a supplying hood 31 is placed at the outlet of the inert tunnel 30, in order to prevent the natural outlet of nitrogen from the tunnel itself.
  • a supplying air hood 31 or suctioning air hood is connected to the machine immediately downstream the apparatus 100 or 200.
  • said apparatuses 100, 200 are provided with a PLC allowing to adjust different devices in known ways, like e.g. the conveying speed of pieces 10 by acting on the motorized roller 21; the quantity of inert gas provided by bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; the quantity of energy emitted by the polymerizing lamp 12; the flow of air provided by fans 8 or 9, etc.
  • the tilting of the tilting wall 11 can be performed manually or can be automated.
  • said oximeter 7 is connected to a feedback mechanism. In this way, the supply of an inert gas by said bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 is automatically adjusted according to the value of oxygen detected by the oximeter, increasing the supply of inert gas when the value of the detected oxygen increases in said inert tunnel 30.
  • Figure 6 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a longitudinal section: an apparatus 100, comprising an inert tunnel 30.
  • the inert oven 100 comprises a first hood 32, and a second hood 31, which both hinder the gaseous exchanges between inert tunnel 30 and external environment, wherein the natural earth atmosphere comprises about 20% of oxygen.
  • the Figure is a schematized view, wherein the walls of the oven were removed for better clarity. The bold arrow shows the conveying direction of pieces.
  • Said apparatus 100 comprises a closed belt conveyor 20, actuated by at least two rollers; a motorized roller 21, placed at the exit of the apparatus 100, while an idle roller 22 is placed at the entry of the apparatus 100.
  • Said closed belt conveyor 20 is provided with an upper outward section 23 and a lower return section 24.
  • the pieces 10 to be dried are conveyed on the upper outward section 23; in the case represented in this Figure, panels 10 are shown.
  • the bottom main side of pieces 10 is supported on the surface of the outward section 23.
  • the closed band conveying system 20 is not provided. It is replaced by a known (not shown) conveying system which progressively unwinds the roll, while the unwound tract of material is slid inside said inert tunnel 30, by sliding it over motorized or idle rollers.
  • Said inert oven 100 comprises a plurality of bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 providing an inert gas, in the preferred embodiment nitrogen.
  • the number of bars is determined by the designer according to the dimensions of the tunnel and to the allowed residual percentage of oxygen.
  • an apparatus 200 can be provided a fixture 40 like the one described in the following.
  • Said inert oven 100, 200 further comprises a fixture 40 in its turn comprising a polymerizing lamp 42 (better observable in the Figures 7-10 ), in the preferred embodiment an excimer lamp, for polymerizing a coating applied at least to the top surface of pieces 10.
  • the inert oven 100, 200 further comprises an oximeter 7 intended to detect the gaseous oxygen percentage inside side inert tunnel 30.
  • the apparatus 100 comprises said hood 32, in its turn comprising a fan for suctioning atmospheric air, and at the outlet of pieces said hood 31 in its turn comprising a fan for supplying air.
  • Said hoods 31 and 32 generate each an air blade for containing nitrogen inside said inert tunnel according to the present invention.
  • the fixture 40 is placed adjacent to the inert tunnel 30, and is provided with a housing 44 insulating it from the external environment.
  • the connection between the fixture 40 and the inert tunnel 30 is sealed, so as to prevent a gas exchange between the earth atmosphere outside the apparatus 100, 200 and the inert atmosphere contained in the inert tunnel 30.
  • the underside of the fixture 40 is in fluidic communication with the interior of the inert tunnel 30.
  • Figures 7A, 7B show the fixture 40 according to the present invention, in a front and in an axonometric view from the bottom, respectively.
  • the fixture 40 is provided with an overall parallelepiped shape, with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the conveying direction of pieces.
  • an electrical transformer 41 for supplying the polymerizing/excimer lamp 42.
  • Said component 41 is a commercial component and is not part of the present invention.
  • On the top face of said fixture 40 there is provided at least one, preferably two inlet points 43 for the inert gas.
  • Figure 8 shows a transversal section of the fixture 40 according to the lines A-A shown in Figure 7A .
  • the fixture 40 on the top face of the fixture there is provided at least one, preferably two inlet points 43 for the inert gas.
  • the inert gas is optionally supplied by the same (not shown) source supplying the inert gas bars 1-6 which directly supply the inert tunnel 30, or the fixture 40 can be provided with an autonomous supply, different from that of the bars 1-6.
  • Figures 9A and 9B show two axonometric views of the fixture 40, Figure 9A in an assembled view and Figure 9B in exploded view, respectively.
  • Figure 10 shows a magnification of the detail B highlighted in Figure 9B .
  • Said fixture 40 comprises an expansion chamber 46, which in its portion oriented toward the external environment is delimited by a housing 44, while its bottom portion comprises a reflector 45, inside which there is placed said polymerizing/excimer lamp 42.
  • the reflector 45 surrounding said polymerizing/excimer lamp 42 is provided with a substantially semi-cylindrical shape, with its longitudinal axis parallel to that of the lamp 42 itself, and is preferably made of a reflecting material, so as to maximize the emission of energy toward the inert tunnel 30.
  • the whole surface of the reflector 45 is pierced uniformly.
  • the flow rate of inert gas injected into the inert tunnel 30 through the fixture 40 is about 10-40 m 3 /h.
  • the average speed of the inert gas emitted by the fixture 40 can range 1-7 m/sec, preferably 2-4 m/sec.
  • the best results were obtained with the same flow rate of inert gas injected through said fixture 40 and the bars 1-6 supplying inert gas to the inert tunnel; e.g. both the fixture 40 and the bars 1-6 adjusted to emit inert gas with a flow rate of 20 m 3 /h.
  • the outlet section for gas emission of the fixture 40 is smaller than the outlet section of the bars 1-6 supplying inert gas, the speed of the inert gas tends to be higher in correspondence of the fixture 40 than in correspondence of the bars 1-6. Consequently, the speed of the inert gas tends to be higher in correspondence of the polymerizing lamp 42.
  • said apparatus 100 is provided with a PLC allowing to adjust different devices in known ways, like e.g.: the conveying speed of pieces 10 by acting on the motorized roller 21; the flow rate of inert gas provided by bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; the flow rate of inert gas emitted by said fixture to said holes 47, 48, 49; the quantity of energy emitted by the polymerizing lamp 12; the flow of air provided by hood 31, 32, etc.
  • the PLC of the apparatus allows to independently adjust the supply of inert gas through bars 1-6 and holes 47, 48, 49 provided in the fixture.
  • said oximeter 7 is connected to a feedback mechanism. In this way, the supply of an inert gas by said bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 is automatically adjusted according to the value of oxygen detected by the oximeter, increasing the supply of inert gas when the value of the detected oxygen increases in said inert tunnel 30.
EP22153139.5A 2021-01-27 2022-01-25 Vorrichtung und verfahren zum trocknen/härten von chemischen produkten Pending EP4067797A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT102021000001580A IT202100001580A1 (it) 2021-01-27 2021-01-27 Apparato e metodo per l’essiccazione/polimerizzazione di prodotti chimici
IT102021000001577A IT202100001577A1 (it) 2021-01-27 2021-01-27 Apparato e metodo per l’essiccazione/polimerizzazione di prodotti chimici

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4067797A1 true EP4067797A1 (de) 2022-10-05

Family

ID=79686894

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP22153139.5A Pending EP4067797A1 (de) 2021-01-27 2022-01-25 Vorrichtung und verfahren zum trocknen/härten von chemischen produkten

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP4067797A1 (de)
CN (2) CN217289147U (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN116251718B (zh) * 2023-02-13 2023-11-17 北京日扬弘创科技有限公司 连续化生产氮气保护准分子紫外灯固化工件的装置和方法

Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5332861U (de) * 1976-08-30 1978-03-22
US4143468A (en) * 1974-04-22 1979-03-13 Novotny Jerome L Inert atmosphere chamber
DE3416502A1 (de) * 1984-05-04 1985-11-07 Goldschmidt Ag Th Vorrichtung zum aushaerten von flaechigen werkstoffen aus durch uv-strahlung haertbaren verbindungen oder zubereitungen
AT380949B (de) * 1980-10-14 1986-07-25 Lohmann Gmbh & Co Kg Vorrichtung zum trocknen von loesungsmittelhaltigem material
US6088931A (en) * 1998-01-27 2000-07-18 Howard W. DeMoore Interstation infrared heating unit
DE19933960C1 (de) * 1999-07-20 2001-02-01 Sturm Maschb Gmbh Härteofen und Verfahren zum Härten einer Beschichtung
US6621087B1 (en) * 1998-03-11 2003-09-16 Arccure Technologies Gmbh Cold light UV irradiation device
CZ20031060A3 (en) * 2000-10-14 2004-03-17 Messer Griesheim Gmbh Radiation hardening installation
US20060201018A1 (en) * 2005-03-10 2006-09-14 Mckay Kevin System, apparatus and method for curing of coatings in heavy gas
EP1967284A2 (de) * 2007-03-06 2008-09-10 Ist Metz Gmbh Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur UV-Strahlungshärtung von Substratbeschichtungen
CN202719846U (zh) * 2012-06-28 2013-02-06 杭州大和热磁电子有限公司 一种防金属离子污染的硅片烘干炉
JP2014023993A (ja) * 2012-07-26 2014-02-06 Konica Minolta Inc ガスバリアフィルムの製造方法および製造装置
WO2015022857A1 (ja) * 2013-08-12 2015-02-19 日本碍子株式会社 赤外線放射装置及び赤外線処理装置
EP2198981B1 (de) 2008-12-10 2015-10-14 IOT - Innovative Oberflächentechnologien GmbH Verfahren und Apparatur zur direkten strahleninduzierten Polymerisation und Vernetzung von Acrylaten und Methacrylaten

Patent Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4143468A (en) * 1974-04-22 1979-03-13 Novotny Jerome L Inert atmosphere chamber
JPS5332861U (de) * 1976-08-30 1978-03-22
AT380949B (de) * 1980-10-14 1986-07-25 Lohmann Gmbh & Co Kg Vorrichtung zum trocknen von loesungsmittelhaltigem material
DE3416502A1 (de) * 1984-05-04 1985-11-07 Goldschmidt Ag Th Vorrichtung zum aushaerten von flaechigen werkstoffen aus durch uv-strahlung haertbaren verbindungen oder zubereitungen
US6088931A (en) * 1998-01-27 2000-07-18 Howard W. DeMoore Interstation infrared heating unit
US6621087B1 (en) * 1998-03-11 2003-09-16 Arccure Technologies Gmbh Cold light UV irradiation device
DE19933960C1 (de) * 1999-07-20 2001-02-01 Sturm Maschb Gmbh Härteofen und Verfahren zum Härten einer Beschichtung
CZ20031060A3 (en) * 2000-10-14 2004-03-17 Messer Griesheim Gmbh Radiation hardening installation
US20060201018A1 (en) * 2005-03-10 2006-09-14 Mckay Kevin System, apparatus and method for curing of coatings in heavy gas
EP1967284A2 (de) * 2007-03-06 2008-09-10 Ist Metz Gmbh Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur UV-Strahlungshärtung von Substratbeschichtungen
EP2198981B1 (de) 2008-12-10 2015-10-14 IOT - Innovative Oberflächentechnologien GmbH Verfahren und Apparatur zur direkten strahleninduzierten Polymerisation und Vernetzung von Acrylaten und Methacrylaten
CN202719846U (zh) * 2012-06-28 2013-02-06 杭州大和热磁电子有限公司 一种防金属离子污染的硅片烘干炉
JP2014023993A (ja) * 2012-07-26 2014-02-06 Konica Minolta Inc ガスバリアフィルムの製造方法および製造装置
WO2015022857A1 (ja) * 2013-08-12 2015-02-19 日本碍子株式会社 赤外線放射装置及び赤外線処理装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN217289147U (zh) 2022-08-26
CN114798374A (zh) 2022-07-29

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA1067855A (en) Air cooling means for uv processor
EP4067797A1 (de) Vorrichtung und verfahren zum trocknen/härten von chemischen produkten
US4336279A (en) Apparatus and process for drying and curing coated substrates
NO149060B (no) Apparat for bestraalingsbehandling av langstrakte gjenstander
FI80099C (fi) Foerfarande och anordning foer torkning av roerligt banmaterial.
FI107959B (fi) Paperirainan kuivatukseen liittyviä parannuksia
US4143278A (en) Radiation cure reactor
EP1354635A2 (de) Sprühvorrichtung zur Beschichtung von kontinuierlich bewegten Gegenständen
JPS60238422A (ja) 物品及び材料に熱を加える方法及び装置
KR102243713B1 (ko) 목재 및 합판의 방염처리장치
US3936950A (en) Method of inerting the atmosphere above a moving product
CN111604241A (zh) 用于化学产品的干燥/固化的设备和方法
JP2007508520A (ja) 処理済み物品を乾燥する装置および方法
RU2237720C2 (ru) Машина для кондиционирования слоистых гибких изделий, например, промышленных кож и шкур
US4144618A (en) Material converger
US4474552A (en) Infra-red combinations
JP2002542449A (ja) 空気浄化シャッターを有する赤外線乾燥機
WO2020174349A1 (en) Apparatus and method for the drying/curing of chemical products
IT202100001580A1 (it) Apparato e metodo per l’essiccazione/polimerizzazione di prodotti chimici
IT202100001577A1 (it) Apparato e metodo per l’essiccazione/polimerizzazione di prodotti chimici
US20240085104A1 (en) Apparatus for the treatment of a chemical product applied to surfaces of items
CA2319591A1 (en) Process and device for producing cross-linked polyolefin foams
WO2009063134A2 (en) Coating an object
JP7161242B1 (ja) 乾燥装置
JP2023167786A (ja) 連続焼付装置

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN PUBLISHED

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION WAS MADE

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20230323

RBV Designated contracting states (corrected)

Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: EXAMINATION IS IN PROGRESS

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 20240325