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Ancillary supplier argues IRD technology now accepted
20 December 2007 - UPM Machinery Sales is celebrating more than €1m
worth of orders for its infra red drying technology following K2007.
According to UPM director, Roy Fowler, the systems are for installation
in Portugal, France, Germany and Holland. He told PRW: “This is a very
different situation from the previous K three years ago when we were
essentially introducing IRD to the marketplace.
“But fortunately this new technology based on short wave infra red had
been accepted primarily by the APET sheet extrusion and thermoforming
food packaging market with over 50 installations operating 24/7
worldwide to date.”
Based in Langley, Berkshire, UPM exhibited on the stand of Italy’s SB
Plastics Machinery in Düsseldorf. |
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 UPM
GETS THE QUEENS APPROVAL
Vol 9 No 2 (Vol 9, Issue 2)
UPM Group who are located only 15 minutes from London Heathrow
Airport have been selected to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise
in the Outstanding Innovation category for developing the infrared dryer
(IRD) specifically for crystallising and drying amorphous PET regrind
and virgin but also for moisture removal from any hygroscopic material.
UPM have been manufacturing and marketing conventional dehumidified air
dryer systems for the world wide market for some 30 years and always
felt there must be a more efficient method of removing moisture
particularly from PET in the production of carbonated soft drink
containers and packaging for microwavable food containers so
commissioned Brunel University in the UK to investigate microwave
drying.
Microwave was ultimately discounted as too difficult to control but UPM
then discovered infrared drying (IRD) which operates in a similar way to
microwave by heating from the inside out with short wave infrared acting
directly to the core of the granule, exciting the molecules and
vaporising the moisture which is attracted to the cooler atmospheric
air.
The drying of PET with IRD takes only 15 minutes compared to 6 hours
with dehumidified air dryers plus there is a smaller initial investment
and lower running costs as IRD uses less energy than traditional PET
dryers, and this technology has been accepted by companies such as Anson
Packaging; Flight Plastics; Becton Dickinson; RPC Containers; Sharp
Interpack; Huhtamaki and Pregis Rigid Packaging.
Leigh Wilson, Extrusion Manager of Pregis, justified the purchase of an
IRD based on the ability to crystallise and dry a blend of PET regrind
and virgin in one pass eliminating the need for a separate crystalliser
and a separate dehumidified air dryer leading to improved quality due to
the consistency of drying and maintaining IV.
Frank Coleman, Site Director of Sharp Interpack reports IRD offers
significant technical and economic advantages particularly on energy
usage where savings of some 40 to 50% are being achieved compared to
conventional drying equipment plus the initial investment cost is
reduced.
John Snowden, Process Engineer at Huhtamaki (UK) Limited based in
Gosport considers IRD to be quote “the most simple, user friendly
crystallising and drying system ever developed allowing quick start up
and full fail safe control conditions to the extent that we are now
considering the purchase of another IRD” unquote.
The Queen’s Award is the highest accolade that any company can receive
and Roy Fowler, co-founder of UPM announced that this coincides with the
company receiving their 50th order for an IRD system which is a tribute
to the efforts made by all UPM personnel who will participate in a
celebration at the official presentation by Her Majesties Lord
Lieutenant of the Grant of Appointment.
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