Reduced power consumption with KBA’s VariDryBlue dryers

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The VariDry dryer is a new infrared/hot-air dryer developed for high production speeds. It is said to slash power consumption by as much as 50 percent, considering that infrared/hot-air drying systems tend to account for up to 40 percent of the total energy consumed by a printing press.KBA’s drying system is easy to access when the sheet guides need to be cleaned. Following their official market launch at Ipex 2010, the new range of VariDryBlue IR/hot-air dryers will be available for all large-format Rapida presses configured with triple delivery extensions. They can also be retrofitted on existing press lines.

Recovering and re-utilising ambient circulating air in the VariDryBlue dryer can substantially reduce power consumption compared to conventional IR/hot-air dryers. The air drawn in is heated by two rows of lamps to the drying temperature pre-selected at the console. Optimised air nozzles with a uniform flow profile along their entire length are used to ensure that the air is distributed evenly onto the substrate surface. The unsaturated hot air from modules 1 and 2 in the delivery extension is recirculated through the system. The recirculated air can subsequently be reused in module 3 and in the swan neck. With this method it is possible to reduce the installed heating power by 2 x 17.5kW. Reusing the warm air several times over also has the advantage of reducing the volume of exhaust air compared to other conventional IR/hot-air dryers. With the VariDryBlue, energy is utilised with maximum efficiency and not blasted out into the environment.

The savings potential can best be demonstrated using an example from the shopfloor: a five-colour item of packaging was printed and given a protective coating on a Rapida 142 six-colour coater press with triple extended delivery and IR/hot-air dryer. The power consumed by the dryer during the production run was measured. The model calculation was based on an average price of INR 8 per kilowatt hour of electricity, although this may of course vary according to the energy provider and region. The sustainability of the VariDryBlue dryer is reflected in the potential savings. Calculated over an average machine life of eight years, a few kilowatts and paise quickly mount up to a sizeable item: the reduction in power consumption delivered a saving of approximately INR 9 million. In the long term – and at a time when energy prices are increasing – you can achieve important cash savings.

Benefits of KBA VariDry BLUE
- More efficient energy utilisation = lower energy consumption, fewer carbon emissions;
- Lower energy consumption = fewer overhead costs;
- Higher production speeds;
- Lower specific energy consumption per good sheet;
- Smaller volume of exhaust air;
- Enhanced image quality = less powder consumption.

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