Carbon Fiber Infrared Heating in Printing: Energy Efficiency Case Study

Energy conservation and green production are sacred responsibilities bestowed upon us by the times. For manufacturing enterprises, efforts should not only focus on emission reduction but also on enhancing energy efficiency. This article shares a case study on the application of carbon fiber infrared heating technology in achieving energy efficiency and emission reduction in the printing industry.

In a previous article, we introduced carbon fiber heating tubes as high-efficiency heating components with an electrical conversion rate significantly higher than conventional heating products. While resistance wires and metal heating tubes have an electrical conversion rate of about 70%, semiconductor heaters achieve approximately 85%. In contrast, carbon fiber heating tubes boast a conversion rate of up to 95%. The variation in material properties and resistance fundamentally determines these differences in electrical conversion rates.

Carbon fiber infrared drying technology employs a non-contact heating method where electrical energy is converted through molecular vibration within carbon fibers into infrared radiation. This radiation reaches the surface of objects in the form of infrared rays, which are then absorbed, causing an increase in object temperature. This entire process is rapid, efficient, energy-saving, and pollution-free. By adjusting the infrared wavelength of carbon fiber heating tubes to match the absorption wavelength of the heated object, heating efficiency can be significantly enhanced.

Has carbon fiber heating tubes been applied in the silk screen printing industry? Let’s take an example of a company that validated its effectiveness using carbon fiber infrared heating technology in the printing industry.

The heating equipment in this enterprise originally utilized stainless steel metal heating tubes and hot air circulation, which are traditional methods with lower electrical-to-heat conversion rates compared to carbon fiber infrared heating tubes or tungsten wire infrared heating tubes. There was no previous use of infrared heating tubes tailored to match the material’s resonance absorption of infrared wavelengths. How did the equipment perform after modification using the recommended wavelength of carbon fiber heating tubes?

Two identical printing machines were used in the experiment. One machine employed carbon fiber heating tubes, while the other used stainless steel heating tubes. Both machines produced identical products, and energy consumption was recorded over one week.

Both machines had identical parameters, including the size, length, shape, and power of the heating tubes. Parameters were adjusted during the experiment as per actual requirements.

After one week of validation, the machine using carbon fiber heating tubes reduced the number of heating tubes from 32 to 24 and decreased power consumption from 32 kW to 24 kW, resulting in a 25% reduction in total power consumption. Product quality and production efficiency remained unaffected.

Before the modification, defects such as paper discoloration during the printing drying stage were common. However, during this experiment, the matching of the infrared wavelength with the ink and paper wavelengths effectively resolved the issue of paper discoloration.

Enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions in the printing industry with carbon fiber infrared heating technology. Visit Global Quartz Tube at our website for more information: ვებგვერდი ან დაგვიკავშირდით ელექტრონული ფოსტით მისამართზე contact@globalquartztube.com.