Look to Litzler Over Drying Solutions

PSC, Inc., a subsidiary of Litzler, manufacturers Radio Frequency (RF) ovens and dryers. Radio Frequency or Dielectric Heating utilizes Radio Frequencies between 10-100 MHZ to dry or heat product. RF drying is normally used in products with high loss factors, such as wet materials, vinyl, plastics and adhesives, and other non-electrically conductive products. RF provides significant advantages of faster drying time, less floor space, uniform drying, instant on-off and targeted drying. Depending on the application, PSC uses parallel plate, stray-field or staggered stray-field for the most uniform heating.

Advantages

Faster drying/heating times

More uniform drying with a consistent temperature gradient, especially in thicker products

Lower temperature drying since the RF energy heats the water, with less heating of the base material

Moisture profiling or leveling

No air movement, does not disturb the product

Faster shut downs and start ups because the heating is instant on and instant off

May not heat complex shapes uniformly

Cannot be used on metal or conductive materials

Generally not effective with organic solvents

Generally higher capital cost and uses electricity

To maximize the benefits of both convection and radio frequency, Litzler and PSC work together to design a combination oven. Four main combinations include RF pre-heat, RF boost, RF finish, and full RF/Convection. Each combination offers benefits to significantly improve the drying process.

For a detailed discussion, read Lean Drying and Revolutionizing RF, two articles that examine the benefits of using RF.