Radio Frequency Ovens & Dryers
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
Challenges
- May not heat complex shapes uniformly
- Cannot be used on metal or conductive materials
- Generally not effective with organic solvents
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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.
Click here for more information on Radio Frequency Drying
For a detailed discussion, read Lean Drying and Revolutionizing RF, two articles that examine the benefits of using RF.
Other Articles
INVESTING IN CERAMICS: Revolutionizing RF
by Susan Sutton, Editorial and Production Manager
PSC’s laboratory equipment upgrade enables it to perform feasibility studies using combinations of radio frequency, convection and infrared technologies.
