Areas of application

KREYENBORG infrared rotating drums IRD are employed in varied applications – conceivable fields of application are virtually unlimited and can be found both in the plastics and other industries.

Infrared technology is suitable for drying tasks for any free-flowing granule, flake or granular powder. The infrared concept does not need a supply of dry air and is therefore particularly suited to applications with high initial moisture.

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The application fields of the IRD

drying of plastic pellets (e.g. ABS/PC, PC, LCP, wood-PP compounds)
crystallisation and drying of PET, PPS,PLA (reclaim/pellets)
drying processes with high initial moistures > 1 %
heating of pellets and reclaim before further processing (e.g. PVC, PE) for example to increase the extruder throughput
heating processes for removing residual oligomeres and volatile components
drying in the food, feed and pharmaceutical industries
roasting of coffee beans

Special advantages with PET and PLA Regrind

The classic applications for the infrared rotating drum are crystallisation and drying plants for PET pellets and regrind. Granulated foil stock from thermo-forming, and post-consumer bottle reclaim is processed at throughput rates from 150 kg/hr–1500 kg/hr. As an alternative the flakes can be mixed with virgin granules – separation does not take place in the rotating drum.

A significant potential for IRD technology is the drying of PLA, for virgin, granulated or mixed feedstocks. The continual movement of the material in the infrared rotating drum is ideal for, particularly, PLA granulated stock, which tends to easily stick together in the crystallisation phase at T = 60 °C.

Heating processes

In addition to drying, pure heating processes are also ideal applications, as pellets can be heated, in the rotating drum (while being agitated), to close to the melt temperature without agglomerates forming. Infrared rotating drums are also employed in processes in which volatile components or residual oligomeres need to be extracted from the product. Another heating application is the heating of shear sensitive materials before plasticising in the extruder, (especially in cold climates).