Processors of PET, PC, ABS, and other plastics that require drying have a new supplier to consider as auxiliary equipment manufacturer Conair Group Inc. (Cranberry Township, PA) has acquired global rights to market and sell the infrared polymer dryer (IRD) developed by Kreyenborg Plant Technology (Senden, Germany), part of the Kreyenborg Group of companies, a manufacturer of pelletizers, melt pumps, screen changers, and other auxiliary equipment. Machines will be sold and serviced through Conair’s global network of sales representatives, service technicians and regional businesses.

Kreyenborg acquired the license to manufacture the IRD dryers in 2004 from Stricker IRD-Patent GbR, a German business established by IRD patent holder Urban Stricker to market the technology. Other license holders include one of Conair’s competitors, Novatec (Baltimore, MD), which has exclusive rights for manufacturing the infrared drying systems in the U.S. The technology also sees use in the chemical and food processing industries. The agreement gives Conair rights to sell a co-branded IRD to plastics processors worldwide. Conair already makes and markets desiccant dryers. Conair plans to exhibit an IRD for the first time at NPE2009 at Booth 42031.

MPW caught up with Larry Doyle, Conair’s VP global sales and marketing, while he was awaiting a flight at the Atlanta Airport. “The driver (for this deal) was to extend our product line to better serve processors, particularly PET processors,” he said. He added that last year the company formed a team specifically to look after the needs of these processors; adding IRD technology is billed as one of the ways to meet that goal.

Kreyenborg says that not all IRD dryers are created equal and that its have advantages, for example a variable-speed auger that can more accurately feed material than systems using gravity feeding. IR dryers crystallize and dry in a single step, making them of special interest to processors of PET regrind and virgin/regrind blends. For PET flake with initial moisture content of up to 1%, the IRD can dry to 0.03% moisture in about 15 minutes, while consuming just 130 W/kg/hr (59 W/lb/hr), according to Kreyenborg. Lower moisture levels (down to 0.005%) can be reached with one additional hour of desiccant drying. As we have reported before here and in other articles on the topic, the energy savings with IRD technology can be huge. —[email protected]