Vastex International has introduced the Lo-E Dryer for garment printers who want to cut energy costs and carbon emissions.
The new dryer cures inks for direct-to-garment (DTG) and pre-treatment and water-based screen-printed inks and discharge – at high rates using 20% less energy than comparable dryers.
Mark Vasilantone, president of Vastex International, said: “We engineered the Lo-E for printers who have limited amperage, and those who simply want to cut energy costs and carbon emissions.
“Although the Lo-E Dryer is designed for curing of DTG garments, it can also cure screen-printed water-based inks and discharge. It’s the most energy-efficient dryer in our line-up – and maybe the world.”
The dryer cures up to 45 garments per hour printed with digital white ink at three minutes’ dwell time. At 1.5 minutes’ dwell time it cures up to 88 CMYK DTG garments per hour, or 88 garments per hour with pre-treatment only, or 88 garments per hour screen-printed with water-based ink or discharge.
The Lo-E’s modularity allows users to quickly add one or multiple heating chambers and extend the conveyor belt, multiplying capacity in direct proportion to each heating chamber added.
Conveyor extensions can also be added to the front or back of the dryer to optimise loading and cooling and unloading of garments.
Drawing only 22 amps, the dryer’s two high-efficiency infrared heaters, measuring 61cm wide by 46cm deep, provide 4.6 kW of power, maximising curing capacity and, in turn, minimising energy costs per garment cured.
Height-adjustable, the heaters offer dual zone temperature control with a boost zone to quickly reach cure temperatures. They carry an “industry-leading” 15-year warranty.
An exhaust system of 10.5 cubic metres per minute evacuates moisture and air contaminates from the heating chamber and cools the enclosure’s outer skin and control panel.
The conveyor, measuring 76cm wide by 224cm long, runs true by means of a low-friction belt aligner patented by Vastex International, with belt speed controls allowing a large number of adjustable dwell times from one to five minutes.
Vastex International also produces mid- and high-capacity dryers for DTG and screen-printing applications as well as commercial-grade and entry-level manual screen printing presses, flash cure units, screen exposing units, screen drying cabinets, washout booths and complete screen printing shop systems.
