Drying and curing
Chempilots has a wide range of experience in the design, control, construction, optimization, characterization and validation of drying and curing processes for the medical device industry.
UV curing
UV-light curing is characterized as clean, fast, and having no volatiles. Chempilots has extensive experience with the application of proper UV-light curing systems and the interplay with formulation and coating characteristics. Typical challenges in UV-systems involve tack, adhesion, cohesion, and monomer residuals in products such as acrylic skin adhesives, contact lenses, construction adhesives, and coatings.
Infrared drying
Infrared drying is a simple, fast, clean, and very controllable way to heat products. Chempilots has constructed several custom single-unit heating and curing systems based on a focused IR emitter source connected in a feedback loop with an IR thermometer sensor. Often, IR heating can be used to great advantage compared to hot air heating. This is especially true when space is limited, very fast heating is required, or heating must be focused to avoid heating the entire product or the surroundings.
Hot air drying
Optimal air drying or heating processes represent a complex interaction between the formulation characteristics (solvent and binder) and the process characteristics (air temperature, temperature distribution, airflow, and airflow distribution). Typical challenges include:
- Matching formulation solvent choices with efficient drying processing
- Obtaining a uniform product temperature ramp up
- Balancing drying speed with print/coating defects and substrate warp
- Ensuring full evaporation of solvents
Chempilots has extensive experience with the measurement of air temperatures, airflows, and resultant product temperatures (contact less IR thermometers + IR cameras).
Analysis methods
Chempilots can provide any of several coating analysis methods relevant to the development and characterization of a drying or curing process. These include:
- Solvent/monomer residuals analysis
- Mechanical properties
- Tack
- Hardness
- Adhesion
- Scratch resistance
Contact us for a discussion
For a confidential discussion of your specific needs, please call Christian Elbek directly on +45 44 39 61 07 (9-17 CET) or send him an e-mail.
