Energy
costs and the environment are hot news items and the focus of political debates
worldwide. This article examines some of the benefits that energy curing
technologies — specifically electron beam (EB) and ultraviolet light (UV) — can
provide the adhesives and sealants industries.
Operating Costs
With today’s increasing utility costs, the relatively low
operating cost of using EB and UV technologies offers companies in the
adhesives and sealants industry a way of stabilizing their utility costs.
As an example, the table shows the utility costs of curing
an EB-formulated coating on a 54” wide line, running at 1,000 feet per minute.
The total cost is less than $17 per hour.
Along with relatively low operating costs when in use, EB is
an “instant on” technology. Conventional ovens require a warm-up period to
reach optimum drying temperatures and air turbulence. So, even at idle, users
of conventional drying technology are spending considerable sums in energy
costs while no product is being produced. In contrast, EB technology in idle
mode uses almost no energy.
Environmental Impact
While low operating costs are important in day-to-day
operations, another consideration in today’s market is the impact on the
environment. If viewed from an environmental-impact perspective, the use of
heat in the drying of solvent-based products usually produces volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). To reduce the amount of solvents and VOCs that are produced
during manufacturing, companies install incinerators to burn off VOCs. These
incinerators use even more energy to accomplish their task.
What’s more, many national, regional and local governments
are in the process of enacting legislation to limit the release of VOCs into
the environment. However, EB and UV formulations normally contain no solvents
or VOCs. By eliminating VOCs, such devices, regulatory compliance and
associated expenses are not necessary.
Safety Hazards
Besides being environmentally unfriendly, solvent-based
chemistries run the risk of explosion. As such, they can be a safety hazard.
Since EB and UV chemistries contain no solvents, there is no explosion hazard
making them safer for plant personnel.
One other advantage of EB technology is its relatively
compact size. Today’s low-voltage EB equipment is designed for installation on
new and existing presses and coating lines.
For more information, visit www.ebeam.com.
