The process of curing any materials applied by industrial spray guns is often the most time consuming and inefficient part of any manufacturing process. From wood cabinets to treated metal, convection curing systems are a headache for many heavy equipment manufacturers. A new CSA International approved paint curing system is making its way into the market.
The development of medium-wave infrared technology is being applied to change the process of paint curing. Companies like Green Fast Cure, based in southern Indiana, have developed a revolutionary paint and material curing system that utilizes this technology to dry materials from the inside out. Their 2 headed GF2 model is a turnkey solution for industrial finishing suppliers looking to upgrade their existing paint and finishing curing system that easily integrates into existing industrial infrastructure.
Products like the GF2 rely heavily upon invisible infrared wave length energy. GFC technology uses a mixture of fresh air and gas fuel to provide an oxygen rich atmosphere for better oxidation of the fuel and to generate the amount of “amplitude” power necessary to reach long distances with the effective infrared for curing application. The “pressure” design into the venture/injection system maintains the amplitude to allow the GFC products to have the necessary power of infrared distances from 6 to 8 feet.
The benefits of an infrared paint curing system are plentiful. The GF2 requires much less space than a convection system, freeing up space in your warehouse and easily installing into your manufacturing process. These units require much less maintenance and usually last 15-20 years. The energy expended in the infrared curing process is 70-80% less than current conventional systems. A single 5 gallon canister of propane will power the two-headed unit at 120 degrees for 40 hours- costing about $1 per hour of run time.
Industrial applications of the infrared paint curing systems span from aerospace and automotive industries to steel and wood paint curing of a wide variety of materials, including:
- Acrylics
- Alkyd
- Epoxy
- Glue
- Lacquer
- Powder Coating
- Polyester
- Sealant
- Urethane
- Water Base
The efficiency of infrared paint curing technology saves time as well as energy. For example, the drying time for applying automotive water-based paints is only a few minutes. The GF2’s pyrometer ensures that the 2 heads are consistently applying a surface temperature within 3 degrees of the desired selection to avoid overheating. GFC claims curing times using infrared curing systems are significantly less than using a standard convection process.
You can read more about the GF2 and the advantages of infrared paint drying technology in the GFC Product brochure.
Green Fast Cure has also supplied a gallery of images of their GF2 infrared curing system being applied in several different industries.
