Following a national trend, a southeastern pharmaceutical manufacturer produces transdermal patches in a big way.
The self-adhesive patches apply directly to the skin for time-release of medicine. To meet consumer demand, the company recently added a second production line at a newly built plant. In the manufacturing process, a coating machine applies medication to the patch in layers, and then hot air cures the medicine. Needing a system to supply heat for curing, the company turned to Plymouth, Michigan-based Durr Environmental, a manufacturer of air pollution control systems that had previously supplied equipment for the facility.
Durr specified Munters VariMax™ system, an indirect-fired recirculating gas heater. A burner in the combustion chamber generates heat, and the combustion products recirculate by means of a fan, rather than flowing straight up a stack. Indirect firing involves transferring heat from one airstream to another while keeping them separate.
“The customer didn’t want combustion byproducts in their process air,” Yves Pszenica, Project Manager at Durr Environmental said. Because an air-to-air plate heat exchanger provides an ideal means of heat transfer, Durr again specified Munters equipment, two Munters Thermo-Z™ models.
A larger primary heat exchanger in the recirculating box uses exhaust air at 875ºF to heat outside air from 40ºF to 410ºF for the curing process. And a secondary heat exchanger uses bleed air from the exhaust to preheat inlet combustion air, saving fuel.
In the past, indirect heaters have suffered from low efficiency and high fuel consumption when compared to direct-fired burners. But combining the Munters heat exchangers with the recirculating burner yielded an efficiency of over 90%, nearly equaling that of direct-fired heaters.
Tel: (800) 843-5360 | E-mail: dhinfo@munters.com