Solvent based cleaning equipment for continuous film processing line

[samplesecond]

Hello:

Working on developing an automated production line to manufacture a thin-film product. We currently have non-contact cleaning systems in place, but we are looking to add a solvent based cleaning equipment to the line to remove "residues" on the web. We are processing the substrate in a continuous fashion, and at fairly low speeds (10m/min). I have not had any success finding vendors which produce this sort of equipment.

It seems other industries pass the product through a 'solvent bath' when batch processing, but it seems to me that there ought to be safer and more effective ways to break down the oily residue on a continuous web. Before tackling development of this piece of equipment, does anybody have recommendations of a vendor or system which might be effective for this case.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MiketheEngineer]

By no means an expert in this field, I would think there must be somebody that does this.

If you do tackle this problem, remember the solvent may very well have a lot of VOC and could be explosive. The gov't agencies will NOT like this.

Why not water and detergent - kind of like a car wash...

Then use an air knife to quickly dry..


Good luck!!

 

[Compositepro]

Your ideal process may be a "vapor degreaser". These are mainly used for cleaning discrete aircraft parts prior to bonding or painting. The design is too complicated to describe completely in a short post. Basically solvent is boiled at the bottom of a deep tank. The vapor is heavier than air and there are condensers in the tank near the top to keep the hot vapors in the tank. Passing a cold web into the vapor will condense pure solvent on the surface which drips off with any grease. For a web with low mass you may need a chilled back-up roller for adequate condensation. Then a hot roller to evaporate any liquid solvent before the web leaves the tank. The solvent is continuously distilled and recycled as an inherent part of the process.

This tends to get expensive when you add safety functions and emission controls.

 

[TVP]

Dürr and CTG are two good vendors with expertise in solvent cleaning:

http://www.durr-ecoclean.com/products/cleaning/solvent-cleaning/

http://www.ctgclean.com/solvent-cleaning-systems.php

 

[FACS]

yes,
I know someone that can do this, at least steer you in the right direction.
Try the link below my name.


Charlie

http://www.facsco.com