Process and installation for drying articles

摘要

What is described is a process and an installation for drying articles, in particular painted vehicle bodies, in which the articles are moved through a drying zone in which they are hardened in an inert-gas atmosphere. Inert gas is taken from the drying zone constantly or intermittently and is first of all conducted along a first face which is at a first temperature at which higher-boiling contaminants condense out. The condensate that forms in the process is discharged. After that, the inert gas which has been pre-cleaned in this way is conducted along at least one second face which is at a lower temperature than the first face. Lower-boiling contaminants are precipitated at this point. These condensates, too, are then discharged. This process and installation work more favorably, energy-wise, and with higher cleaning efficiency than known processes and installations of a similar type.

主权项

1. A process for drying articles in which
a) the articles are moved through a drying zone in which they are hardened in an inert-gas atmosphere; and b) inert gas, which is conducted along at least one face which is cooled down to a temperature that lies below the dew point of contaminants contained in the inert gas, is taken from the drying zone constantly or intermittently; wherein c) the inert gas in step b is first conducted along a first face which is at a first temperature at which higher-boiling contaminants condense out, and that the condensate that forms in the process is discharged; and, d) the inert gas which has been pre-cleaned in this way is conducted along at least one second face which is at a lower temperature than the first face, at which temperature lower-boiling contaminants condense out, and that the condensate that forms in the process is discharged, wherein at least part of the cooled faces along which contaminated inert gas is conducted is cleaned from time to time mechanically, by flushing or thermally.