Drying systems for paperboard coating

Drying systems for coated paperboard applications often seem complex and sometimes contradictory in nature. A reasonable way to determine an appropriate drying strategy is to develop a basic understanding of the drying process and the capabilities of the various drying technologies that are currently available. The drying of paperboard coatings consists of evaporating water from the coating through one of three methods: conduction (steam cans), convection (air drying), or radiation (infrared). The author presents an understanding of the drying process, application requirements, drying hard ware, and quality problems the drying process can cause; this discussion is beneficial in selecting the right drying combination. For most applications, the selected drying arrangement will be a combination of several technologies to take advantage of the benefits that each system has to offer.