A major pharmaceutical company required a compact pallet washing and drying machine. The nature of this production facility was such that a wet pallet exiting the washing machine could result in subsquent contamination. We worked with the O.E.M. of customized washing machinery to determine what was the best method to completely dry the pallets.
These pallets were made of plastic and covered with recesses, some were through-holes and others simply small cavities. The Sonic Air Knife System resulted in 100% dryness and involved recirculation of the blower air within the washer back to the blower system. This created high-temperature high-velocity air through the air knives. Sonic assisted with specifing the size of the drying chamber required, the inlet and outlet size/configuration of the washer and the transition between the washing and drying chamber. Our engineered systems approach and partnership with this O.E.M. has resulted in several more orders for pallet drying equipment for the pharmaceutical industry.
Beyond “drying”, Sonic Air Knives are used for other applications such as coating control in the manufacturing of siding, doors, windows and other items that are finished with a primer coat. This particular manufacturer of high quailty siding had an old low velocity blower system supplemented with compressed air nozzles used for blowing-off excess primer prior to entering the oven dryer for curing. The consistency varied too much, which affects how the final product looks. Large splatters were impinging on the underside from the top side blow-off action and the dripping in the curing oven resulted in frequent burner maintenance and drive roll issues. The Sonic Air Knife System that was engineered for their application solved all of these problems and reduced utility costs by eliminating expensive compressed air.