Drying

Drying & Flash-Off in the Paint Mixing Room

Efficient drying and flash-off solutions are crucial for uniform curing and high-quality surfaces in paint mixing rooms and adjacent preparation areas. Depending on the application, infrared systems (short or medium wave), UV or UV-LED technologies or warm air and recirculation processes are used. Additional components such as air knives and dehumidification units enable targeted control of temperature, air volume and humidity levels. Integrated control and measurement systems allow parameters such as temperature, film thickness and humidity to be monitored and documented. All systems fulfil the requirements for ATEX protection and grounding.

Applications & Benefits

Drying technology is used in automotive and OEM coating, industrial and plastic coating as well as in the bodywork and repair sector. Properly designed systems accelerate flash-off phases and curing processes, reduce downtimes and minimise rework. At the same time, surface stability, gloss and adhesion are sustainably improved. All drying parameters can be recorded digitally and provide verifiable approvals with complete traceability as part of quality assurance.

Tasks & Set Composition

The selection of the appropriate drying technology depends on the material, film thickness and process time. IR systems (short or medium wave) enable rapid heating and uniform through-drying, while UV and UV-LED solutions are used particularly for clearcoats or UV-curing systems. Warm air and recirculation systems ensure controlled air circulation and uniform temperature distribution. Additional air knives shorten flash-off times, and dehumidification systems stabilise process conditions. Via temperature and air volume profiles, flash-off times, distance, angle and movement sequences are precisely controlled. The measurement and documentation technology includes surface and core temperatures, humidity values and film thickness measurement. Results are documented via QR/labels, PDF/CSV exports, user data and limit value logs.

Product Areas & Integration

The portfolio includes IR dryers and gantry systems, UV/UV-LED modules, warm air and recirculation devices, air knives, dehumidification systems as well as control and sensor technology for temperature, air volume and humidity. Additionally, systems for supply and exhaust air management and measuring devices for film thickness and temperature are used. Via the QC/recipe software, all measurement data is recorded centrally, archived and integrated into QS workflows, report folders and audit processes. This results in a documented, energy-efficient and reproducible drying solution for all coating applications.

Benefits at a Glance

• Fast & reproducible – defined flash-off/curing profiles
• Quality – smooth surfaces, fewer runs/blisters/orange peel
• Process reliable – dehumidification & stable airflow for waterborne coatings
• Traceable – PDF/CSV reports, labels/QR & limit value checking

Top Manufacturers – Drying/Flash-Off

• IRT (Hedson) – IR modules, gantries & controls.
• Walther Pilot – process & mixing technology, mobile drying solutions.
• Wagner – process & peripheral systems.
• Sames (formerly Kremlin) – supply & control.
• Graco – controllers/sensors & peripherals.
• Systemair – fans & airflow.
• Nederman – exhaust air & filtration.
• ESTA – extraction technology.
• Leister – hot air technology.
• Trotec – dehumidification & climate control.
• Hönle – UV/UV-LED curing.
• IST Metz – UV systems.
• ensutech – workstations & ATEX components.
• KAMATEC – handling/gantries & accessories.
• Mirka – surface preparation.
• 3M – masking/process accessories & occupational safety.
• beschicht. – QS templates, QR/label sets & setups.

Direct to Drying – or Consulting & configuration.