DriQuik™ - Transit Manufacturing Applications

Over the last two years, DriQuik™ from CCI Thermal Technologies Inc. has supplied two major North American railcar manufacturers with three high performance railcar coatings curing chambers. DriQuik™ offers the transit manufacturing industry innovative infrared solutions that provide a cleaner, safer and more efficient curing process, while at the same time reducing the maintenance costs associated with traditional convection curing.

The Process

These DriQuik™ curing chambers utilize sophisticated long wavelength infrared technology and are designed to process the extremely complex geometric parts common to the transit manufacturing industry. The chamber is specifically engineered for low energy density (1,480,000 Btu/h input for a one hour curing cycle; 146 Btu/h per cubic ft. of chamber interior), resulting in very low energy consumption per unit production compared to similar processes performed in a traditional convection curing oven. Additionally, the DriQuik™ solutions require much less powerful blower motors than convection curing systems (12hp vs. 84hp) to achieve the same process performance. In fact, the DriQuik™ solutions demonstrate an energy consumption at approximately 40% of the energy consumed by convection curing processes.

The cure cycle design is one hour, with thermal stabilization at 145°F. This exposure time adequately completes conduction, allowing for the curing of low temperature epoxies and urethanes on both outside and inside surfaces.

The Advantages

In addition to the low energy consumption of the DriQuik™ curing chambers, they also offer a number of additional advantages that are important to the transit manufacturing industry:

• Inherent Process Safety
  The DriQuik™ curing chambers feature Cata-Dyne™ explosion-proof catalytic gas infrared emitters, which are CSA, FM and CE/ATEX approved for Class I, Div 1, Group D hazardous locations.
• Environmental Responsibility
  The emitters used in the DriQuik™ curing chambers produce zero nitrogen oxides as part of the fuel source oxidation process.
• Space Efficiency
  Infrared technology can evaporate coating solvents prior to the coating skinning over, eliminating the flash-off period. The curing chamber can then attach directly to the exit end of the spray booth, saving up to a full railcar length of floorspace. This space efficiency is not possible with traditional convection curing systems.
• Clean Performance
  The infrared curing process, unlike convection curing, is not dependant on a high velocity impingement airstream to transfer energy. This makes it considerably cleaner and less prone to leaving contaminant deposits on the coating itself, as well as more cost-effective from a filtration maintenance point of view. The infrared equipment in the DriQuik™ curing chambers moves a mere 8% of the air moved by a convection oven for the same curing process.