.bmp)
Bring on the Big Items
Flameless catalytic drying of all surfaces. It sounds dry and technical, but that is as concisely one can describe the company's operations, says Steen Abild, master painter and sales director at Netek IR System in Mariager.
Netek is one of Hub North network's southernmost members. Its geographic location at the edge of the network's operating area was decisive for membership.
“Because we are not situated at the heart of northern Denmark, we are perhaps even more dependent on reaching the others. It is pretty far from Mariager to Skagen, but thanks to Hub North we get to know each other and learn where we can find a particular subcontractor if we need one”, says Finn Poulsen, CEO of Netek.
The company, situated idyllically near the shore in Mariager, produces industrial drying systems. The pieces range from mobile phones to items as heavy as a wind turbine tower or oil tanker. The IR System method stands for infrared heating and is a flameless alternative to conventional heating.
The customer group is the wood, plastic and metal industries. The drying method covers wet and powder varnishes, solvent- and water-based varnishes and composite products. There are three processes: a drying line, i.e. a flat belt, where the items are transported by belt, a drying box, where the items are transported for drying, and finally a drying-conveyor with a rail on the ceiling or floor.
In the patented Netek IR System, heat radiates directly into each molecule in the varnish. This speeds up the temperature. The drying time for a Nokia mobile phone was reduced from 24 hours to a half hour. For ten years, Nokia has used the Netek system for drying at the group's factories in Finland, Hungary, China and Mexico.
“The benefits are obvious, but almost too good to be true”, says Steen Abild. The drying time is namely reduced by up to 80 percent. The energy savings are nearly 80 percent in relation to drying in a conventional oven based on oil heating. VOC emissions, that is the evaporation of solvents, are reduced by at least 60 percent. CO2 emissions are 70 percent lower with this method. And last but not least, the factory saves space. Our drying system takes 60 to 90 percent less space than a conventional oven. For one installation at a factory recently, they went from a 64-meter-long oven to a 12-meter-long oven.
That is bragging!
“We know that, but all our figures are documented by Carl Bro and the Danish Energy Agency. What is more, varnish suppliers such as Hempel have been involved in a number of tests and have vouched for the results”, says Steen Abild.
Furniture factory Montana on Funen also uses the Netek drying system. The drying time for a bookcase shelf is now 25 minutes. Both sides are then dry and can be stacked. In the past, it took three hours.
“The drying time was one of the reasons why the factory went from three shifts to one shift”, says Netek director Knud Rasmussen.
The Mariager company has just set up a system at Siemens Wind Power in Brande.
“We can't get into the details, but let's just say that it is for very large pieces. Together with another large wind turbine factory, we are currently conducting tests that entail heating nine-tonne pieces up to 90 degrees Celsius. The hardening time is 30 minutes. In the past, the same item would have taken seven days at 20 degrees to harden”, says Rasmussen.
In collaboration with SSP in Svendborg, we are conducting tests on drying securing flanges to wind turbine blades. With varnish supplier Hempel, we have performed testing on the drying of nacelles and hubs for wind turbines.
Hydraulic cylinders for wind turbines are tested using the infrared drying method. It was made with zinc at the bottom, epoxy as a middle coat and polyurethane as a top coat. After three hours, the cylinder could be dispatched. In the past, the drying time was five or six days.
“The different tests took six months and involved tropical chamber, salt mist, demineralised water and various hardness tests. After the test, Hempel reported that the drying method had no negative effects and that adhesion was significantly better than with the standard drying methods”, Abild said.
The results led to the delivery of three systems to the Mærsk container factory in China. Mærsk Oil and Gas have also set up drying systems from Mariager on platforms in the North Sea.
Try the pieces on our premises
“We make drying systems in all sizes. And we also invite companies to come to our plant with one or more pieces and try drying them in our test ovens. Of course, that also applies to our member colleagues in Hub North”, says Steen Abild.
He was sceptical at first whether the company would get anything out of being a member.
“We are busy, but on the other hand, we also want to be open. That is why we joined. We now come to all the network meetings and get a whole lot out of it. You could also say that we are too busy to visit every subcontractor to the wind turbine industry in the region. With the establishment of Hub North, we have a good overview of them all”, the sales director says.
“We use many subcontractors ourselves, and with our system we can help them speed up their work processes. This can give them an advantage. We target all companies working with mechanical components, steel components and similar constructions”, says Finn Poulsen, CEO of Netek.
The three Netek bosses also consider the location in the southernmost corner of Northern Denmark to be advantageous for the entire network.
“We are situated close to all suppliers throughout Denmark and, in that way, we can help expand the network's reach”, they say.
