Essentially it is a self-sustaining highly efficient environmental control system that provides solvent-free high temperature exhaust from the continuous oven solvent stream. As the incinerated gases leave the RTO, they are directed via valves to pass through a heat absorbing ceramic mass contained in a “Canister”. There are always at least two canisters but three canisters offer better flow and flexibility of the high temperature exhaust for use back in the process ovens. Additional valves alternately direct the incoming oven solvents to fully pre-heated canisters to provide a heat transfer up to auto-ignition temperature of the oven solvents to continue the thermal cycle. Finally, secondary air to air and tertiary air to water heat exchangers transfer the RTO exhaust to the process oven heating and hot water supply for the cleaning section.

This is well established technology but as with everything, the devil and the “Do’s and Don’ts” are in the details of the construction and control scheme. These are obviously high temperature devices and FME uses proprietary technology developed in Europe to optimize performance and component life. The Europeans have been at the forefront of environmentally advanced thermal systems design, operation, control and performance for a long time. In keeping with FME’s policy of pursuing the best that is available for the CCL market, we developed strategic design relationships and resources coupled with our manufacturing economies to merge technology and execution into a value-priced result.