Plaster boards dryer – India // ALPHAPLATRE

FIPE has recently been commissioned for a plaster board dryer to be fitted in a complete board production line supplied by ALPHAPLATRE, a French engineering company specialised in plaster.

Once the plaster is produced, it is mixed with water to become a liquid paste which is shaped and thereafter dried. The dryer is therefore a key part of the installation. It aims to accelerate the evaporation of the excess water in the boards in less than 40 minutes.

This dryer has been sized to accommodate plates measuring from 1.80 m (Indian standards) to 3 m length and 1.22 m width (single width) while thickness ranges from 7 to 18 mm. Boards will be fed intermittently on to various levels of the dryer in order to have two boards conveyed by the rollers. An inlet acceleration system will ensure the boards to advance one after the other.

This installation of more than 100 meters long has been entirely manufactured in our Chinese FIPE workshop. However, the whole project has been designed and fabricated in accordance with the European Codes and Standards. For 4 months, the Chinese team has produced 50 units comprising 6 levels each (standard units, hot air induction units, moist air extraction units, lubricating units, counterweight chain tension units …). Mechanical requirements of this project were very strict. Indeed, it is not feasible that the boards can be deformed (strictly controlled hot air circulation around the boards) or damaged (boards have to touch without damaging each other). In order to validate the design, FIPE actually operated two testing units upstream in order to enhance the design and fabrication of the original equipment.

Regarding the transport and the installation of the dryer, ALPHAPLATRE and FIPE have thought of everything! Mechanical assembly of all the units has been performed upstream, prior to delivery. This will enable optimal transport as well as simplified assembly on the production site.

A great reference for the industrial Chinese workshop!