So I got a pretty good deal on a used Black Body Little Buddy conveyor dryer. When I picked it up I tested it to make sure everything was working and it was fine. Heating element, belt, belt speed controls were all fine.
Then when I got home I ran the belt to see what speed setting I would need to dry at...
Well I use water based inks from Matsui, and they recommend a curing time of 2.5-3 minutes.
Well my problem is, even at it's slowest speed a garment would only be in the heat chamber for about 45 second... which is nowhere near as slow as I thought it would be or need it to be.
Doesn't this seem to be relatively fast for a dryer meant to cure inks on shirts? Even when i use plastisol I cure for 45 seconds, so the very slowest speed is just enough time to cure even with plastisol.
Turned to high speed, an item would only be in the chamber for 8 seconds... what cures at 8 seconds?! Why do they make the belt speed so fast?
Has anybody else had similar problems with this, or another conveyor dryer??
The dryer has a spec of 1-12 fpm and a 30" heat area. At 1 FPM, it would seem that it would have 2.5 minutes of heat.
It sounds like you are moving faster than 1 fpm. If so, it sound like your dryer is running outside of stated specifications.
fred
So if I contacted the manufactures I may be able to get the speed control fixed? I purchased the press used, so i hope it may or may not still be under some sort of warranty.
Those dryers just aren't made for waterbased inks. You really need something with a longer chamber. I'm afraid if you slow it down too much, you might as well just use a flash to cure the ink.
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yeah i realize that the small format dryers aren't really built for use with water based inks... but right now I don't have the budget or the physical space to get a larger one. I actually plan on placing my flash unit over the later end of the belt, so that shirts continue to cure even after they exit the chamber, that way I can increase belt speeds a little.
yeah i realize that the small format dryers aren't really built for use with water based inks... but right now I don't have the budget or the physical space to get a larger one. I actually plan on placing my flash unit over the later end of the belt, so that shirts continue to cure even after they exit the chamber, that way I can increase belt speeds a little.
That's a good idea. I think it'll help greatly.
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I have the same conveyor and mine will flat out burn a shirt. I can get almost 3 minutes out of mine so I would definately look into a new speed controll.
i also have that conveyor and i clear gate to gate at the lowest speed (1%) in just over 100 seconds.
i cure most plastisols at 19%, which takes roughly 45 seconds.
(percents based on the speed setting goes from 1-100. seconds from my head... one mississippi, two mississippi...)
it took a lot of trial and error to get a good cure, as i don't have a laser temp reader, and the only way to control the temp in the box is by setting the height of gate in and gate out.
i've been wanting to get into waterbased as well and feel like i'm going to need a temp gun to figure out my settings, and then again don't know if it'll work based on the logic of the initial poster.
Conveyor dryer too fast?!? 
