Whether paint drying, curing, tempering, or burn-in: drying processes in the electronics industry today are much more than a downstream manufacturing step. They determine the reliability, lifespan, and quality of electronic assemblies. Rehm Thermal Systems offers a wide range of product-specific drying and curing systems – from horizontal and vertical dryers to UV and magazine dryers, as well as reel-to-reel solutions. With the new RVDS vertical dryer, Rehm expands its portfolio with a particularly compact, flexible, and powerful system for modern electronics manufacturing.
Electronic assemblies perform central functions in safety-critical applications – from airbag systems in vehicles to sensors in airplanes or industrial controls. To protect them permanently from moisture, dust, corrosion, vibrations, and thermal stress, assemblies are often painted, coated, or encapsulated and then reliably dried or cured.
The requirements for these processes are diverse: product, coating material, solvent content, throughput, and temperature-time profile determine the design of the system. Key factors are temperature uniformity, reproducibility, energy efficiency, and easy integration into existing lines. Rehm Thermal Systems develops customized drying and curing systems that are precisely tailored to the product, process, and production environment.
The portfolio ranges from horizontal and conveyor dryers to magazine dryers and UV systems, as well as reel-to-reel solutions for flexible substrates and compact vertical dryers. Especially in limited production areas, the vertical drying concept is gaining importance: the vertical dryer utilizes the available room height and allows for high process capacity with minimal footprint.
Vertical dryer for paint drying and curing of electronic assemblies
When drying processes need to be carried out safely, reproducibly, and space-efficiently, the Rehm vertical dryer is the ideal solution. The system was developed for drying and curing a wide variety of assemblies and combines high process stability with an extremely compact design. The vertical transport principle saves valuable production space without compromising on quality, temperature control, or throughput.
Compact design for high performance
The new Rehm vertical dryer combines high thermal performance with an exceptionally small footprint. The system dimensions are approximately 2.5 m wide, 2.0 m deep, and 3.9 m high. This makes the system specifically designed for manufacturing environments where production space is tight and efficiency per square meter is crucial.
Designed for demanding assemblies
The system concept is designed for carrier sizes of 500 × 500 mm and can process products up to 420 × 400 × 110 mm and a product weight of about 3,000 g. Thus, the vertical dryer is suitable not only for classic coated printed circuit boards but also for larger and more complex assemblies that need to be reliably guided and reproducibly tempered.
Precise temperature control for stable results
The heating system operates according to the convection principle in recirculation mode. Several separately controllable heating zones allow for precise adjustment of the process to the amount of paint applied, solvent throughput, and product specifications. Targeted air guidance in the process chambers ensures homogeneous heating of the assemblies and creates the conditions for reproducible process flows and high product quality.
Separately controllable heating zones, individually adjustable supply and exhaust air, as well as an optional segmented cooling section ensure an optimal flow principle in the process chamber.
Intelligent carrier and stacking concept
A central feature of the system is the vertical stacking principle. The products are transported on specially designed carriers. Centering spacers enable safe and precise stacking of the carriers. With up to 20 product carriers per stack, high capacity is achieved in a very compact design.
Clean transport principle for sensitive electronics
Transport through the system occurs via a vertical circulation and transfer system with defined lifting and transfer movements. The carriers in the process chambers are stacked on top of each other and guided through the system via lift, longitudinal transport, and transfer units. The result is a clean, controlled material flow with high process density. Additionally, in the hot process area, traditional chain and lubricant concepts can be omitted, reducing the risk of contamination of sensitive assemblies.
Flexible loading concepts for different production environments
The vertical dryer is not limited to a single line concept but is designed for multiple loading variants:
- automatic inline loading
- manual loading
- as well as optional robotic loading.
This allows the system to adapt to different degrees of automation and manufacturing structures. Particularly important: according to the concept, manual loading must also be possible. This significantly expands the application possibilities, for example for pilot productions, flexible lines, or productions with frequently changing batch sizes.
Customizable to the line
The system can be designed with several configuration options. These include different loading and unloading positions, various loading types, as well as the design of the stacking height or the number of carriers in circulation. Alternative unloading positions are also possible to optimally align the layout with the production line. Thus, the vertical dryer can be specifically adapted to space conditions, material flow, and desired automation level.
Cooling, protecting, further processing
The system can optionally be equipped with a segmented cooling in the second tower. This ensures controlled and product-friendly cooling after the thermal process. This supports stable results and safe further processing afterwards.
Developed for modern electronics manufacturing
Whether automotive, aerospace, industrial electronics, or other applications with high demands on drying processes and reliability: the Rehm vertical dryer supports stable, documentable, and economical processes. The combination of vertical system design, clean carrier transport, and flexible integration options creates a future-proof solution for modern electronics manufacturing.
Rehm Thermal Systems supports users already in the design phase in defining the optimal technology and process parameters. The result is customized drying solutions that sustainably enhance quality, cost-effectiveness, and reliability in electronics manufacturing.
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