JS Humidifiers has supplied two Neptronic SKG gas-fired humidifiers to Gurit on the Isle of Wight. Gurit manufactures composite materials that are used in high-tech industries, including the production of high end vehicles, such as Formula 1 cars and the Airbus A380, and wind turbines. The gas-fired humidifiers assist in the curing process at the paint spray booths at the site.

The humidifiers supply up to 470kg of steam per hour to the paint spray booths in order to maintain at least 50% relative humidity. The specialised urethane coatings used in production need to be moisture cured in order to obtain optimum adhesion to the surface. Once sprayed the specialised coatings react with the moisture in the air, allowing them to cure.

The humidifiers were supplied to Gurit as part of a complete spray booth package by Junair Spray Booths Ltd. Doug Allen, Designer at Junair explains, “The paint spray booth process at Gurit requires humidity during the baking and curing cycle as the paint is ‘moisture cured’. As the site uses large amounts of gas for heating it made sense to select a gas-fired humidifier for the spray booth project. The units have now been working in a production situation for more than six months and are performing very well with humidity control at ±2% relative humidity.”

Gurit has played a definitive role in the development of the European automotive industry with their introduction of direct adhesion concept to glass and bodywork using this moisture curing process. This technology has allowed composite materials like carbon fibre to be cost effectively manufactured at series production costs.

The Neptronic SKG gas-fired humidifiers used by Gurit have the widest modulation capability of any gas-fired humidifier and can produce 8.7 to 400kg of steam per hour from a single unit. The SKG is also the most compact with a footprint of just 61cm by 56cm.

The design of the humidifier is focused around ease of maintenance with a boiling chamber that can be disengaged from the main unit, emptied of limescale and re-attached in a matter of minutes. The shape of the heating element assists in this process with a patented spiral design, which expands and contracts during operation to literally crack the limescale from its surface to be collected in the boiling chamber.

Along with the humidifiers, JS also supplied multi-steam short adsorption lances. These steam distribution pipes ensure the steam evaporates within a very short distance after being introduced to the spray booth, thus avoiding any condensation on surrounding surfaces.

JS Humidifiers is the UK’s largest humidification company with the widest range of products and offers a service of advice, design, supply, installation and maintenance. It also offers a comprehensive range of humidifier spares, not only for JS equipment but also for a large range of different manufacturers’ humidifiers, mostly available ex-stock.

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