The Benford IRH system combines high-intensity Infrared (IR) heat with precision Air Knife technology to dramatically accelerate the drying process of conventional oil-based inks and water-based coatings. This technology is designed to directly address bottlenecks in the finishing department.
For commercial print IRH allows you to dry faster, finish sooner and move straight to the folder or guillotine without the typical 24-hour wait for conventional inks. For packaging printing applications, IRH offers high-speed drying for aqueous coatings on heavy boards, ensuring a mark-free finish even at maximum press speeds.
HIGH SPEED DRYING FOR CONVENTIONAL INKS
Precision Air Knives
High-velocity air strips away the boundary layer of moisture and solvents, allowing the IR heat to penetrate deeper and dry the sheet faster.
Thermal control
Intelligent sensors monitor the stack temperature to ensure rapid drying without overheating the pile, preventing set-off and sticking.
Custom integration
Designed to fit into the existing delivery of all major sheetfed presses, from Komori to Heidelberg.
Live support
Every Benford technology is connected via WIFI so that our engineers can access your system remotely to provide a truly global support, diagnostics and optimisation service, all in real-time.
INFRARED & AIR KNIFE APPLICATIONS
For Sheetfed Offset Printing Presses
Benford IRH systems are the definitive choice for accelerating the drying of conventional oil-based inks and water-based coatings on printing presses like those from Heidelberg, Komori, and RMGT.
- Eliminate bottlenecks – the combination of IR heat and Air Knife technology strips away moisture instantly, allowing conventional print jobs to be finished in hours rather than days.
- Mark-free delivery – by stabilising the ink film faster, our IRH drying system significantly reduces the risk of ‘set-off’ or marking in the delivery pile, even on heavy coverage work.
- Intelligent pile monitoring – features precise sensors that monitor stack temperatures in real-time, ensuring rapid drying and protection for the substrate from overheating.
For Web & Narrow Web Printing Presses
The preferred technology for web printers and coaters requiring high-speed drying of aqueous (water-based) coatings on paper and board.
- High-speed moisture removal – precision Air Knives remove the saturated boundary layer, allowing the IR energy to work more efficiently at high web speeds.
- Compact high output design – our slimline drying units fit into restricted spaces on web lines, providing maximum drying power in a small footprint.
- Clean & safe – optimised airflow management ensures heat is contained and solvents are safely managed, creating a cleaner and more productive work area.
KEEPING CUSTOMERS HAPPY ALL OVER THE WORLD
We have been dealing with Benford UV for about 6 years and during that time they have installed 6 separate LED systems for us ranging from 2 to 6 colours. Some of the systems are straight replacements of older traditional UV lamp units, others were retro fits onto presses that only previously had hot air capabilities.
We had been considering the transition to LED drying and Benford became a strong partner in making that choice. We have always found them to be highly professional, knowledgeable and extremely efficient, yet somehow totally calm and relaxed.
In the 32 years we have been in business they are one of the few companies who can give a delivery schedule for a piece of machinery and then stick to it. The systems are not unnecessarily over complicated and are extremely easy to use.
It is with great pleasure that I recommend Benford UV to any other company.
Client: Aztec Label Ltd
Location: Kidderminster, UK
Contact: Colin Le Gresley, MD
Solution: UV curing system
BENFORD IRH SPECIFICATIONS
| Technology | Benford IRH |
| Detail | Combined IR & High Velocity Air Knife |
| Applications | Conventional oil-based & water based inks/coatings |
| Drying method | Thermal penetration & boundary layer removal |
| Cooling system | Integrated air-managed thermal control |
| Support | Remote real-time live support (requires WIFI connection) |
| Safety | Intelligent pile temperature monitoring |
| Warranty | Up to 10 year warranty available |
| Installation lead time | Starting from 6 weeks |
