Greater focus on technical textiles
by Ganesh Kalidasan
Established in 1978, Stalam, a world renowned Italian machinery manufacturer, is indeed a leader in the development, design and manufacture of equipment involving radio frequencies, especially in the field of dryers for the textile industry. Stalam has set up its primary manufacturing facility in the beautiful city of Nove, close to Venice, Italy. With more than three decades of expertise, the company manufactures the best in its class RF dryers from Italy.
The RF technology can be used for a variety of heating and drying applications on raw materials, intermediate and finished industrial and textile products.
The drying of textile fibres and yarns, technical textiles and related products (glass fibres, polymeric foams, non-wovens, etc.) is the best known and most widespread application of Stalam’s radio frequency technology.
Presently, more than 1,800 Stalam radio frequency dryers are in operation in the textile sector, with rated power values ranging from 10 to 180 kW, from the simple, manually operated machine to the fully automated line complete with computerized control and supervision systems. The “RF 180 kW” model dryer demonstrates that Stalam is the most innovative and far-sighted manufacturer of RF drying equipment for the textile industry worldwide.
The company radio frequency dryers have some specific design and construction features which allow their users to obtain the maximum benefits from the RF technology in terms of quality of the dried products, reduced operating costs, flexibility and reliability. The adequate electrode size will allow to maintain the lowest possible power density on the product being dried, thus ensuring a gentle drying process and the highest product quality standards.
R&D receives the highest priority in Stalam where a lot of effort is being taken to reduce power consumption and size and also to make products more reliable, convenient and safe for both the operator and the environment.
As a member of the Italian Electronic and Electro- technical Association (AEI) and of ACIMIT, Stalam co-operates actively with prestigious universities and research institutes for the development of the RF technology both as to generation techniques and to technological applications. The company also co-operates with other leading European machinery manufacturers for the development of innovative drying technologies and for the supply of “turnkey” automated and integrated processing lines.
India is the third important market for Stalam, contributing to more than 10 per cent of its annual turnover. With more and more customers becoming aware of the RF technology in India, Stalam has ambitious plans to increase its presence in the Indian subcontinent.
Exporting about two-thirds of its production to the five continents, Stalam provides professional and prompt commercial and technical assistance in all the relevant textile areas throughout the world.
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During the past decade Stalam has developed specific drying equipment suitable to process a variety of materials. Some of the most important applications within the textile industry are:
- The post-vulcanisation drying of foamed latex products.
- Drying of felt for clothing and for industrial uses, after impregnation, in the form of sheets and disks.
- Drying of dyed elastic bands and narrow fabrics and of silk cocoons and silk wastes after carbonising
- Drying and pre-heating of defective synthetic fibres to be recycled in pellet form, in line with the extrusion equipment
- Drying of glass-fibres.