Challenges with sufficient hot air for the drying ovens at 3B-Fibreglass Norway AS meant that the company needed a solution that provided adequate drying capacity. It then became possible to perform necessary maintenance in the drying ovens, and variations in outdoor air temperature no longer affected the temperature in the drying ovens. Together with Norske Backer, the solution became a new modular air heater that provides higher capacity, easier maintenance, and a more robust drying process.
Continuous operation placed high demands
3B-Fibreglass Norway AS produces fiberglass yarn, which has a wide range of applications. The largest end-users are manufacturers in the wind power and automotive industries. Production runs continuously, around the clock, all year round. When the existing hot-air recuperator in the furnace process began causing challenges, a need arose for a solution that could ensure stable operation in the future as well. The old air heater was defective and built as a single, continuous unit. Over time, several power groups had been disconnected due to faults, and maintenance was demanding because the entire unit had to be handled as a whole.
– We needed an air heater that provided sufficient capacity. In order to avoid temperature drops in the drying ovens and enable maintenance, says Knut Steinar Grini, technical manager at 3B-Fibreglass.
Modular solution provides easier maintenance
To meet the demand, Norske Backer developed a new air heater built from replaceable modules. The solution makes maintenance easier and reduces the need for long operational downtime compared to the previous installation.
The heater supplies hot air to the drying ovens in the production process, and the new solution has simultaneously provided a significantly better capacity margin.
– The duct heater supplies hot air to the drying ovens in the process. The old one was undersized, so we lacked sufficient hot air. But now we have more than enough capacity, says Grini.
More stable and robust drying process
The increased capacity has contributed to a more stable production process.
– The drying process has become more stable and robust than before. Now we can switch between two systems without it causing any challenges, Grini explains.
An important improvement also lies in the design of the air heater itself. In the new solution, the heating elements are positioned 90 degrees to the airflow, whereas the elements in the old heater were mounted parallel to the direction of flow. This provides better heat transfer and reduces the pressure drop through the heater.
Close collaboration yielded the right solution
Because production at 3B-Fibreglass runs continuously, it was crucial that the new air heater could be installed quickly and fit precisely into the existing system.
In cooperation with the customer, Norske Backer developed the necessary custom adaptations for suspension and connection to existing piping systems both before and after the heater. This made installation easier and reduced the risk associated with the replacement.
– From the first contact, we have had a good collaboration. Together with their input, we arrived at a good solution – from the evaluation of alternative solutions to the finished installation, says Grini.
With the new modular air heater, 3B-Fibreglass has obtained a solution that combines higher capacity with easier maintenance. The result is a more robust drying process, greater production flexibility, and increased operational reliability in a plant that depends on continuous operation.