Brown Firefly FACTS

[bulldog]

(Ps. Sorry for getting banished to a thread with just facts and figures, kinda makes it boring)

Like Giligan said, this is interesting. I'm following along the thread and am very intrigued/impressed by everything. Also, Steve, I'd like to give my thanks for taking the time to contribute this information! Keep it coming!

[Inkworks]

So, in simple terms, the dryer heats up instantly and starts off hot as Hell (hence the big power required), way too hot for what we would run a conventional dryer at, more like a quartz flash-cure, but because it senses the garments surface temperature, as soon as the garment is up to temp (in a couple of seconds) it cuts the power to a lower setting and just holds the garment at the optimal temp for the cure cycle.

Good idea.

A couple of questions:
How does it handle multiple items in the tunnel at the same time?
Cure times look great, but how does that relate to throughput, ie: parts per hour?
Can you run shirts overlapping with nothing but the print showing and still achieve the quick cure times?

[3Deep]

I got a question to ask, the firefly can heat up quick then cools correct, so would that not lead to a high electric bill with all the spiking going on.  From what I thought I was told at one time that turning you AC/Heat on and off will cause a spike in the electric, but leaving it set at one temp would be better, I'm thinking the same with our electric dryers.

darryl

[Gilligan]

It's all about duty cycle Darryl.

An electric dryer isn't all that insulated to keep the heat in.  So the duty cycle is still high.  I need to  time my Radicure but even the Radicure (flag ship M&R electric dryer) probably cycles on and off at like 75%.  So, staying on just means you will pull 75% of your amp draw 100% of the time.  If with the Firefly it only runs full out 50% of the time, it will likely be better.  If it only has to run 100% for the first 5 seconds and then drops to 50% for the rest of the time then it will be doing better.

Obviously Steve will have better insight to this particular dryer than that, but that is why the home AC/Heating analogy doesn't exactly fit when looking at an electric dryer.

Also, I'm sure Steve will tell us, but I'm guessing the quartz bulbs are setup like:
||||||||||  and the shirt passes through like this:
  -             so it only runs the bulbs above where the shirt is at whatever it needs to be at.
I'm sure it's more complicated and can be better explained by Steve bu this is how I've understood it to be.

[Steve Harpold]

Power and how it relates to Electric Dryers:
Traditional IR dryer (Including dryers made by Brown Mfg) works as follows:  (Again not complete with scientific terms but concepts explained)
1. A traditional IR dryer say with 4 heating elements, has a probe (Thermal-Couple) that measure a temperature directly below the heating element.  In many cases the measuring instrument is in the heating element. Many times the dryer only has one probe and all elements react to the same reading.

2.  This device records a number say 700 degrees. The dryer than turns on and off based on that number, keeping the intensity of energy delivered to the belt at the same value.  The user than adjusts the belt speed in order to get a desired result. A traditional electric dryer is not capable of holding temperature on an item as the item will continue to climb until it reaches the same degree as the energy source.
 
3. The dryer continues to cycle on an off maintaining this value regardless of what is passing trough. A white shirt, a dark shirt or simply nothing. Resulting in a dryer using between 70% - 80% utilization at all times. 

The Fire Fly:
1. During down times (Break, Lunch, Set-ups, tear downs) The Fire Fly uses 1% utilization (Sleep mode) In some cases take manual printing, it will shut down in between shirts.
2.  Every element in the Fire Fly has it owns measuring device, Like Stated by a few the first element will fire a 100% to bring the shirt up to temp, once the shirt is up to temp the back 5 elements will fire to 70%,50%,30%.... and so on, using the readings off the shirt to determine the amount of energy needed.
3. A White shirt only requires, 10-20% where a Dark Hoodie would require a larger %.
4. The software is also capable of halving the power of the Fire Fly instantly as polys, silks an other light items would only use (20% of the 50%) or 10% of the value available.
5. Customer Rating (Actual On Site Test)
Machine: 3 Belt Fire Fly
Application: 3 automatic machines
Print Type: Polyester, Cotton and Tri Blend
Length: One week trial period, constant monitoring (Include down times, set-ups and breaks)
Utilization: 25%


Quickly to address Darryl's question:
You are correct as it regards Air Heat,
How Air Heat works (Quickly)
1. A central heating source (burner or flame) heats a carrier (Air).  The air travels through Duct Work and passes the energy to the garment, or (House in Darryl case).  So if the dryer is well insulated and the air is recirculated than it takes less energy to heat the air.
2. How this relates to an IR dryer.  IR is the heating source and the shirt is the carrier.  It is a direct transfer, so the heating up of the surrounding air and the machine itself for the most part is a waste of energy. A small amount of residual heat is needed (The Fire Fly will run a quick pre-warm if needed (10 seconds or so)

Power as it relates to the rest of the shop:
1. The Fire Fly uses the majority of the energy being created and passes it directly to the substrate.  This results in the outside of the dryer and the surrounding air to be cool. In air conditioned environment or DTG environment there is a significant power savings as related to keeping the climate in the shop cool.

Let me know which question you would like addressed next, thanks
Video and Literature to some of these items can be found at: http://brownmfgdigital.com/FireFly
A Fire Fly on Kornit machines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SqYeFtVt3E

[GraphicDisorder]

Got any data on electric costs for a single auto shop running one?  Id be curious.

My shop is run by Gas Heaters out in the poorly insulated warehouse, gas heat inside our well insulated offices, and gas water heater......all this in addition to the M&R Gas dryer and our gas bill on its worse winter months is only around $400.  Do you suspect this firefly would be similar on the worst of months?  In summer our gas bill is near nothing.

The concept sounds cool though. 

[Steve Harpold]

Here is quick example for the single auto question:  (And the rest of components necessary to get to an end result)
Location: Johnson City, Tennessee
KW/H rate Industrial: .08
Btu Them Rate:  .96/ 100,000 Btu therm
Weather Pattern: Mild
Shop Location air conditioned where dryer is located: No
Size of dryer: Unknown, I will use a average based on a few websites
Shifts: 1
Avg day: 8 hrs
Belt width: 38"
Chamber Length: 96"
Intended Capacity as listed by manufacturer:
Plastisol: 340
Discharge, Waterbase: 150
Blower: 208/3phase/10 amps
Burner: 200 Btu
Utlilization: 65%
Cost pr/hr: $1.65
Cost pr/shift: $13.18
Cost pr/mnth: $276.86
Cost pr Year, $3,322.27

All numbers are based of listed rates by equipment manufacturers and Johnson City Tennessee power and gas rates.  (These are different country wide)

Fire Fly
Belt width: 36"
Chamber Length: 45"
Intended Capacity as listed by manufacturer:
Plastisol: 360
Discharge, Waterbase: 200
Blower:n/a
Burner: n/a
Heat Source: 208/3phase/ 41 amps
Utlilization: 35% 
Cost pr/hr: $ .47
Cost pr/shift: $3.72
Cost pr/mnth: $78.22
Cost pr Year: $938.60

Electric rates in Johnson city, Tennesse are very inexpensive, the gas rate was tougher to find if you have a more accurate one let me know. 

 

 

[GraphicDisorder]

If those numbers are real, thats pretty impressive. 

My gas for the year in 2013 was around $1800 total.  I haven't went back and looked at the total for 2014 for the year, but we had some high months of around $400 I know, which is for sure up from 2013.  Keep in mind that includes the complete building heat in and out and the water heater (8k sqft). 

[Steve Harpold]

The numbers are hard to estimate as I don't have the complete stats from your Gas Dryer. I also don't know your work schedule or habits.
 One thing that is commonly left out of the calculations is the electricity your gas dryer uses. In the above example I used a high efficiency blower and exhaust. On your dryer these items run all the time. Assuming the above calculations, you use $.40 cents pr hour of electricity on your gas dryer and $1.25 pr/hr gas. Once you factor the electricity cost of the gas dryer back in our numbers will be very close.

[Gilligan]

I applaud you on your honesty in your numbers.

Your example uses a low electric rate (.08 cents) as does our area, so I can relate... AND you stated these are low, not trying to dazzle ppl with numbers and not tell them the scope of where they fit.

The math looks sound to me.  I know in our shop, the cost of electric vs gas isn't the great equalizer it is in other ppl's shops.  I would love to say, "time to get a gas dryer because the math just makes sense." But our electric bill is under $200/month and that's heating/cooling and water... And our building's insulation sucks.

A firefly seems like an awesome concept, I just need to see this thing actually working.  Conceptually it makes sense, just one of those seeing is believing things.  Like the Baby Joe 2000 when he first came here... I was one of the first naysayers... But now LED is all the rage and ppl can't wait to get them.  We just had to see it with our own eyes.

So, Mr. Steve... How does the firefly monitor the garment and/or print all the way through?

[sweetts]

This is the thinking and development that will push our industry further. I can't wait to see this thing run.

[Steve Harpold]

A simple version of how the monitor system works:

1. Brown uses a proprietary/patent digital imaging system. We are capable of photographing substrates through the oven during the heating process.

2. The imaging system photographs the substrate 3 times per second.

3. The information is delivered to the software which converts the data into temperatures and are sent to the heating mechanisms.

4. The software turns the heat on/off depending on the information in real time. The software will also prepare the next bulb for the incoming substrate.

5. The Fire Fly is the first drying system with inline feedback controls.

Some of the software screens can be seen at www.brownmfgdigital.com

The dryer itself will be at Atlantic CIty ISS, unvailing the Answer to Dye Migration uses many different ink forms!

[GaryG]

The software will also prepare the next bulb for the incoming substrate.

Whoa - Ya don't say!
Never thought I'd hear something like this for a dryer, or I should say a "smart dryer"?
Neat!!

Go Brown! 

[1964GN]

While I think this particular dryer isn't practical for most shops for a variety of reasons, and I would never buy v1 of anything, it's great to see someone moving forward with dryer technology.

We have smart presses, smart flashes, shops being run on tablets in the "cloud", etc, and yet the dryer is still in the 1980's. A smart dryer is way over due! This effort has the potential to change the minds of those mfgs that might currently suggest that this is just a "gimmick" dryer.

[jvanick]

I've been silently following along, but I have to say this is pretty cool... especially for smaller shops that do a lot of different work. 

just taking the guess factor out for 'new' employees would be huge...

For us 250-300pcs/hr would be too slow.

now, 150a/3phase electrical requirements... that's WAY steep, most 3000sq foot and less units in our area only have 100a/3phase coming in, and if you want to go to 200a service, you have to go to 'Demand' based pricing... which can triple or quadruple your power bill.

I'm looking forward to seeing a pic of the inside of one of these...

a few questions:

does the camera run down the entire length of inside of the dryer?  or are there multiple cameras? 

What happens when the print is off to the side (left or right crest)?