Pick the dryer by the result you want
Dryers fall into three groups. A relax dryer carries the cloth on a belt with no pulling, so knit fabric shrinks, relaxes and feels soft. A cylinder dryer presses woven fabric against heated drums. A stenter dries while holding the edges at a set width.
If you need fixed width and weight, use a stenter. If you only need dry cloth, a dryer is cheaper to buy and to run.
Relax dryer for knit fabric
The Runda relax dryer takes one or more pieces of cloth. The cloth enters the drying conveyor with overfeed. A herringbone expander is available for open-width fabric, and a circular guide opens tubular knit.
At the exit, the drying conveyor hands the cloth to a tension-free exit conveyor, and a swing device lays it out. Low tension keeps the hand soft.
Drying range for padded woven fabric
The LMH101 combines a padder, a mangle and a dryer in one range. It handles open-width cotton, synthetic and blended woven fabric after padding. See the padding mangle page for the front end of this line.
Typical operating values
| Item | Relax dryer, knit fabric | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Drying temperature | 110 to 170 °C | Shop-floor practice; depends on fibre and weight |
| Fabric speed | About 4 to 20 m/min | Heavier cloth runs slower |
| Overfeed | -5% to -25% | Higher overfeed gives more shrinkage and bulk |
| Heat source | Steam or gas | Confirm what your plant has |
| Fabric feed | Open width or tubular | Expander or circular guide |
These are typical workshop values, not machine ratings. Ratings for a specific model are given in the quotation.
How to choose
State whether the cloth is knit or woven, tubular or open width, and its weight in GSM. These decide the dryer type.
State the water content going in. Wet cloth straight from washing needs far more drying capacity than cloth that went through a hydro extractor or a mangle.
State the heat source and the steam or gas pressure available. Capacity is limited by it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a dryer and a stenter?
A dryer dries. A stenter dries and also holds the cloth to a set width and weight. Use a stenter when width control matters.
Is a relax dryer suitable for woven fabric?
Rarely. Relax dryers are made for knit fabric that should shrink and relax. Woven fabric is normally dried on cylinders or a stenter.
Can you supply a dryer to match an existing line?
Yes. Send the line layout, cloth width and speed, and we will quote a matching unit.
What do I send for a quote?
Fabric type, open or tubular, weight in GSM, widest fabric, daily output, heat source, and destination country.
