ISVE / VACUUM WOOD DRYING KILNS
ISVE vacuum drying kilns for small batches and sawn timber. Compare methods of heating wood and learn about separate systems for impregnation and steaming, selected according to the purpose of treatment.
Explore the technology
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DRYING UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE
Reduced pressure allows water to evaporate at a lower temperature. Heat still has to be supplied to the wood, while the resulting water vapour must be removed in a controlled way or condensed.
Aluminium panels between the layers of wood transfer heat directly to the material. Depending on the version, they are heated by electricity or hot water. The cycle takes place in continuous vacuum, while the control system manages heating and moisture removal.
A suitable starting point for boards and semi-finished products where uniform heat supply and the quality of further processing are important.
Boards are stacked with spacers for air flow. Phases of heating with warm, humid air alternate with vacuum phases. Fans, heaters, probes and a condenser work together to control the cycle.
Different stack preparation than with ES/ESC: heat is transferred by circulating air, not contact plates between individual layers.
SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PROCESS
We stack the wood and prepare the measurements for the selected cycle.
Principle of operation diagram. The illustration is accelerated; the actual cycle is adjusted to the wood and the machine version.
Duration and final quality depend on the wood species, thickness, initial moisture content, stacking and the selected programme. Vacuum does not remove the need for proper material preparation.
SELECTED PROGRAMME / SMALLER QUANTITIES
Vacuum drying kilns with plate heating for smaller workshops. In the manufacturer's table, ES JUNIOR is listed with 0.6 or 0.7 m³, and ES 2 with 2 m³. We check the actual usable volume and opening space.
Top access reduces the space needed to pull out the trolley. The stack and heating plates are loaded into the open chamber. Smaller ESC JUNIOR versions are also available in the programme.
Vacuum versions for small and medium joinery workshops, where we want to dry a batten stack. The process is controlled by automation with automatic, semi-automatic or manual mode.
The data are from the published ES JUNIOR / ES 2 table. Installed power is not the energy consumption per cycle. Versions, stacking and connections are confirmed in the offer.
WOOD PROTECTION
For introducing a preservative into the wood. An initial vacuum removes part of the air from the pores, followed by autoclave filling, a pressure phase and the return of unused preservative to the tank. Applications include external-use components and other products with specific protection requirements.
The autoclave, tank, vacuum and pressure pump, and control system form a coordinated system. The preservative and cycle are selected according to the wood and the intended use.
For joinery, frames, doors and individual elements. After the vacuum phase, nozzles apply the protective agent in a closed autoclave. The system collects unused preparation for reuse.
The process and treatment depth are adapted to the wood, geometry and selected agent. This is a different version from the immersion vacuum-pressure impregnation IMP-VP.
We stack the wood and prepare the measurements for the selected cycle.
Principle of operation diagram. The illustration is accelerated; the actual cycle is adjusted to the wood and the machine version.
ISVE also presents IMP-VP for the application of flame retardants. The required fire performance is determined by the combination of wood, agent and approved process; the machine alone does not mean a certified end product.
VAPORISERS / PREPARATION FOR BENDING
Steaming increases the forming ability of the selected wood. ISVE uses vacuum and steam and offers single- and double-autoclave versions, with the length adapted to the workpieces.
After preparation, the wood is bent in the appropriate jig, then stabilised by cooling and drying. The vapouriser alone does not complete the full bending process.
AUTOMATION / CYCLE CONTROL
A visualisation of the control; this is not a screenshot of the programme or a live measurement display.
PLC control allows the use of stored cycles and programme adjustment by the experienced user. Probes monitor the wood and process conditions. Documentation for some versions uses the name Vacutronic.
ISVE Server Connection enables assistance, updates and automation improvements over the network. Access, process storage, interface and available functions are checked for the selected version.
ENERGY AND MATERIAL
The contact plates in ES/ESC transfer heat to the stack. The control system adjusts the process to the measurements, while reduced pressure enables drying at a lower temperature.
Controlled drying aims for even moisture content and fewer defects. The result is assessed according to the actual timber and the product requirements.
IMP-VP and IMP-PG return unused agent to the process. Handling of the agent and residues is determined by the selected formulation and the operating conditions.
We assess consumption and performance for your batch. There is no single percentage of savings or process without environmental impact.
SELECTED DOCUMENTATION
Vacuum drying of boards, compact versions, top opening and higher capacities.
English · brochure 2020 · 18 pages · 9.3 MB
Air heating, vacuum phases, stacking and choice of versions.
English · brochure 2020 · 16 pages · 4.4 MB
Vacuum-pressure impregnation, the process and system components.
English · brochure 2020 · 21 pages · 4.1 MB
Vacuum spraying for protecting wooden elements.
English · brochure 2020 · 28 pages · 1.8 MBThese are selected brochures that ISVE still publishes. The 2020 label refers to the document edition and is not a guarantee that the current configuration remains unchanged.
Official ISVE video published with the impregnation programme. It shows the machine in use; it is not a demonstration of the vacuum drying cycle.
Open on YouTube ↗ISVE · complete wood processing programme ↗ · Official catalogue library ↗
CHOICE FOR YOUR WOOD
Tell us the wood species, dimensions, quantity per batch, initial and desired moisture content, and the available energy sources. On this basis we determine the most suitable technology, usable capacity and scope of control.
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