Molded Paper Pulp Dryer
Lyman-Morse Fabrication was subcontracted to construct a multi-pass molded paper pulp dryer system. The dryer design consists of two 40-foot long, three pass enclosures that are heated with dual propane burners per enclosure. To expedite production and reduce cost, the sheet metal for internal duct assemblies was laser cut and pre-bent before being delivered to Lyman-Morse for assembly and welding. In order to create flat patterns for laser cutting, a detailed set of 2D plans needed to be translated into a precise 3D model. One of the most challenging aspects of recreating the design in 3D was that the dryer duct assemblies were made with over 190 unique plates to produce the pattern of hot air inlet holes and larger moisture exhaust air outlets. Leveraging equation driven sketches, design data table, and sheet metal tools within Solidworks, the majority of the repetitive steps involved in producing the flat pattern files were automated.