Industrial Paper Drying: A Startling Cost Comparison Between Resistance (Heat) and Heat-Pump Drying

Energy Costs: The Biggest Burden in the Paper Industry

The paper and packaging manufacturing industry is one of the most energy-intensive industrial sectors. Within this, the cost of the drying process accounts for a massive proportion of the product's cost price. However, many factories are still using outdated technologies (coal/wood boilers or electric resistance heaters) due to hesitation to change, accepting high operating costs and safety risks.

This article will put two technologies on the scale: Traditional Thermal Drying and Heat-Pump Drying to show business owners the "billions of VND" being wasted every year and identify the optimal solution for profitability.

1. Old Technology: "Bleeding Money" on Cost & Quality

Resistance Drying (Heating Coils): Literally Burning Money

This technology uses electricity to heat resistive coils to create drying heat.

• Low Efficiency (COP = 1): 1kW of electricity generates a maximum of 1kW of heat. All the heat energy and moisture after drying are exhausted into the environment by fans. This is a double waste: paying for electricity to create heat, then throwing that heat away.
• Quality Risks: High, hard-to-control temperatures make the paper prone to becoming brittle, breaking, and having uneven surfaces (curled edges), affecting subsequent printing or processing.

Boiler Drying (Coal/Wood): Cheap Fuel but "Expensive" Consequences

Although the fuel is cheap, coal/wood boilers cause serious environmental pollution (smoke, dust), failing green standards (ESG) for export. Additionally, there is a high risk of fire and explosion, and unstable heat sources lead to unevenly dried paper, increasing the scrap rate.

2. Heat-Pump Drying (Daxwell): The Energy Revolution in the Paper Industry

Why does Heat-Pump save 50-70% of electrical energy?

The Daxwell Heat-Pump dryer operates on the principle of heat recovery. The machine does not "create" completely new heat from electricity but absorbs heat from the environment and reuses the latent heat released from the moisture condensation process. As a result, the efficiency (COP) reaches 3-4, meaning 1kW of electricity generates up to 3-4kW of useful heat energy.

Superior Paper Quality

Drying at low and medium temperature ranges (40-60°C) helps the paper dry slowly, retaining tensile strength, without embrittlement or denaturation of the cellulose fiber structure. The finished paper is flat, beautiful, and meets high technical standards.

3. Real-World Cost Calculation Table (Hypothetical Case Study)

Let's do a simple comparison calculation. Assume the drying demand requires removing 1,000 liters of water/day. Estimated industrial electricity price: 2,000 VND/kWh.

Conclusion: The electricity savings alone (nearly 600 million VND/year) are enough for the business to recover the investment capital for the Heat-Pump dryer in just 12-18 months of operation.

4. Real-World Proof: DeAir Project in Quang Ngai

The efficiency of the Daxwell dryer has been proven through the paper roll drying project in Quang Ngai. The customer gave very positive feedback regarding the fast drying speed, deep reduction in electricity costs, and notably, the paper did not warp as it did with the old method.

With "Made in Vietnam" manufacturing capabilities, DeAir can customize the size of the drying room and machine capacity to best fit the existing production line and floor plan of each paper factory.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)