One of the first topics we ever discussed at the Light Green Machine Institute was steel dryers.  This was way back in 2009.

I thought I would give you an update.

The superiority of steel (and actually, aluminum would be even better) over cast iron as a dryer shell material is indisputable. Strength, safety and heat transfer are far superior.  Increased heat transfer means fewer dryers and shorter machines which has a multiplying effect on reducing costs.

So where are we?

Andritz claims to have received their 10th order for a steel yankee.

Toscotec claims to have made 100 steel yankees and over 1,000 steel dryer cans since the 1960s.

If anyone else has any production records in this area, let us know and we will publish them.  We want to give this subject all the publicity we can.

There is no excuse any longer to be using cast iron dryers in new or rebuild applications.  In my opinion, cast iron dryers continue to be produced for new machines solely because of the costs machine manufacturers have sunk in casting facilities.  

Think about it, with all the materials we have available today, why on earth would you make a pressure vessel out of cast iron? This is not 21st century technology, it is 19th century technology.