Screen-Drying Cabinets: What to Look for and Why

Screen drying cabinets are the perfect tool to reduce downtime in the shop. With a drying cabinet, your screen dry-time is nearly cut in half, increasing your production ability. As it is with buying any piece of equipment for your shop, you have a few things to consider.

Placement

Where you place your screen drying cabinet is extremely important, and that’s why we put it at the top of the list. You will need to be mindful of where the intake and outtake vents are. The cabinet pulls air in, filters, and heats it up, circulates the air around the screens, and then pulls it back out. The last thing you want to do is put the cabinet up against the wall and the air can’t circulate.

If you work in a small shop, it may be necessary to move your cabinet around. It’s possible to do, but you may find that you must buy the casters because not all drying cabinets come with them. If you are unsure about whether the drying cabinet comes with casters, you should contact your distributor before buying.

Filters

If you have the opportunity to look at the drying cabinet before buying, check to make sure that you will have easy access to change the filter. If you are buying one online, check the product description for any details regarding the air filter. If you don’t see any information in the description, contact your distributor. They will be able to give you an idea of where the filter is, how it gets replaced, and how often that needs to happen.

Voltage

Screen drying cabinets come in a variety of power options from 120V all the way to 240V. You will need to check the electrical requirements of the drying cabinet you are looking at to make sure that you can run it efficiently. Another thing to consider is that sometimes the voltage requires a different plug than what we are typically used to seeing in a house, for example.

Screens

The screen capacity is really up to your preference and what you need for your shop. Screen drying cabinets can hold anywhere from eight to 24 screens, and the sizes of those screens vary. Take a look at the size of screens you typically keep in your shop. That size and the number of screens you keep on hand regularly is where you should start with your drying cabinet.

Cost

Lastly, you should consider the cost of buying the drying cabinet. Screen drying cabinets can range anywhere from $1,000 up to $5,000. If you add casters, choose a higher voltage option, upgrade your shelves, or add an extra heater or digital controller that add several hundred dollars more. Be mindful of what your shop needs most and you can always upgrade from there.