All about - DRY IRON
A clothes iron or simply iron is a small appliance that, when heated, is used to press clothes to remove wrinkles and unwanted creases. The principle of the electric iron is that when current is passed through a coil, the coil gets red hot and transfers the heat to the base plate of the electric iron through conduction.
Domestic
irons generally range in operating temperature from between 121 °C
(250 °F) to 182 °C (360 °F). It is named for the metal (iron) of
which the device was historically made, and the use of it is generally
called ironing, the final step in the process of laundering clothes.
Ironing
works by loosening the ties between the long chains of molecules that exist
in polymer fiber materials. With the heat and the weight of the ironing
plate, the fibers are stretched and the fabric maintains its new shape when
cool. Some materials, such as cotton, require the use of water to loosen the
intermolecular bonds.
Components
of Dry Iron:
v Soleplate:
Soleplate is the face of
the Iron, it touches the clothes while Ironing. The functions of Soleplates are
as follows
- It distributes the heat evenly while
Ironing
- Responsible for smooth Ironing
- Good soleplates avoid wrinkles on the
clothes
- Good soleplate glides smoothly over
fabrics
The material used in
making the soleplate also plays a vital role in its durability, weight,
and ease of maintenance.
Stainless steel Soleplate:
A stainless-steel
soleplate iron is highly durable. soleplate of stainless steel consists of stainless
steel plate. Stainless steel is an alloy of steel made up of at least 10.5%
chromium and steel. It’s referred to as inox meaning inoxidizable steel. It is very easy to maintain and have cleaner surface. It can be clean
with just wipe of a cotton cloth. These can distribute heat evenly &
affordable to masses.
These soleplates are heavy & can accumulate starch. It is prone to scratches overtime, which my damage the fabric. When set on high heat, one may experience melt decals. they can melt silk or light-weighted materials at high temperatures.
Titanium Soleplate:
Titanium is a mix of both alloys with iron or aluminum.
It has an excellent heat-conducting capacity
& can distribute heat evenly. It is
corrosion resistant surface & transfers heat at faster rate. The surface
offers a gleaming / shiny look and
it’s easy to clean as well. Titanium soleplate is not bulky and easy to handle.
Sometimes it also comes with a non-stick coating and highly durable.
It does not cause static, however
overheating can melt the material.
Ceramic Soleplate: Silicon carbide (SiC)
Ceramic sole plates are plates made of aluminum or plastic with ceramic coating. These are inorganic materials made of clay and become hard when fired. The ceramic layers are then baked onto the plate.
Over time, the ceramic
coating might peel and wear down. It also weighs high. Main disadvantage of
these plates is that, it can pick up colors from natural materials. they can melt silk or light-weighted
materials at high temperatures.
Non-stick Soleplate:
The soleplate can be made of any material but is then
coated with a nonstick material to make it non-stick soleplate. Materials such
as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) like Teflon, anodized aluminum coating,
silicone coating, enameled iron coating, etc., can be used for the coating. These soleplates can
glide easily. When it comes to durability, the coating depends on the quality
of the base material and coating used.Non-stick coating provides
even heat distribution and is highly durable. It never
stains clothes and easy to use on fabrics. Non-stick coating can degrade and
peel off over time.
Teflon Soleplate: PTFE (
Polytetrafluoroethylene )
Teflon-coated soleplates
are perfect for all fabrics and assure a perfect gliding experience. It provides
“Zero” stains on the clothes and the soleplate is easy to
clean. It is corrosion resistant and transfers heat faster. It is also
lightweight & durable.
Teflon-coated soleplate is
prone to scratches, so you need to handle it with care and clean it with
delicate cleaning agents, or else it might scorch the cloth. Coating material
for these plates can melt due to overheat. These types of soleplates can
provide a layer of insulation between your garment and the soleplate.
Weilburger (GREBLON® ) offers high-quality non-stick & easy to
clean coatings made of ceramic and PTFE ( Teflon ).
The quality of ironing
depends on the quality of its soleplate. The better the quality, the longer
your iron will last and maintenance will be convenient. This also makes the
iron both scratch-resistant and rust-resistant.
Irons in the market have a
double layer of either American Heritage or Weilburger non-stick ceramic
coating. The coating material is ceramic, ensuring that the iron heats up
evenly providing smooth glide and durability. Such an iron will prevent
any damage to your garments due to excessive heat.
You can get an iron with a
larger soleplate that lets you cover a wider area for quicker and effective
ironing. Some have curved edges to ensure no bunching of clothes when the iron
is moved backwards and forward.
v Heating
Element
It is the heart of any electric
iron. Nichrome is used as a heating element in an electric iron. Nichrome is an alloy of nickel and chromium; it is an 80 per cent
nickel and 20 per cent chromium alloy with nickel and chromium. Outside cover is made of mica shield. Mica is
chosen because it is a very good insulator and can stand very high
temperature.
It has a high melting point of 1400 degrees C.
Some of the properties which make nichrome suitable for heating element
for electric iron are:-
·
It makes an
oxide layer on the first time it is heated.
·
The oxide
formed is stable at high temperatures.
·
The oxide
formed protects the inner material from getting oxide.
These properties make nichrome a suitable alloy that can be used for the
electric iron heating element.
Inside of it is the nichrome wire and the outside cover is made of mica
shield. Mica is chosen because it is a very good insulator and can stand very
high temperature.
v Pressure (or) Weight Plate:
It is made up of cast iron and kept over the
element of air tight fitting. It is of the same shape as Sole plate. Pressure
plate fixes and presses the heating element on the soleplate with nuts. It has
to be tightly fitted. Any loose connections in pressure or soleplates will
damage the heating element.
In some iron the pressure plate is heavy and made of cast iron while in
some other cases, it is a thin sheet of steel, about ¼ cm thick.
v Iron case or Cover:
It is also chromium plated to avoid rusting. It is used to cover the heating element, pressure plate and other parts. Iron cover or enclosure made of insulating material to prevent electrical shock hazards. In addition, the cover is also heat resistant to prevent danger to the touch of the human body.
v Thermostat
The basic function of a thermostat can be derived from its name alone; the word is composed of two Greek words: “thermo” (heat) and “statis” (status quo or constant). As the name suggests, the basic function of a thermostat is to keep the heat constant in a given environment.
It is also called a bimetallic strip because it
is made by joining two dissimilar metals of different coefficients of thermal
expansion. The thermostat is connected in series with the supply and
appliances. It is normally kept near the area where heat is produced. After
reaching the desired temperature, due to different coefficients of expansion,
the strip will bend upon heating and opens or breaks the circuit.
After some time the strip cools down and closes
loses or makes the circuit. The thermostat setting can be changed by adjusting
the control knob.
v Turning
Knob
It is a type of switch used to select the amount of heat required in ironing different types of fabrics.
Using
this knob, we can adjust the temperature of the electric iron according to our
needs. This knob is connected to a screw that controls how hard the contact or
upper metallic strip must bend to separate and break the electric connection so
that the Electric iron gets turned off.
The screws
control how hot the contact and also disconnect the electric current when
needed also we can say temperature required to break the electric connection.
This means if I keep turning the screw, then the temperature required to bend this upper metallic strip also increases or you can say the temperature required to break the electric connection increases. When electric connection turns off the light and will not work anymore or this does not heat anyone.
v
Indicator Light:
It indicates whether the thermostat is closed or open. The light will
glow only when the thermostat is closed. It will not glow when the power supply
is on. If the thermostat is open.
The pilot lamp is housed on the cover
plate of the electric iron. One end of the pilot lamp is connected to supply,
while the other end is connected to the heating element. A shunt resistance is
provided across the pilot lamp which assists in providing a voltage drop. The
shunt is designed to provide a voltage drop of 2-5 volts.
v Power cord:
The power cord is made of a flexible cable (with
core fibers) wrapped with insulating material remains pliable fabric makes it
so not easily broken and safe from electrical shock hazards. Power cable
on the flatiron no direction can be arranged so as to facilitate the process of
ironing.
v
Handle:
Handle is made of Bakelite or ebonite since it
presents high resistance to flow current and it can withstand more heat. The
power socket and indicator lamp are fixed in the handle.
v
Heel plate:
The aim of the heel plate is to allow the iron to stand while the iron is tilted back on the rear of its handle
Working of an IRON
When a current is passed
through the heating element which is placed between the sole plate and pressure
plate, the element gets heated up and transfers its heat to the sole plate
through conduction and in-turn the sole plate also gets heated up. Now to
remove the wrinkles in clothing, we should apply heat and pressure. Heat is
formed due to the coil and when we press the clothes with iron, the wrinkles
are removed. For maintaining the optimum temperature, a thermostat is used
along with pilot lamp which serves as an indicator.
Considerations for Buying Iron
Safety Features
Considering
the safety features of the iron box is very important when choosing the best
iron box for your use. You will have to check the safety features of the iron
box and select the one that comes with all the features you need.
Make
sure that the iron box has an auto shut-off feature. This feature will
eliminate the risk of fire if the iron box is not switched off. In this case,
the iron box will get switched off automatically and avoid all kinds of
dangers.
Wattage
The
wattage of the iron box is another crucial point that need to take into
consideration. Actually, the wattage of the iron box determines its heating
capacity. If the wattage of the iron box is high, the iron will offer better
performance. Therefore, you must consider the wattage of the iron box and
select the best one for you.
Temperature Control Option
The
iron box should have a temperature control option so that you can change the
temperature depending on your requirements. Generally, the best iron boxes come
with six temperature control options for different types of fabrics. So, you
can change the temperature as per your requirement and prevent your fabric from
being damaged.
Easy To Use
You
will need to ensure that the iron box is easy to use on all types of fabrics.
It should feel convenient in hand and easy to operate. The design of the iron
box should be user-friendly so that you will not face any difficulties when
using it. Iron boxes that come with a simple design are excellent to use.
Weight Of the Iron Box
The
weight of the iron will determine how easy it will be to use. Undoubtedly, the
lighter iron boxes will be easy to use. Heavy iron box is little hard to use.
If you want to iron more clothes, then a lighter iron box will be the right
choice for you.
Warranty
The
warranty of the iron box is another important point to look for when buying.
Make sure that the iron box comes with at least a two-year warranty to ensure
better usability. The iron box that comes with a warranty is a better option to
opt for. This will let you get support from the company in case of any issues.
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