Infrared Application of the Month #1:
Production of Laminated Glass
A glass manufacturer had been using halogen lamps in the cutting process, but the process was slow and resulted in a high percentage of broken glass. The company turned to Heraeus Noblelight, and installed an infrared system using fast response mediumwave twin tube lamps. Productivity and yield increased dramatically, and glass breakage was virtually eliminated.
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Infrared Application of the Month #2:
Stretching Polypropylene
A manufacturer of polypropylene sheeting wanted to replace their 80kw heating system with a solution that afforded lower power consumption. A carbon mediumwave lamp system from Heraeus Noblelight cut power use by more than 50%, and the manufacturer expects longer lamp life on this new installation.
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Tech Center Spotlight:
Carbon Mediumwave Heaters
High heating efficiency and rapid cool down make the mediumwave carbon heater from Heraeus the only medium-wave heater to offer you shortwave response times. Suitable for all medium-wave applications, this heater also offers the capability to match temperatures to the optimum absorption wavelength for each application. Together, these features eliminate overheating and contamination of sensitive substrates.
A particular large portion of medium wave radiation is absorbed in water, solvents and plastics and converted into heat. This allows significant benefits: carbon heaters dry printing inks, with less stress for the paper because the radiation acts more intensively on the ink. The high power heater increases print drying speed and reduces drying time. It also heats plastics in a targeted manner, with less heating of the surrounding environment.
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Special Designs:
Spiral Heaters
With heaters in spiral form discs, tubes or rods made of plastics, metal or glass can be heated homogeneously. Compared with conventional heating methods, spiral heaters can provide savings in energy, time and costs. Heraeus offers a wide range of heaters for special applications.
Click HERE to download a brochure on Heraeus spiral heaters.
A wide assortment of other special design heaters is available from Heraeus. Click HERE for details.
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Technical Learning: Advantages of IR Technology, Part 1
Since its development some 70 years ago, IR heating has been successfully applied to hundreds of different process heating applications, such as curing metal finishes and protective coatings; fusing thermoset and thermoplastic powder coatings; forming molded plastics; bonding adhesives and metals; drying papers, inks, and fabrics; and processing foods.
A number of features make electric IR heating advantageous; we'll discuss each in turn.
Flexibility of Control and Configuration
One of the primary reasons for the success of electric IR heating is the high degree of control available to users. Electric IR heating equipment can be switched on and off in a matter of seconds. Thus electric IR can be programmed to provide a heat-up and cool-down profile well suited to a given product. In a setting where products are sensitive to overheating, the quick control and low thermal inertia of IR elements can be vital, quickly reducing the heat delivered to a product after an interruption in line movement.
Electric IR ovens can be "zoned" to provide a high heating rate in one zone and a lower heating rate in another. This may be important, for example, when curing a paint or powder. It may also be desirable to apply a high heating rate at first to set the paint or powder, then a lower heating rate to cure the finish without overheating.
IR heaters can deliver a range of heating rates to the product, from the very low rates characteristic of a convection oven to heating rates of 80 kW/ m2, or roughly 20 times greater than possible in a convection oven. Heating rates greater than 80 kW/ m2 are sometimes necessary.
to be continued in the next issue...
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That's it for this month's issue of Application Notes for IR Heating. Feel free to encourage your colleagues to subscribe. Just click HERE to send them an invitation to subscribe. It's quick, easy, FREE, and no-obligation.
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