Infrared Application of the Month #1:
Drying of Paving Stones
A cement manufacturer sought an efficient and effective method to remove water from its chalk and clay paving stones. In production the stones had more than 5% water volume. The applications experts at Heraeus Noblelight developed a system using fast mediumwave infrared technology; the new system achieved the required level of dryness, increased the throughput speed and provided a more reliable solution.
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Infrared Application of the Month #2:
Preheating and Drying Automotive Components
A manufacturer of precision components for the automotive industry uses infrared heat solutions from Heraeus Noblelight for three different and unique applications. A modular infrared system is the central component in a preheating system; shortwave infrared lamps are used in a drying zone; and specially-designed omega lamps are used for preheating in another part of the process.
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Tech Center Spotlight:
Mediumwave IR Heaters
Plastics, water and other solvents absorb medium wave radiation especially well. The use of medium wave infrared heaters helps in the effective drying of paints and lacquers and in the economical processing of plastic foils and sheet. Because of their long life, these heaters are best suited for continuous process. Surface films and very thin materials are heated up extremely efficiently. Medium wave infrared heaters are manufactured as twin tubes in three different tube formats and in any required length up to 20 feet. Twin tube heaters distinguish themselves by their high stability and power density. In addition, because of Heraeus's renowned gold coating, the radiation is precisely directed and the efficiency significantly increased. The heaters can be manufactured in various designs and dimensions to suit all geometrical requirements.
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Special Designs:
Hybrid Carbon/Shortwave Heaters
Heraeus Noblelight's hybrid Carbon/Shortwave heater offers all of the benefits of Carbon and Shortwave heaters using Heraeus' proven twin-tube design. This infrared heater combines a carbon heater and a short wave infrared heater in the proven quartz glass twin tube.
For more on Hybrid Heaters, click HERE.
A wide assortment of other special design heaters is available from Heraeus. Click HERE for details.
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Technical Learning: Introduction to IR Technology, Part 3
Infrared heating in everyday life
There is a popular misconception that infrared radiation is something new and mysterious. The emotive word radiation is usually associated with nuclear physics, medical X-ray, and ultra-violet tanning lamp equipment, so it is hardly surprising that infrared radiation is treated with some suspicion by the general public. Some typical examples of how and where IR is encountered in everyday life should help dispel these myths.
Infrared radiation exists around us at all times: in fact any body having a temperature above the absolute zero (- 273°C) emits infrared radiation in an elaborate exchange with its surroundings.
In addition to being below the level of appreciation by the senses, these low levels of radiation are of limited practical application. However, even the human body emits infrared radiation, as does a candle, hot fluids and foods, a flame, a light bulb, and of course the sun.
With electric infrared sources, heat is normally produced by passing a current through a coiled resistive element. To be applicable to domestic and industrial processes, source temperatures in the range of 500°C to 2200°C are normally required. The domestic quartz tube radiant heater, popular for bathroom heating, falls within this range. It operates with an element temperature of around 950°C and produces a bright orange glow from the element spiral.
Similarly, the tubular metal sheathed element rings and grill elements on electric cookers emit a substantial amount of infrared radiation, operating with a cherry red glow at around 700°C The latest quartz halogen infrared heaters used for cooking operate at a maximum temperature of 2200°C resulting in luminous emission. In the medical field, infrared radiant heat lamps are used in osteopathy for the treatment of muscle and limb disorders.
Infrared thermography for diagnostic purposes is now commonplace. In medical diagnosis the technique provides a multicolored contour plot of the heat radiation patterns from the human body from which medical specialists can locate areas of abnormality. A similar technique is used for the detection of heat losses from the external surfaces of buildings thus indicating where additional insulation could be used to conserve heat and thereby reduce space heating costs.
Special video cameras sensitive to the IR heat emitted by a scene can be used to good effect in darkness to produce remarkably clear pictures. These have applications in the military, security, and entertainment fields. Domestic television remote control units make use of infrared signals for program selection etc. while certain types of burglar alarms detect the presence of intruders by responding to the infrared content of body heat. In a more specialized application, heat seeking missiles home in on the infrared emission from the hot exhaust gases of enemy devices.
A wide range of appliances and devices rely on infrared radiation for their operation; we use these in ever-increasing numbers with complete confidence.
Coming in the next issue: Intro to IR Technology, Part 4 (conclusion).
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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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