PLAST-EX Canada is the Trade Show Dedicated to the Plastics Industry, offering resources for every industry specialty and every application.
Knowledgeable vendors are eager to help you succeed in an increasingly competitive plastics marketplace, PLAST-EX Canada is a core component of the largest design and manufacturing event on the West Coast. Visit Heraeus Noblelight in Booth #2547 at the show, June 21-23 2011.
Infrared Application of the Month:
Drying Copper Foil Coating
As part of its production process, a copper foil manufacturer applied a coating of graphite powder to the foils. Initially their method for drying the coating was a hot air oven, but the results of that method were unsatisfactory: the oven provided poor thermo-homogeneity and required a great deal of plant space. The manufacturer turned to the experts at Heraeus Noblelight, who recommended a mediumwave infrared heater system to dry the coatings. The new system provides faster heating, consistent distribution of heat across all surfaces, and a smaller footprint. .
Click for more examples of IR for industry... [ Back to Top ]
Infrared Application of the Month:
Thermoforming Disposable Food Trays
A company manufacturing a variety of thermoformed plastics products including shaped dining trays and plates required a process heat source for thermoforming. They performed some texts using ceramic heaters but found them ineffective. Line stoppages were too frequent, power consumption (and therefore operating cost) was high, and heating was uneven. After further tests they decided on efficient mediumwave infrared heaters from Heraeus Noblelight. The new system reduced downtime, provided even heat distribution, and used significantly less power.
Click for more IR heating applications... [ Back to Top ]
Tech Center Spotlight: Digital Controllers
Single-Loop PID Temperature Process Controllers
Temperature process controllers offers easy to use, accurate, reliable PID control. These single loop panel mount controls include auto-tuning, a universal sensor input and PID control output. Available in standard 1/4 DIN size, these auto-tuning temperature controllers automatically set PID control parameters for optimal system performance. Manual settings also permit on-off, P, PI or PID control modes.
- User-defined menu system allows the user to assign up to 20 paramaters in the operations menu.
- Dual display provides better recognition of process changes, including current process value and set value.
- Ramp to set point feature controls temperature rise.
- Includes a single alarm output as standard.
Read more about Digital Controllers... [ Back to Top ]
Special Designs:
QRC Nano Metal-free Reflector Design
Many sensitive heating processes run faster, more efficiently and with greater stability using infrared heaters equipped with the QRC Nano reflector. Designed to help target infrared radiation directly where it is needed, the new QRC reflector from Heraeus Noblelight takes technology a step further: unlike conventional reflectors, it is nearly metal free.
Instead, the QRC (quartz reflective coating) Nano reflector consists of high purity synthetic quartz material, with which the quartz glass tube is coated. As a result, the heater lamp is very compact and requires very little working space. The quartz reflector offers excellent heat resistance and is also resistant to acids, alkalis and other aggressive substances. Consequently, heaters with this reflector can be used even in manufacturing processes where the manufacturing plant requires regular cleaning with corrosive cleaning agents.
Technical Data
- Wavelengths: short wave to medium wave
- Maximum power: 80W / cm
- Electrical connections: one side or two side
Learn more about special designs from Heraeus Noblelight.
Click HERE to download a brochure on this product.
[ Back to Top ]
Technical Learning: Introduction to IR Technology, Part 1
There are two basic means of heating a product electrically, by direct and indirect methods. With direct heating, heat is generated within the mass of the material (e.g. by microwave and radio frequency energy in the case of dielectric materials or by induction or resistance heating in the case of electrically conducting materials). With indirect heating, heat is transferred to an article by any of the three familiar methods of conduction, convection, and radiation.
Conductive heating is achieved by placing an article into touch contact with a heat source. The rate of heat transfer is determined by several factors, not just the thermal properties and temperatures of the two bodies.
The surface conditions over the contact area, the pressure of contact and the nature of any gas, liquid or solid films at the interface all play a part in the conductive process. Radiation can also contribute to heat transfer across the interface.
Convective heating relies on the movement of a hot fluid or gas, such as air, which acts as a carrier of heat from one body to another. Natural convection occurs when different zones of the gas or liquid have different temperatures and densities. Industrial process heating commonly makes use of forced (air) convection, whereby the air is directed towards the substrate by a fan.
The rate of heat transfer depends on many factors including the temperature differential between the heating air and the substrate, and the density and rate of movement of the air.
In the context of heat transfer, radiation refers to the thermal variety (non-ionizing radiation), and should not be confused with radiation produced at wavelengths shorter than the visible spectrum (e.g. X-rays).
Thermal radiation takes place without the need for an intermediary agent such as air because energy is transmitted as electromagnetic rays emitted from a heated body. The rate of heat transfer depends on such factors as the temperatures of the heater and the receiver, the ability of each to emit and absorb radiant heat, their geometrical shape, their active areas, and relative positions or proximity.
The human eye differentiates between light-producing or glowing sources and invisible emissions. Infrared radiation occupies a waveband immediately adjacent to the red end of the visible spectrum. "Black heat" is a term sometimes used to describe the infrared band.
Heaters of visible radiation produce thermal radiation within the IR band as well as the visible band. Even at the very intense light producing temperatures in the order of 5000°C, a heater produces more energy in the infrared than in the visible band. Heaters that produce some light energy are also classified as infrared, although in scientific terms the description is not absolutely accurate.
Coming in the next issue: Intro to IR Technology, Part 2.
View more technical bulletins... [ Back to Top ]
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.
|
