Posted to News on 26th Aug 2014, 14:52
Electric and gas infra-red process heating and drying
With the acquisition of Vulcan Catalytic Systems, Heraeus Noblelight has expanded its process heating and drying portfolio to include both gas and electric infra-red technologies for industrial applications. As a result, Heraeus will now be able to offer a comprehensive range of infra-red systems in the food, textiles, finishing, engineering and plastics sectors and especially in the field of powder coating curing.
Heraeus is already acknowledged as a leader in electric infra-red, with emitters and systems which operate throughout the spectrum from medium wave to short wave. Heraeus emitters, which feature metal or carbon filaments in a quartz glass sheath, can be designed to match the geometry of the component to provide precisely targeted heating. Electric emitters also offer very fast response times and are switched on only when the heat is required. Consequently, they are energy efficient, very compact and offer advantage over competitive systems such as convection ovens, as they cause minimal heat damage to webs or conveyed components in the event of unanticipated line stoppage. Electric systems also feature precise controllability, as they can be instantly regulated by feedback loops from pyrometers sensing product surface temperature.
Gas Catalytic Infrared (IR) systems from Heraeus-Vulcan operate in the long to medium wave part of the energy spectrum and are also very energy efficient and compact, especially compared with gas-fired convection ovens. Their flameless, radiated energy provides optimal absorption by organic materials such as water, polyester, epoxy, ABS, styrene and HDPE and typical applications include pre-gel and full cure powder coating ovens, and thermoforming. Fuelled by either natural gas or propane, they rely on a catalytic heater, which is pre-heated electrically to a given temperature, at which point gas flows into the back of the heater and intermingles with the hot catalyst to stimulate a catalytic reaction, which is maintained until the gas is turned off. The gas flow, and hence the heat output, is precisely controlled by a Gas Pulse System (GPS), which can be used to create discrete heating zones within an oven. The heater is 80 per cent efficient and the infra-red radiation is emitted across its entire face.
As Ian Bartley, business manager at Heraeus, explains: "We can now offer existing and potential customers an even wider range of infra-red heating solutions, tailoring the technology and system design to meet specific challenges and requirements."
To learn more about electric and gas infra-red process heating and drying systems, please visit www.heraeus-infraredsolutions.co.uk.
