Industrial Process Heating

Infrared (IR) Heating

Infrared (IR) energy is made up of electromagnetic waves, and behaves in much the same way as light energy — both can be reflected, absorbed, and transmitted in the same manner. IR is a line-of-sight technology, that is, an object must be in sight of the emitter to be heated. This attribute makes IR particularly good in applications where an object needs to be heated only on a surface location. (For example, curing a coating.)

The infrared spectrum ranges from 0.76 to 10 microns, and is divided into three sub-ranges: short wave, medium wave and long wave.

Spectrum

Each wavelength possesses its own heat transfer qualities. This range of capabilities makes using IR technology an excellent choice for many applications, but requires careful planning to ensure that the right wavelengths and configurations are implemented.

Industrial Applications

Ink curing
Powder coating
Drying of parts
Fine soldering
Silk screening
Latex and adhesive drying
Annealing / curing of rubber
Shrink wrapping
Molding plastics by blowing, vacuuming, rotamolding, or squeezing the plastic between calendar rolls
Textiles and paper to dry the product quickly and completely

Industrial Benefits

Quick response time
Only heats the product's surface
High energy intensity can be achieved
Short wave emitters reach desired temperature in less than one second, and cool almost as quickly
The high density of heating that can be achieved requires less floor space and quicker processing of most products.
An ordinary convection oven may be 30% efficient, where infrared can be from 50% (long wave) to 70% (short wave) efficient.
Low maintenance

Advanced Energy's Services

Electric infrared is a proven heat process technology that is effective, reliable and cost-efficient for many industrial applications. As a nonprofit, independent organization, Advanced Energy can evaluate, test and recommend unbiased solutions to help you meet your objectives.

If you are already using electric IR, we can review your process and equipment to ensure optimal production quality, product quality and environmental compliance.
If you have made the decision to use electric IR heating, we can evaluate your implementation plan and validate your approach — our specialists can also assist you with vendor contact information, establishing the bid process and any other start-up issues.
If you are considering electric IR heating for an industrial application, we can work with you as a trusted resource throughout the process (from evaluation through implementation). We can even provide you with economic and return-on-investment information to help you justify the purchase.
At our state-of-the-art laboratory, you can see demonstrations of electric IR heating technology. We can apply extensive temperature monitoring, including IR thermography, to evaluate potential solutions.