Solids & Recycling Dortmund 2026: Why Short-Wave Infrared Heaters and Evaporative Coolers Make Sense in Bulk Material and Recycling Halls

Solids & Recycling in Dortmund focuses on bulk material handling, processing technology, and recycling processes. One aspect that is often only considered later is the indoor climate in the production and processing halls themselves. Large hall volumes, open doors for continuous material transport, and environments that are often dusty or humid make conventional heating and cooling particularly challenging. This is exactly where our solutions come in.

Heat where work is being done, not where the air is standing

In bulk material and recycling halls, work takes place at changing stations: sorting plants, conveyor belts, processing lines, or loading points. Doors are often left open for material handling, and ceiling heights are usually considerable. A conventional warm-air heating system primarily heats the air beneath the hall roof, where no one is working. Our short-wave TEL Forza infrared heaters, by contrast, target workstations directly, such as sorting belts, control stations, or loading areas:

• No warm-up time: immediately ready for use again whenever a door is opened for material transport
• Targeted rather than broad-area heating: heat exactly where employees are actually working
• Efficient even in halls with high ceilings: ideal for processing halls and loading areas with high ceiling levels
• Output levels from 1.5 to 12 kW: can be sized appropriately for anything from a small workstation to a large production hall

Cooling in summer: evaporative cooling instead of conventional air conditioning

In summer, bulk material and recycling halls heat up significantly due to machine heat, solar radiation, and open hall structures. Conventional compressor-based cooling quickly reaches its economic and technical limits in the typically large-volume, permeable halls. Our mobile adiabatic evaporative coolers from the OKM Series offer an efficient alternative:

• Significantly lower power consumption than conventional compressor-based cooling, as only water is evaporated instead of operating a refrigerant circuit
• Mobile use: can be positioned flexibly at changing workstations along the processing line
• No closed system required: also works with open doors and permeable hall structures, as are typical in bulk material operations
• Can be combined with fresh-air supply: provides cooling and air exchange at the same time, which is particularly beneficial in dusty work areas

Also available for ATEX zones

In the bulk material and recycling industry, potentially explosive atmospheres occur in many areas, for example due to dust deposits on conveyor and processing equipment. For use in such areas, we also offer infrared heaters for ATEX zones 2 and 22 on request. If required, please contact us directly. We will work with you to determine which version is suitable for your zone classification.

A year-round solution from a single source

Whether winter hall heating with TEL Forza or summer cooling with the OKM Series, both systems are specially designed for the large, open spaces typical of bulk material and recycling operations. For operators and planners, this means a year-round climate solution from a single source, without compromising on energy efficiency or investment costs, and, where required, suitable for use in ATEX zones.

Are you planning a processing or recycling hall, or would you like to optimize the climate control of an existing facility? Contact us. We will be happy to advise you on the right heating and cooling solution for your project, including for hazardous areas.