Material heating

Material heating with infrared heaters: Efficiency and precision in manufacturing

Our short-wave infrared heaters are primarily designed to warm people effectively and comfortably, whether at industrial workstations or on a home terrace. However, this innovative technology offers much more than comfort: In many areas of process engineering, infrared heaters are used as powerful tools for material heating, drying, and preheating. Their flexibility, energy efficiency, and precision make them valuable aids in manufacturing.

Applications for material heating

Our infrared heaters are versatile and can perform effectively in a variety of industrial applications:

1. Drying processes
• Paint and coating drying: After paints or coatings are applied, rapid, targeted heating ensures even and efficient curing.
• Textile drying: In textile manufacturing, our heaters can be used to dry fabrics precisely after dyeing or washing.
2. Preheating materials
• Plastics processing: Before forming or welding plastics, targeted preheating enables optimal material processing.
• Metalworking: Metals can also be preheated efficiently to facilitate further processing, such as bending or welding.
3. Process heating
• Adhesive activation: In the production of furniture or vehicle parts, adhesives are activated by heat to improve adhesion.
• Packaging industry: Infrared heaters are a clean and reliable solution for shrink-wrapping processes or sealing packaging.

Benefits of infrared technology for material heating

Our infrared heaters offer numerous benefits that set them apart from other heating technologies:

• Fast response time
  Short-wave infrared radiation generates heat almost immediately without requiring a long preheating time. This saves time and reduces energy consumption.
• Targeted heating
  The radiation can be precisely directed at specific areas of a workpiece, so only the required zones are heated, efficiently and with minimal material impact.
• Energy efficiency
  Short-wave infrared radiation penetrates deep into the material, resulting in rapid and effective heating. This reduces energy losses compared with conventional heating systems.
• Clean and low-maintenance
  Unlike gas-powered systems or open flames, our infrared heaters operate without emissions and require virtually no maintenance.
• Flexibility and compatibility
  Our infrared heaters can be seamlessly integrated into existing production processes and adapted to individual requirements.

Notes on this application: Our infrared heaters are specified and classified for heating people. The safety distances stated in the instructions are not observed in this application. The devices are not equipped with active cooling. If the tube mounts overheat, for example due to heat emitted by the workpiece, the expected service life of the tubes will be reduced.

To regulate the heat output, we recommend a stepless dimmer, such as the 4kW Dimmer in combination with a push button.

Example heating areas with the TEL Forza model

We tested the heating of a 2 mm thick steel sheet at various distances. The steel sheet is painted and measures 725 mm x 1150 mm.