subject: Will Increasing Power To An Infrared Heater Increase Production Speeds [print this page] The material/ substrate or part you are heating and even the color of the material can influence how susceptible it is to the various wavelengths of energy. In addition, infrared energy is transmitted in a variety of forms shortwave, medium wave and long wave. Every heat source emits energy over a range of wavelengths. If the energy is being effectively directed to the product and the transmission is in the wavelength range that works most effectively with the material you are heating, then additional power can actually decrease the speed at which the product is effectively heated. There is a limit to the amount of energy a particular material/ object can absorb over a given period of time and that varies for each material. On the other hand, there are cases where more power can speed up a process. But there are other options that can also improve your process in terms of speed, cost and quality.
Infrared radiation heating is a direct and non contact method for heating objects. Energy is transmitted via electromagnetic radiation. By this method, depending on the absorption factor, the object can absorb up to 91% of the radiated energy, which gets transformed into heat. Normally, full efficiency is achieved within 1-3 seconds. As compared with other methods of heat transfer, space requirements are drastically reduced. Not all infrared heaters are the same and variables include response time, uniformity, efficiency, power output, reliability and cost so be sure to work with an engineer who can explain your options.
One approach to finding the best solution is to do some lab tests. It is always a good idea to seriously consider doing lab testing. Often, companies will offer one day complimentary trial on their lab line. There are five major reasons to test. Lab testing permits customers to observe the line in action while examining the multiplicity of variables acting on their product temperature, speed, humidity, quantity of coatings, material handling, energy usage, etc. A trial confirms customers' needs, enables process to be fine tuned, ensures quality standards can be maintained and confirms best combination of drying technologies.
Benefits of working with infrared heaters include a high degree of control flexibility to the user. The use of electric infrared may enable some manufacturers to make better use of their production facilities by delivering per-product processing costs that are comparable to, or lower than, those of a gas convection oven. Electric infrared will deliver a higher amount of input energy to the product than a gas convection oven. An electric infrared heater does not require a long start-up time as might be required with a convection system. When infrared is the heat source, heat is delivered directly to the product and not into a carrier medium such as air. Additional technical information about both gas and electric infrared heaters can be seen at AndersonThermal, electric-infrared-heater.
Based in Hawthorne New Jersey, Anderson Thermal Devices provides state-of-the-art infrared heaters and cassettes to OEMs and manufacturers within the process heating industry. To learn more about process heating solutions available through Anderson Thermal Devices, contact John McKechnie, National Sales Manager at JMcKechnie@AndersonThermal.com or the Infrared Hotline 800-720-5256. More technical information including white papers can be found at AndersonThermal.
