Infrared Heat for Coatings
Every coating process is different but all processes share the common requirements of the highest possible quality
Plastic Effective and fast drying process
and the fastest possible drying of the coating. With standard heat sources this is often no longer possible.
In the drying of coatings it has already been proven, that infrared radiation can penetrate to the required depth in the coating system and to dry the coating film from inside outwards. Skin- or blister-formation on the surface is prevented and drying of the coating is 足speeded up. The result is a brilliant surface quality that meets specification.
Infrared energy, which is matched 足precisely with the product and coating, is quickly converted into heat, water or other solvents are evaporated, while the 足material and the local environment remain cool.
Modern cars, computers and electronic equipment contain many plastic components. Gear sticks, keyboards and touch pads are printed and coated with a protective lacquer or metallised coating. An increase in the production speed can be achieved by the use of infrared. Infrared transfers large amounts of energy in a very short time, significantly reducing drying times. In addition, an infrared system helps to save energy, as unlike a conventional oven, it can be switched on immediately when heat is required.
Foto: Honda
PVC-coated laminate
Protective lacquer on keyboards
Foto: Cherry
Foil coating
Foto: Kestrel
Foto: API foils
Bitumen on membrane
Foto: Cova
Foto: Anderson
Water-based coating on car bumpers
PET coating
Metals Brilliant Surface Quality through the best matching
Coating of saw blades
Another measure is to increase the power of the existing oven. This is where infrared technology offers a real alternative, with high power infrared emitters and systems, which can be easily accommodated into existing plant because of their compact design.
Foto: Hawes Signs
In drying coated components, production bottlenecks are often created. The existing drying ovens can be extended to increase the production speed, so that the components can be passed through more quickly. However, this solution is often precluded because of space considerations.
Protective coating on signs
Coating of tubes
Foto: SSK
Metal finish coating
Foto: Chesterfield Cylinders
Booster Production bottlenecks often occur as a result of tougher production demands, where the existing drying system can no longer keep pace. This can often be solved by an infrared booster section, which is positioned in front of the existing drying system. The booster section rapidly brings the product up to temperature allowing line speeds to be increased accordingly.
Coating on 3-D cylinders
Coating of compressor housings
Foto: Piesslinger
Foto: Weisstechnik
For some products this can equate to savings of up to 50 % of the time required to dry or cure the coating.
Aluminium profiles
With no air circulation dust inclusions are removed and quality problems arising from powder being “blown” of the surface of the part are eliminated. Rapid melting of the powder improves the quality of finish and allows line speed to be increased.
Foto: SAS
Powder Coatings Infrared heating technology can significantly speed up the melting of powder coatings. Powder is a very good absorber of infrared energy which allows the powder to flow or cure in times that are significantly shorter than with conventional ovens.
Coil coating
Paper Effective Radiation with high surface power density
We come across paper every day. Newspapers, mail shots and serviettes as well as wallpapers and filters are manufactured from paper which are then printed or coated as required. With the correct selection of infrared emitters, coatings on paper can be dried in a targeted manner so that sensitive paper products suffer no heat damage.
Water-based Coatings – the right wavelength It is important to match the infrared emitter to the absorption characteristics of the coating or substrate being dried. Water absorbs energy predominantly in the medium wave (2–4 microns) portion of the infrared spectrum. In com parison short wave or near infrared energy (0.7–2 microns) has a much lower efficiency resulting in more energy being used to achieve the same level of drying.
Personalised mailings
Foto: Abbey
Mail shots can be personalized using either laser- or ink-jet printers. These inks are completely dried by carbon emitters before the letters, prospectuses or publicity material is cut, folded or glued, according to the specific requirements.
Foto: Lettershop
During the production of tray mats for aircrafts a high quality non-slip coating is applied and dried using Carbon medium wave infrared.
Adhesives on printed products
All Carbon infrared emitters CIR® combine effective medium wave radiation with high surface power density and accelerate the efficient drying of water-based paints, inks and coatings.
Foto: Newmoor
Comprehensive tests have shown that carbon emitters dry water-soluble coatings significantly more efficiently than short wave or near infrared emitter. A carbon infrared emitter uses up to 30 % less energy for the same drying process compared to conventional short wave or near infrared emitters. Wallpapers with a polyvinyl coating
Foto: Orvec Foto: Locker
Anti-slip coating on paper mats
Foto: Manchester Print
Paper filters
Drying adhesive
Coating of paper used in food packaging
Textiles Modern Production to the Highest Quality
Today’s textiles for sport or for working clothes often feature water-repellent and breathable coatings. These coatings need to be dried quickly. High quality technical textiles must be perfectly fixed. Other fabrics are laminated, embossed or formed to suit the requirements of the customer. Infrared heat helps to modernise production and improve quality. Medium wave infrared energy can heat up water faster than the fabric, preventing damage to the substrate. Carbon infrared systems can also be fitted in front of Stenters to achieve the required degree of pre-drying. The very fast response of carbon emitters also ensures that there is no damage to the coated fabric in the event of a sudden machine stoppage. The use of these optimized fabric drying techniques reduce reject rates and increase production speeds.
Water-repellent coating on materials for outdoor clothing
Foto: Wilton Foto: Airbag International
Latex on carpet
Airbags for vehicles
Foto: Living Connections
Needle-punched materials – Powder coating
Venetian blinds
Cloth-Coating with neoprene and silicon
Foto: Federal Mogul
Ceramics and Glass Effective and energy-saving in the process
Protective coating on brake pads
Foto: Weisstechnik
Glass is coated for many different applications. Screen printing on car windscreens, powder coatings on champagne bottles, dirt-repellent coatings on shower cabinets or mirrors – infrared heat dries and cures. Heraeus Infrared can be perfectly matched with the specific process.
Foto: Redland
Screen printing on car windscreens
Protective coating on roof tiles
Foto: Pilkington
Coating bottles
Glass coating
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Special Applications
Wood is treated with a wide range of coatings. Undercoats, lacquers or powders need to be dried as quickly as possible without detriment to the wood. Powder coating on mdf (medium density fibre boards) sheets must be gelled very quickly while the sheets of compressed wood should remain as cool as possible.
Infrared heat makes many industrial processes more efficient and reliable. In addition to the applications already demonstrated in this brochure, there are many more, including:
Adhesive on chipboard
• • • • • •
Foto: Saunderson Furnitur
• • •
Furniture panels
Foto: R-Tek
Infrared heat dries much faster than conventional methods. Radiation, which is precisely matched to the coating, is quickly converted into heat. The material and the surroundings remain cool. As a result, better quality of product is achieved, and the wood is made available for further processing more quickly, leading to savings in time and money.
Foto: MFI
Wood Fast and sensitive processing
Activating adhesive on plywood and particle wood materials
Drying of flux coatings on radiators Drying of coatings on engine blocks Drying of book-binding adhesives Drying of water-based adhesives on cigarette papers Drying of slab coatings Drying of stone chip protective coatings on car components Activating of glues and adhesives Drying of adhesives on chipboard Curing of powder coatings on mdf sheets
Could infrared help to make your process better? Talk to us! Our thanks for the information and photographic material to: • Abbey/UK • Airbag International/UK • Anderson/UK • API Foils/UK British Steel/UK • Carnaud/UK Cherry Electrical Products/UK Chesterfield Cylinders/UK Cova Products/UK • Hawes Signs/UK Honda/UK • Kestrel/UK • Klinger/UK Living Connections/UK • Locker Filtration/UK • Manchester Print/UK MFI/UK • Newmoor/UK • Orvec International/UK • Piesslinger/Austria Pilkington/UK • Redland Tiles/UK R-Tek/UK • Saunderson Furniture/UK SAS/UK • SSK/UK • The Lettershop Group/UK • Weisstechnik/Belgium Wilton/UK
11
Germany
Great Britain
France
Heraeus Noblelight GmbH
Heraeus Noblelight Ltd.
Heraeus Noblelight
Reinhard-Heraeus-Ring 7
Unit 1 Millennium Court
12, av. du Québec – Bât I 2
63801 Kleinostheim
Clayhill Industrial Estate
B.P. 630 Villebon
Phone +49 (6181) 35-8545
Buildwas Road
91945 Courtaboeuf Cedex
Fax
Neston, Cheshire CH64 3UZ
Phone +33 (169) 18 48 36
hng-infrared@heraeus.com
Phone +44 (151) 353 2710
Fax
www.heraeus-noblelight.de/infrarot
Fax
didier.baty@heraeus.com
+49 (6181) 35-168410
+44 (151) 353 2719
Ian.bartley@heraeus.com
+33 (169) 28 82 43
www.heraeus-noblelight.com/infrared
www.heraeus-noblelight.com/infrared USA
Australia
China
Heraeus Noblelight LLC
Heraeus Amba Australia Pty.Ltd.
Heraeus Noblelight (Shenyang). Ltd.
2150 Northmont Parkway, Suite L
Office Sydney 4 Vera St
4F, 11th Building,
Duluth, GA 30096
2508 Helensburg NSW
No. 99 Tianzhou Rd.,
Phone +1 (770) 418-0707
Phone
Shanghai, 200233
Fax
russell@heraeus-amba.com.au
Telefon +86 (21) 5445 2255
www.heraeus-noblelight.com.au
Telefax +86 (21) 5445 2410
+1 (770) 418-0688
info@noblelight.net www.noblelight.net
+61 (2) 4294 4682
stefan.fuchs@heraeus.com www.heraeus-noblelight.cn
We reserve the right to change the pictures and technical data of this brochure.
0208 HNG-B 57 E 5C