New Heraeus Oven Combines Infra-Red with Convection and Optimum Quartz Glass Reflection
The new MAX oven from Heraeus Noblelight combines infra-red radiation with natural convection and optimum heat reflection to provide a compact and efficient solution for high temperature processes. The ovens can be matched exactly to the heating profile required, so that they offer increased capacity and improved product quality compared with conventional ovens, while saving space, time and energy. As such, the new oven is ideally suited for processes such as the tempering of glass, enamelling, coating of metals, heating of sensitive or highly reflective materials and sintering of ceramics.
As opposed to conventional ovens, which use fireclay as the insulation material, MAX infra-red ovens use quartz glass materials with QRC (quartz reflective coating) reflectors. Developed by Heraeus, the QRC reflector features opaque white quartz glass, whose nanostructure imparts a diffuse reflective capability to the material, resulting in a very high homogeneity of the temperature field. This means that it is possible to achieve a temperature difference within a heated product of only +/- 2°C. Quartz glass is also extremely heat resistant and can withstand the attack of acids and other aggressive substances. It has excellent mechanical stability, even at very high temperatures. In addition, the quartz lining ensures a high purity, heating environment for sensitive materials.
Because the infra-red and natural convection heating is reflected optimally within the oven, maximum process temperatures of up to 900°Ccan be reached in less than ten minutes, with similar times for cool down. A holding power of only 3kW is all that is required to maintain the maximum process temperature. Consequently the ovens allow fast product change-over and are suitable for both batch and continuous operation.
MAX ovens are tailored to meet specific process or product specifications. Computer simulation at the design stage optimises the energy efficiency and the infra-red emitters are precisely matched to the heating needs. They can be arranged in sequence and individually controlled and can be easily shaped to allow flexibility in oven dimensions.
Heraeus specialises in the production and application of high quality energy sources covering the electro-magnetic spectrum from ultraviolet to infra-red. It has over 40 years’ experience in infra-red technology and offers the expertise, products and systems to provide efficient and effective solutions to drying, heating and curing problems throughout industry.
Website: www.heraeus-noblelight.com