Heating Methods

Convection systems use either gas burners or electric elements to heat air in an internal recirculation system. With gas-fired systems, gas (natural or liquid) is fed into a burner, and the heat from that is distributed evenly throughout the unit with a fan. With electric systems, heating elements are used instead of a burner.

Infrared (IR) heating uses various wavelength light emitter panels to radiate energy based on the intensity of the heating required for the parts being processed. IR panels used can be made from sheathed elements, quartz panels, or lights to varying UV wavelength lamps.  The use of IR heaters is ideal when the radiant light energy can directly reach the part surface.

An advantage of IR heating is that it’s often faster than convection heating if only surface heating of the part is required.

Infrared heating can be used in curing powder paint, epoxy, and polyester resin. In addition, it can also be used to pretreat and finish cure other types of coatings.

HeatTek utilizes infrared heaters that are specific to an individual system. These heaters can be used across a variety of industries, with an additional offer of services to fit your heat treatment needs. 

Induction heating uses electromagnetism to heat the conductive components of a part. Induction heating is accomplished by running an electric current through an induction coil which produces an electromagnetic field. When steel or iron components are placed within that field, they resist the electrical flow, creating energy and heat in the process.

Induction heating can be a very effective and efficient use of energy and quickly heat up components. The products need to be shaped so a coil can be closely located to the part to apply the power properly.  When used during a preheating or post-heating process, it can dramatically cut down production times, allowing for greater efficiency and product throughput.

Our induction heating systems are custom engineered and manufactured to meet your specific needs. These systems are customized by project specifications, and if you have any older oven systems, they can be modified and rebuilt with our services.

Resistance heating is the direct heating of a part or product that can have power applied to it. Examples of resistance heating are electric motors and transformers that allow the part to act as a resistor.  Applying various amounts of power to the part based on its resistance will determine the amount of time it will take to heat a part by this method. Resistance heating in electric motor applications is somewhat the opposite of induction heating where the conductive steel is heated.  In resistance heating, most often the copper winding is what is directly heated, which either cures a coating directly on the wire or conducts the heat to other parts of the product that are in contact with it.

HeatTek can engineer custom heating systems as an industrial oven manufacturer, including furnaces, industrial ovens, and other thermal systems, with any of these technologies, either on their own or in combination for reduced heating times and optimal processing times. To learn more about the services we provide, call HeatTek today.