Cover story

Planes and automobiles will be easier in order to save fuel, for the passengers but they must remain as safe. Rotor blades of wind turbines are easy, but at the same time be very resilient. Infrared heat generated by infrared emitters by Heraeus, can help to meet these needs, by shortening in the production of components made of fiber-reinforced plastics processing times.

 

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Fiber-reinforced plastics are advanced composites. They are made of plastics such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or epoxy resins (EP), were embedded in the carbon or glass fibers. The fibers make the component fixed and rigid, the plastic matrix may absorb the energy occurring. Many highly stressed components in the car such as steering tubes, the high torsional forces are exposed, or even elements for side impact protection made from these composites. In the production of such modern components come infrared systems are used because they are fast and homogenous heating these materials and shorten the process time.

Composites are different, depending on its future use. As short-fiber-reinforced thermosets for large body parts are used, long-fiber reinforced thermoplastics for highly stressed structural components or woven rovings for wind blades. All are to be produced cost-effectively. In the manufacture of composite materials requires different heating processes, such as the curing of the thermosetting plastics. Thermoplastics may be heated in order to weld it to shape or reshape. Fiber volume content and fiber orientation have a significant impact on the conduction of heat, so it is not the homogeneous heating of composite trivial.

Infrared heaters heat quickly and homogeneously

Previously given to performing the required thermal processes often by conventional hot air ovens. The infrared heating technology offers some advantages, however. Infrared emitters have very short response times in seconds, which makes heat adjustable and helps to meter energy properly. If the heat source is turned on only when it is needed, saving the energy.

Infrared systems are relatively compact thermal units, the great work on the parts heat tape without a high capacity oven for the complete unit is needed. Infrared radiation can be precisely tailored to the product and process, modern numerical methods such as the "ray tracing" or "Computational Fluid Dynamics" also help to heat large areas of homogeneous, for example by optimizing the energy distribution on the surface.

Composites welded with infrared heat

A UK company is a container made of glass fiber reinforced polypropylene for water treatment. The cylindrical water tanks are made of two halves, which are then welded by a short-wave infrared radiation with one another. The glass fibers ensure that the containers are as robust as possible, because they are in use to an internal pressure of approximately 10 withstand bar. But they are also the reason that conventional welding is difficult to carry out with contact heat. The glass fibers in the plastic should be laid open by the melting of the surface and damage the hot contact plates.

Infrared emitters transfer energy on the other hand contact and generate heat primarily in the material. So it can not remain hanging on the heat source material. A module with six short-wave infrared radiators heat the ends of the prefabricated cylinder halves, then the module is moved out automatically. The parts with the heated, soft ends are pressed together and thus sealed.

Tests have shown that this compound has even under very high pressure, have been applied up to 28 bar without destroying the connection. By the non-contact heating, the heat source can not be constantly cleaned. The whole process is very energy efficient, because the infrared emitter is only switched on when heat is required.

Energy efficiency through accurate adjustment

The infrared heating technology offers some ways to optimize heat from industrial processes to the use of energy: It provides high heat transfer capacity, non-contact heat transfer and high efficiency. By the optimum wavelength, results in an efficient energy transfer. Since they can be adapted to the shape of the products, there is a localized energy. In addition, the user gets a temporary use of energy by the fast response times. Infrared heat is eventually used whenever heat processes are solved with the special requirements of space, time or quality.

Cover: infrared emitters during welding glass reinforced pressure vessel

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