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Processing of Plastics
Infrared radiation for plastic molding – impressively efficient.
Heating processes for molding plastics must offer maximum efficiency. For this reason infrared radiation has become more and more widespread in numerous industrial sectors. It is one of the most important heat sources for the production and processing of plastics. Indeed it would be hard to imagine some processes with any other heat source.
IR radiation is used in the stretch and blow process to heat the plastic to almost 100° C and prepare it for molding by tools and compressed air. IR radiation is also preferred for processes with thermoplastic semi-finished goods such as blister packs or extruded forms in the automotive industry. Short-wave IR lamps are ideal for such applications because of their high efficiency and are an economical alternative to conventional methods such as those involving heating plates.
HALOTHERM infrared halogen lamps
HALOTHERM lamps produce a maximum radiation of around 1100 nanometer (nm) and are perfect for various plastic molding processes. These short-wave infrared halogen lamps (IR A) have a tungsten wire filament enclosed in a quartz tube. The advantage here is that quartz is highly transparent for infrared radiation. This means that the thermal output is emitted in the short-wave infrared range with minimal losses. In addition, the filler gas in the quartz vessel contains halogen additives to prevent the bulb from blackening and ensure long average life. HALOTHERM lamps can be installed in machinery and production facilities, take up very little space and are easy to service. They are renowned for their short response times, precise regulation and high efficiency.