Radiant tube heaters are a type of industrial heater which provides a range of wavelengths to heat your product to the correct temperature.
Depending on the wavelength, the temperature can range between 1,300 and 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit. Receive consistent short, medium and long wavelength heating with these three basic industrial infrared heater designs:
- Radiant Panel Heater Metal sheath
- Quartz Infrared Heaters
- Ceramic Radiant Heat Panels
A metal sheathed radiant tube heater provides a contamination-resistant heating surface that can provide rapid temperature adjustment. When you choose the ideal panel with professional installation, you’ll enjoy reliable heating for any application.
Quartz infrared heaters use short-to-medium wavelengths for incredibly fast heat-ups and cool-downs. A quartz lamp spreads the infrared heat evenly to avoid hot spots and uneven temperatures. Durable, long-lasting and remarkably prompt, quartz infrared heaters are a popular option for most heating situations.
An affordable option for reasonably heating of large areas is a ceramic infrared heater. Ceramic is a cost-effective option that is often used in residential applications. Provide multi-zone heating for an entire home without installing ductwork or other ventilation. Ceramic heating takes up to five minutes to fully heat, so it isn’t as efficient as quartz. However, purchasing and replacing ceramic radiant infrared heating elements is far more efficient than other, costly elements.
The most common immersion heaters for water, oil and other liquids use electricity to power the heating element. Electricity offers stable heating in a range of kilowatt ratings. Depending on the purpose of the equipment, the heater can be used to maintain a consistent temperature, vary the temperature or quickly reach the desired temperature.
Most immersion heaters are submerged in the product, while others use a process liquid to transfer heat from the heater to the particular product. Either way, a durable sheathing is required to protect the electric heating element.
A complex control system carefully adjusts the power to the heating element. Combined with a thermocouple or other temperature-sensing device, the control system helps control the immersion heater to provide accurate, repeatable results.
Because immersion heaters rely on electricity to power the heating element, you won’t have to worry about combustion hazards. This line of industrial heaters is particularly popular when heating combustible liquids or gases. Instead of relying on an open flame, electric heaters use conduction and convection to thoroughly heat your chosen product.
Immersion heaters are heating elements that are designed to be directly immersed in a product.
The material can be the intended product or a processing liquid. Here are some of the most common liquids an immersion heater can be used with:
- Water
- Solvents
- Oils
- Gases
- Salts
- Molten materials
There are several different types of immersion heaters for water and other products. Some connect to the product reservoir directly through the sidewall, while others are attached over the side of the wall rather than directly into the wall material.
The reservoir or holding tank affects the ideal type of heater just as much as your chosen material does, so carefully consider the available units before choosing industrial heaters for immersion.
Electric coil heaters are a type of electrical heating device that transfers heat by way of a metal coil. Although there are many designs, they all have two major components: a coil and a heating unit. The heating unit generates electrical energy that is passed into the coil. As that electricity passes through the coil, it is converted into heat energy which can then pass to the surrounding medium.
This is a highly flexible type of heating device. They are often favored for their simplicity and low maintenance needs. Electric heating coils can be used to heat open-air or can be directly applied to a medium that needs heating. They are used as industrial heaters, electric duct heaters, consumer space heaters, and as parts of larger systems in many other applications.
Ceramic IR heaters are safe; they do not create pollutants as they run, and they do not involve open flames the way wood heaters do. Because they do not rely on radiative heat transfer, they do not add dangerous levels of heat to employees’ working conditions.
Additionally, they prevent mildew and other molds from growing because they do not help humid air circulate. The heating process also does not get rid of any moisture or oxygen in the air, keeping the air quality high.
Another benefit of these heaters is that they last a long time. The average IR heater produces at least 10,000 hours of heat, or more than 416 days of constant heat production. Protective glazes keep the heaters from getting damaged by water or corroding when exposed to the air, making them more durable than most space heaters.
Finally, these heaters are much easier to maintain than traditional heat sources. Ceramic infrared heating elements do not move as they operate, preventing the need for lubricant application, calibrations, and other time-consuming maintenance tasks.
To produce heat, each ceramic infrared heater has a coiled wire, normally made of nichrome or tungsten, embedded into a ceramic base. Usually, industrial heaters burn fuels such as oil, natural gas, or propane to heat the wire in the base.
As the ceramic surfaces heat up, they transmit their heat as infrared radiation. This process happens so efficiently that most IR heaters do not need fans to distribute their heat.
A ceramic infrared heater is an industrial infrared heater that uses infrared radiation housed by ceramics to produce heat. This form of radiation is less powerful than microwaves but more powerful than ultraviolet rays and visible light. Traditional sources of industrial infrared heating include quartz infrared heaters, tubular heaters, and gas-powered heaters.
IR heaters have different shapes based on their purposes; curved heaters create more focused heat, while flat ones heat large areas more effectively. When their radiation wavelength is within 3 and 6 microns, these industrial electric heaters are capable of operating between 300 and 750 degrees Fahrenheit.
It takes them up to 15 minutes to attain their maximum temperatures, and they need protective glazes to keep their ceramic infrared heating elements from cracking or oxidizing. We recommend pairing IR heaters with a k type thermocouple or j type thermocouple to track their temperatures.
A rod heater is a heating element designed for industrial use. The internal components are encased in a metal sheath made from stainless steel. The tubes contain a nickel-chromium heating coil wrapped in electrical insulation. They are made to fit tightly into holes created with standard drill bits.
These heaters typically have a standard electrical cable. Based on your needs, our skilled team at Hi-Watt can also create custom heaters designed with alternative electrical connections such as flange mounting, right-angle exit, fixing tab and more. Cartridge heaters come in a variety of sizes, wattages and ratings.
Types of rod heaters include:
- Immersion
- Insertion
- Split Sheath
- Custom
A rod heater is comprised of a metal sheath that is sealed on one end, power pins, resistance coil wrapped around a ceramic core, electrical leads and insulation. An electrical connection between the resistance wire and power pins, also called Joule heating, is what supplies heat to the sheath. That heat is then conducted from the sheath to the gas, liquid or metal it is intended to warm.
Silicone rubber flexible heaters are among the most popular options available. These industrial heaters consist of a metal heating element that is attached to a power lead. It is usually placed between two sheets of silicon rubber. This is a popular material for a heater because it is thin, light, and tough. Furthermore, it has a relative lack of reactivity, making it resistant to a wide variety of chemicals and liquids. This could be a strong option if you need a heater to withstand acids and bases. Silicone heaters are also manufactured across a wide variety of wattages and power densities. This allows the user to customize their silicone heaters to meet their specific needs. Because the rubber is flexible and durable, it can be cut into just about any shape, allowing it to fit in almost any location. Finally, there are thermostats that are attached directly to the heating pad. Thermal fuses can also be included with silicone rubber heaters to prevent them from overheating in the event of a failure.