Applications engineering: Weco and Ceramicx lead the way
14 September, 2012
The US market is once again proving fertile ground for Weco International and Ceramicx to develop IR heating solutions for all manner of industries. Both of our companies recently joined forces in deploying advanced IR heating technology for a leading US based manufacturer of high quality fittings for the global pipe industries. IR heat was used to effectively weld two materials together and to help reduce the customer scrap count within its current heating system for plastic to metal bonding. Good flange production requires a heating source that will prep the surface in order to ensure a good fusion bond of both the billet and mandrel. The new heating system therefore needed to be easily used within the company’s present equipment set-up and the heating system also needed to be able to enhance the production and quality of the existing product. Custom-made solutions were devised when it became clear that an Infrared heating solution was needed, in order to most effectively achieve the fusion/adhesion of the HDPE plastic to the mandrel/billet and to also develop an efficient mandrel preheat system.
As a result of discussions two systems were proposed: A billet heating system and a mandrel heating system. The control system was designed as closed loop, with a single IR thermometer in order to provide optimum HDPE surface temperature for proper fusion.
Weco and Ceramicx firstly designed, manufactured and installed the billet system. The customer successfully ran the ceramic heaters on the smaller size billets currently in production and was pleased with the results. The customer mandrel heating system is now in development and is set to provide adequate energy/heat to the mandrel in order for proper and fail safe adhesion of the HDPE materials. This first layer of HDPE is critical to the overall quality of the billet. The success of the billet system now lays the ground for a successful installation of the mandrel system. The project confirmed to us at Weco/Ceramicx some of the real strengths of Infrared heating. The bottom line is that IR heating solutions deliver cost-saving, accurate and targeted heat sources in the service of customer needs. It’s now up to ourselves and the newly launched Weco USA network to get on and communicate these successes in the marketplace. In this way Infrared heating is a clear boost to profitability.
14 September, 2012
The US market is once again proving fertile ground for Weco International and Ceramicx to develop IR heating solutions for all manner of industries. Both of our companies recently joined forces in deploying advanced IR heating technology for a leading US based manufacturer of high quality fittings for the global pipe industries. IR heat was used to effectively weld two materials together and to help reduce the customer scrap count within its current heating system for plastic to metal bonding. Good flange production requires a heating source that will prep the surface in order to ensure a good fusion bond of both the billet and mandrel. The new heating system therefore needed to be easily used within the company’s present equipment set-up and the heating system also needed to be able to enhance the production and quality of the existing product. Custom-made solutions were devised when it became clear that an Infrared heating solution was needed, in order to most effectively achieve the fusion/adhesion of the HDPE plastic to the mandrel/billet and to also develop an efficient mandrel preheat system.
As a result of discussions two systems were proposed: A billet heating system and a mandrel heating system. The control system was designed as closed loop, with a single IR thermometer in order to provide optimum HDPE surface temperature for proper fusion.
Weco and Ceramicx firstly designed, manufactured and installed the billet system. The customer successfully ran the ceramic heaters on the smaller size billets currently in production and was pleased with the results. The customer mandrel heating system is now in development and is set to provide adequate energy/heat to the mandrel in order for proper and fail safe adhesion of the HDPE materials. This first layer of HDPE is critical to the overall quality of the billet. The success of the billet system now lays the ground for a successful installation of the mandrel system. The project confirmed to us at Weco/Ceramicx some of the real strengths of Infrared heating. The bottom line is that IR heating solutions deliver cost-saving, accurate and targeted heat sources in the service of customer needs. It’s now up to ourselves and the newly launched Weco USA network to get on and communicate these successes in the marketplace. In this way Infrared heating is a clear boost to profitability.
