Temperature Control of Materials

It is used wherever semi-finished products, sheets, or plates must be heated before forming or pressing, such as in composite processes, thermoplastic applications, or metal and wood presses. Many industries benefit from more stable processes through well-temperature-controlled material.

Yes. With contact heating, more mass usually has to be heated (platens, tables, supports). Contactless temperature control often requires significantly less energy in comparison because the heat is introduced more directly into the material, an advantage in energy-intensive processes.

Both. The technology is important for high-end applications such as aviation or automotive, but it also helps in “normal” industrial processes: whenever material needs to reliably reach a certain temperature before pressing, forming, or bonding.

In contact heating, the material lies directly on heated surfaces, for example on heating platens or heated tables. The advantage is that the material can not only be heated, but also pre-consolidated, which is expressly desired in many composite and thermoplastic processes.

Here, the material is heated without direct contact, for example by infrared radiators or hot air. The heat “comes from a distance” to the component. This is gentle for handling and can be well integrated into automated lines, for example with material transfer axes.