Tunnel oven

conveyorpass-throughdrying

Overview
Sopara supplies infrared thermal processes and complete ovens/tunnels for manufacturers of interior-design and construction materials (floor coverings, plasterboard, cladding, kitchen fronts, decorative elements). Technologies include short-wave, medium-wave and mixed IR, plus compact electric ovens suited to continuous-pass production lines. Focus: optimize throughput, reduce energy use and enable decarbonisation pathways.

Thermal challenges addressed

• High industrial volumes & throughput: lines producing kilometres of floor covering at >20 m/min where any throughput loss affects margins.
• Surface quality control: precise temperature control for wood/stone/leather effects to limit scrap and maintain finish consistency.
• Decarbonisation of gas-fired processes: replacing long gas ovens with compact electric IR solutions while preserving process results.
• Productivity gains with minimal footprint: adding 1–2 m of short-wave modules at line entry to increase output without major rebuilds.

Sopara’s thermal solutions
Sopara provides tailored infrared ovens, short-/medium-wave combinations, high-performance medium-wave emitters and compact electric ovens to replace gas lines. Core product families include RadiantLine™ emitters, ThermalCore™ control intelligence and ThermalWorks™ infrared ovens & tunnels. Services: laboratory tests, pilot runs and industrialisation support to secure process transfers.

Wavelength & process innovation
Short-wave IR delivers direct penetration (suitable for translucent products, penetration >1 mm). Medium-wave IR targets surface heating (micron-range penetration) for embossing and calendering without affecting core layers. Sopara selects and mixes wavelengths to optimise gelation, embossing and surface finish throughout the process.

Applications (examples from interior design & construction)

• PVC floor covering gelation — core heating of plastisol in continuous-pass to trigger gelation in ~6–10 s at high line speeds.
• PVC embossing & calendering — surface heating to create wood/stone/leather textures without softening lower layers.
• Paint drying & curing on cladding, tiles and door panels — continuous-pass lines at 20–25 m/min.
• Kitchen & furniture: multi-zone curing for variable geometries on door fronts and panels.
• Coating of technical textiles — smooth homogeneous drying for tarpaulins, blinds and screens.
• Plasterboard pre-drying — short IR modules at line entry to accelerate pre-drying and increase throughput.

Selected benefits and performance claims

• Complete gelation in ~6–7 s at >20 m/min on developed PVC products.
• Oven efficiency typically 40–60% (vs. 15–25% for comparable convection systems).
• Example replacement: a 7 m electric oven substituted a 40 m gas oven with consumption reduced by ~7–8×.
• Productivity increase of 10–20% achievable by installing short-wave IR modules in 1–2 m of entry space.
• Emitter replacement cases showing >40% energy savings vs quartz tubes in some processes.

Case studies / References (summaries)

• PVC floor covering — widespread supplier to major manufacturers: complete gelation in 6–7 s at >20 m/min; oven efficiency 40–60%; throughput ×5 vs hot-air ovens.
• Industrial decarbonisation — after R&D a 7 m electric oven replaced a 40 m gas oven (example figures: electric 400–450 kW vs gas 2,500 kW) with full gelation after optimisation.
• Energy efficiency via emitter replacement — corrugated‑ribbon HP medium‑wave emitters replaced quartz tubes reducing power (example 400 → 250 kW, ~40% saving).

Frequently Asked Questions (selected)

• Can an infrared oven replace a gas oven on a PVC gelation line? Yes — after laboratory tests and progressive qualification Sopara reports industrial replacements (e.g. 7 m electric for 40 m gas).
• Which IR technology is best for PVC gelation? Medium-wave was common historically; short-wave or combined short-/medium-wave is most efficient for translucent foamed PVC.
• Can productivity of an existing line be increased? Yes — short-wave modules at line entry can yield 10–20% gains without major line changes.
• What are the gains from replacing quartz emitters? Corrugated‑ribbon HP medium‑wave offers 80–90% efficiency vs quartz, reducing consumption by >40% in some cases.
• What support is provided? Audit, lab tests, pilot, industrialisation, operator training and predictive maintenance.

Technical specifications

• Product families / trade names: ThermalWorks™ Infrared Ovens, RadiantLine™ Emitters, ThermalCore™ Control Intelligence.
• Typical oven lengths: examples 2.5 m (combined SW+MW prototype), 7 m electric (decarbonisation case); replacements of up to 40 m gas ovens referenced.
• Installed power examples: 700 kW for combined SW+MW 2.5 m oven (footprint ~8–9 m²).
• Processing times: gelation ~6–7 s on developed PVC products; other processes 6–10 s.
• Line speeds: examples >20 m/min (gelation); paint lines 20–25 m/min; boosting reported up to 60–100 m/min.
• Energy & efficiency: oven efficiency 40–60% vs 15–25% for convection; emitter efficiency 80–90% for corrugated‑ribbon HP medium‑wave vs quartz.
• Penetration: short-wave >1 mm; medium-wave surface heating (few µm) for embossing without deforming core layers.
• Modularity: short-wave modules designed to fit 1–2 m at line entry to accelerate pre-drying and increase throughput.
• Industrial methodology: audit → lab tests → pilot → industrialisation → training → predictive maintenance; ISO 9001 referenced.