Conveyor oven

dryingcuringsintering

Summary
Sopara supplies infrared (IR) heating solutions for thermal treatment of technical textiles in continuous (in-line) processes: pre-drying, coating drying, polymerization, gelation and sintering. Systems are engineered to control fragile or complex substrates (carbon, glass, aramid, flax, nonwovens, PTFE, solvent- or water-based coatings) at high line speeds while ensuring solvent safety and energy efficiency.

Capabilities and advantages

• Processing in seconds: PVC gelation in 6–7 s in high-speed lines.
• High power densities: up to 350 kW/m².
• Overall IR oven efficiency: typically 40–60% (up to ~70% on specific processes) vs. 15–25% for convection ovens.
• Process time reduced by 5–10× compared with hot-air ovens.
• Compact electric IR ovens can replace large gas-fired ovens (customer cases show energy consumption reduced by ~7×).
• Selectable wavelength: short-wave IR (deeper penetration), mid-wave IR (very rapid surface heating) or mixed IRC+IRM depending on material and required effect.
• System architecture and control: space/time power modulation, multi-zone cabinets, integrated extraction and zone-by-zone control.

Solvent safety & airflow

• IR heats the product preferentially rather than the air, allowing strong air extraction without loss of thermal effectiveness.
• Solvent concentrations maintained below one-quarter of the lower explosive limit (LEL) to operate outside ATEX in many processes.
• High-precision aerodynamics: no condensation on the product, very fast air renewal (e.g., air renewal every ~2 seconds in compact ovens).

Industrial applications

• PVC gelation (floor coverings, foamed PVC).
• Embossing and calendering (automotive, upholstery, marine) using rapid surface heating and roll contact.
• Coating drying (inks, adhesives, latex, varnishes) for printing, filtration and technical packaging.
• Pre-impregnation and polymerization of composites (aerospace, defense, sports, energy).
• Drying and sintering of PTFE deposits in a single pass.
• Thermal activation of adhesives/resins for lamination and complexing.
• Decarbonation of processes by replacing energy-intensive gas ovens with compact electric IR ovens.

Customer cases & feedback (extracts)

• PVC gelation: mixed IRC+IRM oven 2.5 m, 700 kW installed, product processed in 6–7 s, penetration >1 mm.
• Decarbonation of a gelation line: 7 m electric IR oven replacing a 40 m gas oven (700 kW installed vs. 2,500 kW gas + ventilation), integrated without production stop, consumption reduced by ~7×.
• Solvent drying outside ATEX: short-wave IR oven operating outside ATEX treating up to 200 L/h solvent while keeping concentrations below one-quarter LEL; comparable installations operated incident-free for over 10 years.

Methodology & support
Sopara follows a structured project approach: process audit, laboratory and pilot trials (over 1,000 test sessions in 25 years), industrialization, training and predictive maintenance. Design of ThermalCore™ cabinets and THERM-IQ™ control for dynamic zone regulation.

Characteristics / technical specifications

• Power density: up to 350 kW/m² (process-dependent).
• Processing time: typically 6–10 s for PVC gelation at high speed (e.g., >20 m/min).
• Overall IR oven efficiency: 40–60% typical (up to ~70% on certain processes) vs. 15–25% for convection.
• Solvent safety: concentrations maintained below 25% of the LEL to enable non-ATEX operation.
• Aerodynamics: possible air renewal every ~2 seconds in compact ovens.
• Installed power (customer references): ~700 kW for compact/medium ovens.
• Gas oven replacement examples: 40 m gas lines replaced by 7 m IR ovens with ~7× energy savings and reduced footprint.
• Available technologies: short-wave IR (deeper heating), mid-wave IR (very rapid surface heating), IRC+IRM mixes as required.
• Control & monitoring: fast power modulation (response 1–10 s), real-time pyrometry, double-face heating for homogeneity on fragile fibers.
• Approach and certification: systematic testing before industrialization; ISO 9001 referenced.