Improving your powder curing process—convection efficiencies and infrared additions
This column is provided to you by members of the Infrared Equipment Division (IRED) of the Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA). The group includes infrared (IR) curing equipment suppliers from throughout North America. We publish the column three times a year to give you the latest information about IR curing techniques and equipment. Contact information is at the end of the column. Most IR manufacturers offer testing for free or for a fee. Any IRED member can assist you in finding solutions to curing problems and best practices for finishing of coatings. This issue’s column was submitted by IRED members Joel P. Watts and Scott E. Bishop, The Southern Co., Atlanta.
As a supplier of energy to many industrial customers having convection ovens, the Southern Company and it’s affiliates, Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, and Mississippi Power, have assisted these customers in recent years to improve the efficiency performance and design of these ovens. The primary focus has been on preheating and other productivity improvements related to powder curing. One of many resources available to our customers is the Technology Applications Center (TAC), which is a resource center with a primary mission of offering energy efficient solutions to improve manufacturing processes.