Cathal Wilson, PhD, – Director Polymer Processing Cost Savings Workshop

21st March 2014

Company Background• Established 1992.• Export 98% of goods to 65+ Countries• Backward Integrated Manufacturing• Specialists in Infrared for Industry.• Produces components, systems and Control.• Produces Finished Equipment and machinery.• Advancing the Science of Infrared Process Heating

through Research Centre C2I2.• www.ceramicxinfraredtraining.com now available• Heavily involved in Contract R&D work.

What is Infrared?

• All Ranges of Infrared Components – Short Wave – Quartz Halogen/Tungsten Emitters - 0.75 – 1.4μm– Medium Wave – Quartz Cassette Emitters - 1.4 - 3 μm– Long Wave – Ceramic Emitters - 3 - 10 μm

Parts and Components

Parts and Components

Online Shop for Parts and Components Uk & Ireland

Office Opening in Cambridge to better Serve Uk Next Week

Applications Engineering Projects and Finished Equipment Supplied into Following Industries• Packaging – Roll Fed• Automotive/Aerospace –

Cut Sheet, extrusion machine post processing & Composites

• Oil – Extrusion machine post processing and joining equipment

• White Goods – Food Industry 14 Patents

• Glass – Automotive and High End Glass Applications

Irwin 44 inline Thermoformer Upgrade

Clamshell style oven and control system 160KW, 132 control zones, ceramic hollow constructed upper heaters, anodised aluminium lower heaters. Zone temperature feedback via type K thermocouples and infrared thermometers. Hetronik HC 500 power control with Siemens S7-300 master and 17’’ touchscreen panel PC. Ability to swap between closed and open loop control. Expecting orders for 2 more machine upgrades this year.

Ceramicx Centre for Infrared Innovation

Current Partner Universities• Trinity College Dublin• Institute for Manufacturing,

Cambridge University• University of Limerick• University of Duisburg Essen• Cork Institute of Technology

Funding Won

€1million+ in Innovation Partnership Support from E.I. and €10,000 Innovation Vouchers

Over €500,000 in 2 European Projects with a further 4 Horizon 20:20 partnerships in the pipeline

Research & DevelopmentHerschel currently doing significant work in developing data and reports.

Noticing increase in enquiries relating to bio materials, infrared can be used in flash curing of silicone tube, stabilisation of polymer webs, and in shrinking or joining processes.

www.ceramicxinfraredtraining.com website was launched on Friday February 14th. This is almost complete with respect to the Comfort IR section and the Industrial sections will be complete in the coming 6-8 weeks.

Ultimate ambition is the creation of an RTO, Research Technical Organisation attached to the company but this will take a number of years.

INFRARED HEATING TOOLS

Ceramic long wave emitters

INFRARED HEATING TOOLS

Quartz long-medium wave emitters

INFRARED HEATING TOOLS

Quartz tungsten/halogen medium to short

wave emitters

Long wave glass, cloth and anodised

aluminium faced panel heaters

Ceramic heater spectral output

What is the Herschel?

• What are we building?– A tool for mapping IR in 3D space

Important open questions• How efficient are these heaters?• Are they designed correctly?

• To develop a scientific instrument for measuring IR heat around heater assemblies

• To map the infrared heat flux distribution, from a heater, in 3D space

• To measure the energy efficiency of IR heater assemblies

• To inform design optimization strategies of IR heater assemblies

Objective of this R&D tool

• Heater assembly Variable heat Positioning system

• Schmidt-Boelter Type Gage Radiometer Positioning system

The measurement concept

Schmidt-Boelter Heat Flux Sensor

How does one measure IR heat flux and how does one map it in 3D space?

IR Heater

Reflector

IR Heat

The test facility in prototype form in Trinity College

• FTE650W• 0-650W (@230V)• 250mm x 60mm

The Heater Assembly

Typical Results

• 50cm x 50cm 2D planes

• 5 planes 10 cm apart

• 50cm x 50cm x 50cm

50 cm

50 cm

Typical Results• Data made continuous using high order polynomial regression• Allows full 3D reconstruction from discrete 2D planes• Can now perform an array of different calculations

Outlook• The 3D IR heat flux mapping concept works• Further work to be done with heater arrays• A Tool to provide significant advancement to Infrared Heatwork

Science • Founding Tool for Ceramicx Centre for Infrared Innovation and

and More Development and Research in Pipeline

Thank You! Any Questions?