Process Heating articles from May 2005

Process Heating archives from May 2005

Preparation yields performance: an early-warning system with horns.(EDITOR'S PAGE)
May 1, 2005... Not long ago, I was walking my dog, Chubby, with my friend and her dog when we stopped to let her dog answer the call of nature. I stood proudly looking at Chubby, who had obediently sat down to wait. It's good thing I was admiring him, because...

Expected rise in integrated controls.(THE INSIDER)
May 1, 2005... Current users of temperature and power control systems indicate a move toward systems with built-in diagnostics and predictive maintenance capabilities, according to a survey by Chromalox Inc., Pittsburgh. Users responding to the...

Wisconsin Oven introduces new warranty.(THE INSIDER)
May 1, 2005... Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, Wis., has introduced its three-year Heat and Recirculation Warranty for new equipment purchases. The warranty covers the company's standard walk-in type batch ovens with temperature ratings of 800[degrees]F...

Buying American.(THE INSIDER)
May 1, 2005... Results of Process Heating's electronic survey of industrial electric heater users show that most buyers prefer to purchase their heaters from U.S. companies. Eighty-eight percent of respondents to the February survey indicated they do not...

Coating 2005 gains sponsors.(THE INSIDER)
May 1, 2005... The Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Industrial Heating Equipment Association and its Infrared Equipment Division have become supporting sponsors of Coating 2005. Supporting sponsors provide promotion support of Coating 2005...

Controlling the pet-food process.(THE INSIDER)
May 1, 2005... A manufacturer of dog and cat food needed a control system for a food extruder that accepted frozen raw ingredients in a hopper at one end, cooked the food by pushing it through a steam-heated barrel with a rotating screw, and formed the...

2 presses add CMM oxidizers.(THE INSIDER)
May 1, 2005... To control emissions from their printing presses, two companies have added regenerative thermal oxidizers built by CMM Group LLC, De Pere, Wis. Graphic Services in Rockland, Mass., has installed a 15,000 scfm regenerative thermal oxidizer...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
May 1, 2005... In "U.S. Electric Heater Users Snub China, India," which appeared in the April 2005 issue, a photo credit was omitted. The band heater photo was supplied by CCI Thermal Technologies, Edmonton Alberta; www.ccithermal.com.

Calendar.(THE INSIDER)(Calendar)
May 1, 2005... MAY 11-12 -- Southeast Powder & Bulk Solids Conference/Exhibition. Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta, Ga. Call (800) 363-3631 or visit www.southeastpowdershow.com. 16-18 -- Advanced Practices in Pharmaceutical Tablet & Capsule Technology...

How did they figure that? Calculators at the ready, one equation will do.(ENERGY NOTES)
May 1, 2005... Sizing burners and heating systems and figuring what they'll do at different flow rates require a number of different calculations. To the uninitiated, it can appear pretty complex and intimidating--after all, you have to know the effect of...

Raw heat to refined heat: same energy units for both but what a difference in price and performance.(HEATING HIGHLIGHTS)
May 1, 2005... In previous columns, I have looked at how to compare energy costs and touched only too briefly on the stages of refinement that energy can undergo to improve its application. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The subject of this column was...

Flame supervision systems: 5 common combustion safeguard mistakes.(SAFETY ZONE)
May 1, 2005... Flame supervision, used in systems as diverse as industrial process ovens, bakery ovens, asphalt heaters, hot water heaters and more, is an important part of the safe operation of any combustion system. The 2003 edition of the National Fire...

Heat exchanger design Q & A: asking and answering a few questions during the design stage will help you properly size your heat exchanger.(HEAT EXCHANGERS)
May 1, 2005... Heat exchanger manufacturers need answers to a number of questions to correctly size a heat exchanger for a specific application. The questions attempt to address the three basic points that drive heat exchanger design: * Why a heat...

Selecting propeller fans: fans are used in cooling towers and other equipment to increase cooling effectiveness. Fan construction affects performance, so consider it carefully.(FANS)
May 1, 2005... Success in selecting a fan for cooling equipment depends on the accuracy of both the duty requirements and the performance characteristics that can be expected from the fan. Failure to keep both partners in the marriage between the fan and...

Is short circuit protection possible? The key to selecting solid-state controls that can survive short-circuit events lies in knowing the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the various protection schemes.(POWER CONTROLS)
May 1, 2005... Everyone in the solid-state control industry acknowledges that short circuits will destroy unprotected power semiconductors. There is almost no agreement, however, on what constitutes protection: different manufacturers employ different...

Ensuring proper food processing: temperature profiling system gathers data as beef, pork, veal, chicken and turkey products travel through the cooking and chilling processes and helps one food processor demonstrate compliance.(TEMPERATURE PROFILING)
May 1, 2005... From its humble beginnings in 1973, Advance Food Co. has become one of the leading national manufacturers of portion-controlled meat products for the foodservice industry. The company manufactures preportioned, ready-to-cook and fully cooked...

Drying details: whether it's cereal or ceramics, dryer suppliers vie to help you optimize your process.(EQUIPMENT OVERVIEW: DRYERS)(Cover Story)
May 1, 2005... Cereal, ceramics, powders, pastes: Whether you want a batch, paddle or web dryer, or something else altogether, you are looking in the right place. The following pages are filled with Process Heating's annual Equipment Overview on Dryers....

Process Heating industrial dryer spec sheet.
May 1, 2005... Need a dryer for your application? Spec out what you need below then fax this page to a supplier at the bottom of this page. You'll get help in finding the dryer that will do the job. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Fax this Spec Sheet to the Dryer...

4 reasons to consider engineered plastic: engineered plastic cooling towers offer advantages over galvanized steel models. Plastic can reduce process interruptions while shaving construction, maintenance and replacement costs.(COOLING TOWERS)
May 1, 2005... Factory-assembled cooling towers formed of engineered, molded plastics continue to gain favor over galvanized sheet metal models. Just as plastics have overtaken metal for applications ranging from plumbing to aerospace, they are now being...

Modular fermentation systems.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Designed for the biotechnology industries, GEA Diessel modular fermentation system is fully automatic in maintaining temperature, pH, agitator speed, and other parameters, and it has several options for nutrient feed and oxygen dispersion. It...

Infrared temperature transmitter.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... IRtec Rayomatic 10 Series provides an accurate (+0.5 percent of reading) continuous monitoring tool for troublesome process applications that require immediate response time (50 ms). It can be used to measurements of high and low temperatures...

Calcium silicate refractory.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Ziralcast-76 is a combination of pyrotechnically treated calcium silicate raw materials in an castable refractory form. Initially developed for molten aluminum contact applications, the material offers good hot strength and dimensional...

Temperature controllers.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Plus Series includes 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 DIN size models. An easy-to-use programming interface and a plug-and-play option help reduce customer inventories. The controllers provide dual set-points that can be selected from a remote location. ...

Temperature controllers.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Electromechanical Thermoswitch temperature controllers do not require an external power source and respond quickly to temperature changes in extreme conditions. Available in probe or surface-mount configurations, the controller uses the...

Ratio control system.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Model 7002-01 microcomputer-based ratio control system applies an independent function curve to each of the 4 to 20 mA outputs based on the input signals. The curves are user selectable from one of 16 tables contained in memory or a table...

Thermal controllers, fan trays.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... ProntoFlow accepts single- or dual-voltage inputs, is configured to accept 36 to 60 VDC and provides regulated voltage to a system of up to nine fans. Full communication to a host system is provided by both I2C and RS232 protocols. The...

Heat exchangers.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... X-Pack packaged heat recovery unit line utilizes Heatex crossflow plate heat exchangers. Standard units are manufactured in sizes from 600 though 26,600 cfm and incorporate 2" galvanized steel casings and forward curved fans. Options include...

Pillow blocks for confined area applications.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Graphalloy pillow blocks are designed for conveyors with closely spaced roll or other confined area applications. With a self-aligning design, the 845PTB Series is offered in shaft sizes from 0.5 to 2" and interchanges with most standard...

Platinum resistance thermometer.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... The 100 [ohm] platinum resistance thermometer (PRT) can read temperatures as high as 1,832[degrees]F (1,000[degrees]C). Model 5624 includes a NIST-traceable, NVLAP-accredited fixed-point calibration covering the range of 32 to 1,764[degrees]F...

Thermal shock absorber protects probes.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Sudden changes in temperature can damage probe substrates beyond repair. To prevent thermal shock damage, probes traditionally are extracted as slowly as 1" every 5 min, a slow process. Thermal shock absorber, an insulated probe sleeve,...

High-temperature-resistant epoxy.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Physical properties of EP34AN are maintained even after long exposure to temperatures in the 400 to 450[degrees]F (204 to 232[degrees]C) range. With a 100:70 mix ratio by weight, the epoxy is easy to mix and can be applied without sagging or...

In-stock temperature sensors.(Products)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Ready-to-use temperature sensors are offered from stock in thermocouple and platinum RTD configurations, including immersible and surface sensors. RTD resistances are 100 [ohm] or 1,000 [ohm]. RdF Corp. (800) 445-8367 ...

Eclipse Inc.(Places & Faces)
May 1, 2005... Combustion-equipment maker Eclipse Inc., Rockford, III., and its employees have pledged $23,000 to assist with tsunami disaster relief. The pledge is a combined donation collected from Eclipse employees world-wide with a matching company...

Moore Industries-International Inc.(Places & Faces)
May 1, 2005... North Hills, Calif.-based Moore Industries-International Inc., a manufacturer of interface instruments for industrial process control, system integration and factory automation, has earned the San Fernando Valley Engineers' Council...

The Fluorinated Fluids Group.(Places & Faces)
May 1, 2005... The Fluorinated Fluids Group at Solvay Solexis, Thorofare, N.J., has named Carl Neuser NAFTA sales manager for Fomblin PFPE products. In addition to overseeing sales for the United States, Canada and Mexico, he will help expand business...

Nabertherm USA.(Places & Faces)
May 1, 2005... Chris Pilko was named president of Nabertherm USA, New Castle, Del. With global headquarters near Breman, Germany, Nabertherm manufactures ovens, kilns and furnaces and ovens.

Crowcon Detection Instruments USA.(Places & Faces)
May 1, 2005... Scott Trotman was appointed national sales manager for Crowcon Detection Instruments USA, Milford, Ohio. A division of Halma p.l.c., Crowcon manufactures portable and fixed gas detection instruments.

Watlow.(Places & Faces)
May 1, 2005... St. Louis-Watlow appointed Peter Gonzalez to end-user channel manager for North America. Gonzalez will assume overall responsibility for growing and supporting the company's non-OEM and distributor sales channels in the United States and...

Choose and use your next infrared blackbody calibration source.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Understanding your infrared (IR) calibration source doesn't have to be a topic too hot to handle. It is important to select the proper source for your intended purpose, and to be sure you are using your source properly for the most accurate...

Choose an infrared thermometer.(How To)
May 1, 2005... An infrared (IR) thermometer is a sensor measuring the temperature of an object without coming into contact with it. Using infrared technology, noncontact IR thermometers quickly and conveniently measure surface temperature, providing fast...

Maintain your combustion system.(How To)
May 1, 2005... In our effort to keep up with business, we tend to forget about the upkeep required to maintain equipment. Before your combustion system is in need of dire repairs, do the obvious: Care for and maintain it. Use these tips as your guide. 1....

Reduce emissions.(How To)
May 1, 2005... On March 10, 2005, the EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), a rule that may achieve the largest reduction in air pollution since the Clean Air Act. Under this rule, 28 eastern states will be required to reduce N[o.sub.x] emissions...

Gain control of your temperature.(How To)
May 1, 2005... What typically happens after a control motor receives a small increase of the input signal from the temperature controller? Nothing. Further increases of the 4-20 mA signal also produce no control motor movement. An additional input signal...

Avoid inefficient burner operations.(How To)
May 1, 2005... News about rising energy prices dominates our headlines almost nightly. For manufacturers, fuel prices represent a cost of producing goods that can eat into margins and damage a company's bottom line. One way to ensure that energy costs don't...

Simplify your gas train.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Customers are always looking for improved performance and greater benefits while reducing costs and maintenance. The latest advances in combination control valve technology allow for simplified gas trains, while reducing the size, cost and...

Enhance loss prevention with shutoff valves.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Now that the economy is officially recovering, many positive industrial trends are leading the news: productivity is up, capacity utilization is improving, and corporate profits are healthy. Industrial manufacturers are on the rebound and order...

Improve drying process performance with RF/microwave.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Drying processes can be limited by speed, quality and effluent emission as the result of material characteristics in several ways. These include the material's thermal conductivity, permeability, geometry, surface properties and any surface...

Select the right fluid for your system.(How To)
May 1, 2005... When considering a heat transfer fluid, you need to evaluate the heat transfer fluid's overall physical properties relative to performance, safety issues and operational issues. Any one of these could be the driving force to choose one fluid...

Test thermal fluid, and when.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Sooner or later in the life of any thermal fluid system, the question of when to test the thermal fluid comes up. In some cases, the issue comes up when the system performance begins to falter or when it just flat out won't run. At that point,...

Specify a PTC heater for an oven or similar appliance.(How To)
May 1, 2005... We are used to working with fixed resistance heaters such as MgO tubes or resistance wire. With fixed resistance heaters, the thermal coefficient of resistance ([T.sub.cr]) is quite low, changing minimally over a few hundred degrees temperature...

Maximize heat transfer and watt density with thick film technology.(How To)
May 1, 2005... There are a multitude of applications for applying heat to surfaces--including pipes, tubes, covers, plates, grills, etc. Traditionally, the application of heat to these surfaces involved mechanically attaching a strip, tubular or ring heater...

Cure and preheat silicone medical tubing and cure silicone braided hose with IR.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Manufacturers of silicone medical tubing have used gas convection ovens in the past to cure extruded silicone medical tubing. Problems often occurred during changeover from one size to another, which required moving the existing furnace to gain...

Reduce energy consumption with infrared ovens.(How To)
May 1, 2005... The application of infrared (IR) energy in process heat ovens has provided industry with an established method for saving energy in selected operations, when compared with traditional convection oven systems. IR ovens are especially...

Size a continuous conveyor oven.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Sizing an oven is critical to achieve the desired production rate and heating characteristics. An oven too small limits your production capabilities, while an oven too large adds expense and wastes valuable floor space. The production rate,...

Select an SCR power control.(How To)
May 1, 2005... For almost 50 years, equipment manufacturers and maintenance engineers have used SCR (silicon controlled rectifier) power controllers to provide a reliable and flexible approach to controlling electric heaters. An SCR is a solid-state...

Control temperature accurately in PLC-based systems.(How To)
May 1, 2005... It is generally well known that controlling temperature accurately and with fast process response times presents practical difficulties to standard programmable logic controllers. The root cause of this is that before the constantly changing...

Recover heat from your process.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Optimizing the use of air in process dryers, ovens and air pollution control systems is critical to your bottom line. The revived emphasis on air management through the entire process, from plant make-up air heating systems to pollution control...

Reduce temperature variation.(How To)
May 1, 2005... Every process has a "window," which is the spot where the optimum temperature, dwell time and heating/cooling ramp rates create a perfect product. In some cases it is open and forgiving, in others it is extremely small. Controlling temperature...