Heat pump

Benefits:

• Recovery of energy from refrigeration units; inherent thermal storage capability
• Highly efficient: Coefficient of performance (COP) ranging from 3 to 5 (1 kWh of electricity can produce the equivalent of 3-5 kWh of thermal energy

Induction

Benefits:

• Precise, controlled temperature
• Very low thermal inertia
• Localized thermal effect

Electric resistance

Benefits:

• Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
• Precise, controlled temperature

Forward resistance

Potential benefit

• Simple to use

Applications

• Gelling or polymerization of plastics
• Drying and polymerization of impregnation in electrical construction
• Drying and curing paints, lacquers and coatings on plastic surfaces
• Heating or dehydrating plastics or rubber

Mid or long infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Use of heating plates for thermoforming, heating before bending, drawing and cutting
• Power density approximately 15 kW/m2 (long IR)
• Quick and easy to use
• Power density regulation by zone
• Very good energy efficiency rating

Sheathed resistance heaters (strip, band or mica-insulated flat heaters)

Benefits:

• Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
• Precise, controlled temperature
• Surface load on the order of 4-16 W/cm2

Microwave (MW) and high frequency (HF)

Potential Benefits:

• Relatively short curing times
• Precise temperature
• Good quality drying: no overheating of surfaces
• High energy efficiency

Microwave (MW)

Benefits:

• Welding plastic sheets
• High energy efficiency
• Relatively short curing times

Corona discharge

Benefits:

• Removing surface impurities
• Changing surface roughness
• Chemical grafting
• Increasing surface energy through physicochemical action
• Processing polyethylene and polypropylene films

Laser

Benefits:

• Drilling holes, making grooves, etc.
• Increased productivity (faster processing, high precision, suitable for automated operation)

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Low specific consumption
• Superior surface finish
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment
• Faster treatment
• Suitable for focused treatment

High-speed mechanical grinding and ultrasounds

Benefit

• Homogenizing solutions

Heat pump with electric preheating

This low-temperature drying process uses a drying cell equipped with an electric preheating device and a heat pump that dehumidifies the air, recovers heat and transmits it to the drying cell.

Potential Benefits:

• Very high quality (original color, little or no checks, no warping)
• Relatively low purchase price and installation cost
• Allows for variation in drying-cell capacity
• Uses no more than a half to a third the energy of conventional processes with similar drying cycles (0.8 to 1 kWh/kg of water evaporated, compared with 1.5 to 2.3 kWh/kg)
• Fire insurance costs potentially lower than with conventional drying

Applications

• Hardwoods up to 2 in. thick (including white pine)
• Softwoods up to 3 in. thick

Heating plates and resistances (heating blankets)

Process whereby the wood is stacked between metal plates or heating blankets in which hot water circulates.

Benefits:

• Very high quality (original color, little or no checks, no warping)
• Suitable for small production volumes (kiln capacity of 500, 1,000 or 2,500 bd. ft.)
• Process 3 to 7 times faster than conventional drying
• Low energy consumption (approximately 0.8 kWh per kilogram of water evaporated)

Applications:

Drying process, particularly suitable for light-coloured wood:

• Hardwoods and softwoods up to 3 in. thick
• Short pieces for furniture or flooring

Abrasion, thin-film deposition and heating

Induction

Benefits:

• Suitable for heat treatment and galvanizing applications
• Extremely precise temperature control
• Can be used for localized heat treatment

Plasma torch

Benefits:

• Suitable for thermal and mechanical abrasion applications
• Also suitable for thin-film deposition applications (e.g., refractory or abrasion-resistant coatings)
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment

Electron beam

Benefits:

• Suitable for metalizing various substrates
• Highly precise beam focalization

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Very high energy efficiency
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment
• Can be used for focalized heat treatment
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Electroplating and anodizing

Benefit

• Effective corrosion protection

Hardening, tempering, annealing, heating and preheating

Induction

Benefits:

• High energy efficiency
• Short heating times
• Suitable for surface or through treatment
• Extremely precise
• Can be used for localized heat treatment
• Can be adapted for treating specific shapes

Electric resistance

Benefits:

• Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
• No combustion gases

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Very high energy efficiency
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment
• Can be used for focalized heat treatment
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Inks, varnishes and paints

Infrared (IR) (curing)

Benefits:

• Very high energy efficiency
• Fast and easy to control
• Quick start and easy adjustment
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Ultraviolet (UV) (polymerization)

Benefits:

• Suitable for treating surfaces and thin coatings
• Low specific consumption
• Solvent-free
• Superior surface finish
• High processing speed
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Electron beam

Benefits:

• Higher speed and greater depth than with UV radiation
• Cost-effective for large production runs

High-precision die cutting, drilling and welding of various metals

Laser

Benefits:

• Increased productivity: higher speed, high-precision cutting and machining, suitable for robot operation
• Broad range of applications

Electrical discharge machining

Benefit

• Suitable for high-precision applications (e.g., machining small components or thick work pieces)

Electron beam

Benefit

• Suitable for high-precision applications (e.g., machining very small component)

Plasma torch

Benefits:

• Quick start/stop
• Fast, precise die cutting
• Flexible operation

Induction furnace

Benefits:

• Higher energy efficiency
• Reduced metal losses compared to gas-fired furnaces, which mix combustion gases with the liquid baths
• Extremely precise temperature control
• More homogeneous melt as a result of electromagnetic mixing
• Healthier work environment (no combustion gases)
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Arc furnace

Benefits:

• High thermal efficiency
• Quick melting
• Extremely high contact temperature

Resistance furnace

Benefits:

• Suitable for low-melting-point metals (e.g., aluminum, lead, tin)
• Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
• No combustion gases
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere melting

Electron beam furnace

Benefit

• Suitable for melting high-purity alloys

Ultraviolet (UV)

Benefits:

• Increased productivity
• Low power requirement
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment
• Only a slight increase in the temperature of printing supports

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Rapid heating, can be focused
• Surface heating of thin films
• Can be used in a vacuum or other controlled atmosphere

Microwave or high frequency (radio frequency)

Benefits:

• High energy efficiency
• Can be used with non-conducting materials
• No temperature gradient (uniformity)

Electron beam

Benefits:

• Instantaneous drying
• Suitable for surface heating applications (thin films)
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment

Screw conveyor with induction drying

Benefits:

• Highly efficient, compact equipment
• High processing speed

Plasma torch

Benefits:

• Decomposes hard-to-destroy waste
• High-temperature melting (over 1500°C)
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment
• Compact equipment

Induction

Benefit

• Extremely precise, highly localized temperature for heating liquids and certain solids

Electric resistance

Benefits:

• Heating system that's economical to buy and operate
• No combustion gases
• Easy to use
• More precise than conventional heating systems

Current-conducting tube

Benefits:

• Suitable for heating pumpable fluids
• Precise temperature control
• High energy efficiency
• Compact equipment

Microwave

Benefits:

• Inertia-free through-heating system for even heating of products in aqueous form or with high moisture content
• Little heat absorbed by ambient air

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Suitable for dehydration applications (heating of surfaces or thin layers)
• High speed; very good energy efficiency rating
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment
• Can be used for focalized heating
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Ultraviolets (UV)

Benefits:

• Suitable for sterilization or surface treatment applications, or for treating thin materials
• Low specific consumption
• High processing speed
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Heat pump

Benefits:

• Suitable for generating heat and cold simultaneously
• Highly efficient: Coefficient of performance (COP) ranging from 3 to 5 (1 kWh of electricity can produce the equivalent of 3-5 kWh of thermal energy) 

Flat glass mid infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Precise temperature control
• Uniform product
• No rejects; pollution-free
• Easy to install
• Can be used for localized or focalized heating
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment (e.g. inert gas)

Wood and plastic High-frequency (HF) press (retrofitting possible)

Benefits:

• Can be used to shape complex pieces quickly and precisely
• More uniform, higher-quality products

Plastic and glass Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Suitable for deforming and molding plastic sheet as well as thermoforming flat glass
• Precise temperature control
• Short heating times
• Higher-quality product
• Very high energy efficiency
• Easy to install
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment
• Can be used for localized or focalized heating
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment (e.g. inert gas)

Metal: induction

Benefits:

• Can be used to produce specific shapes
• Extremely precise temperature control

Metal: induction

Benefits:

• Can be used to treat specific shapes
• Fewer welding constraints
• Short heating times
• High energy efficiency
• Suitable for localized treatment

Electric resistance

Benefits:

• Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate)
• Combustion-free
• Sturdy construction

Polymers and glues, high-frequency (HF), induction and microwave (MW)

Benefits:

• Short processing times
• Operating conditions can be easily reproduced
• No surface overheating
• Bonded joints have higher mechanical strength
• Compliant with environmental standards (water-based glues)
• Precise temperature control – suitable for bonding different materials together, such as glass with steel (induction)

Plasma torch

Benefits:

• Suitable for mechanical and thermal abrasion applications
• Can also be used for depositing thin-film layers

Electrolysis

Benefits:

• Suitable for electroplating applications
• High precision; even finish

Laser for glass, metal and plastic

Benefits:

• Increased productivity (ultra-high speed, high precision, suitable for automated production)
• Broad range of applications
• Energy savings

Electric resistance and laser for glass, ceramic and porcelain

Benefits:

• Suitable for the production of high-quality baked enamels
• Precise, reliable and flexible operation
• Operating conditions can be easily reproduced

Glass and wood electric resistance

Benefits:

• Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
• Precise temperature control
• Operating conditions can be easily reproduced, resulting in consistently high quality
• Pollution-free; no combustion gases
• Sturdy construction
• Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment (e.g. inert gas)

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Very high energy efficiency
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Ultraviolet (UV)

Benefits:

• Can be used to treat specific shapes
• Solvent-free
• Short processing times
• Superior finish
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Whether you want to braise, sauté, brown or fry, induction cooktops (plates or woks), combine speed and top precision. They have no gas equivalent.

Uses

Sautéing, browning, frying, braising, simmering, keeping dishes warm and last-minute food preparation.

Description

The induction-cooking plate has a flat glass-ceramic surface on which the pan containing food to cook is placed.

The induction wok cooker has a concave glass-ceramic surface to fit the wok.

How it works

Alternating current flows in a flat coil (inductor) which creates a high-frequency magnetic field.

A current is induced in any ferromagnetic material in the field. Currents move through the bottom of the cooking vessel, heating it and it alone.

The heat is transferred directly into the food.

Electrical specifications

Power supply: 208 or 240 V, single-phase; 208 V, 3-phase

Features

• No gas equivalent
• Accurate temperature control
• Highly portable
• Very safe (no hot element)
• Easy to clean
• Energy efficiency of 90%
• Induction only heats the vessel, not the surrounding area
• Only works with cooking vessels made of a ferromagnetic material such as stainless steel

More durable and efficient than gas deep fryers, electric fryers let you set the temperature exactly and keep it even with minimal loss of heat.

Types

• Automatic
• Programmable
• Pressure

Uses

• Searing and cooking food
• Conduction cooking

Description

• Insulated container filled with cooking oil
• One or more baskets hold the food to cook

How it works

• Cooking oil heated to a high enough temperature (350°f or 177°c) to sear and cook food while not burning it or breaking it down
• Heat provided by electrical elements placed in the container

Electrical specifications

Power supply: 120, 208 or 240 V, single-phase and 3-phase

Features

• Lasts two to three times longer than a gas deep fryer
• Electricity heats more efficiently than gas since elements are immersed in liquid
• Cooking efficiency
  • Gaz: 45%
  • Electricity: 70%
• Some models are equipped with a performance-boosting:
  • continuous filtering system
  • electronic thermostat that controls temperature to within one degree

Three ovens in one!
The perfect combination for versatility: convection cooking, hot air (conduction) or steam cooking, or combination cooking (dry and most heat).

Uses

Bake, roast, cook au gratin meat, vegetables, rice, bread and pastry, or warm up pasta.

Description

• Insulated enclosure
• Heat produced by electric elements
• Ovens sized to handle the quantity and type of food to cook
• Efficient in terms of design, engineering and versatility

How it works

• Dry-heat convection oven with moist-heat mode produced by injecting water or pressureless steam
• Three ovens in one: conventional (conduction) oven, convection oven and pressureless steamer
• Programmable cook-mode sequencing and timing

Electrical specifications

Power supply: 120, 208 or 240 v, single-phase and 3-phase

Features

• Simultaneous cooking of several dishes in the same oven
• Superior energy efficiency compared to gas ovens:
  • Gas: 45%
  • Electricity: 70%
• Superior steam-generation efficiency since elements are immersed in water
• In general, priced lower than a gas appliance
• Cleaning (descaling) recommended after 300 hours of steaming, depending on hardness of water (both for electric combi-oven and gas appliances)

Steaming preserves food colour and taste in the shortest of cooking times. Take advantage of the high efficiency of electric steamers!

Types

• Pressureless steamer (212°F or 100°C)
• Pressure steamer (212°F to 500°F or 100°C to 260°C)

Uses

• Cooking or reheating fresh or frozen foods like vegetables, meat, fish, seafood or poultry
• Warming up pasta
• Pressureless steaming for delicate items
• Pressure steaming to shorten cooking time of hard foods such as potatoes

Description

• Air-tight vessel holding food for pressure or pressureless steaming
• Built-in or stand-alone steam generator

How it works

• Steam is fed into the vessel to cook food by direct contact
• A gram of steam has more energy than a gram of water of equal temperature

Electrical specifications

Power supply: 208 or 240 v, single-phase and 3-phase

Features

• Food colour is preserved
• Shorter cooking time
• More energy efficient than gas-powered steamers:
  • Gaz: 45%
  • Electricity: 70%
• Steam generator generally lasts longer than a gas appliance
• Price roughly the same as a gas steamer

Microwave ovens are equipped with very accurate controls for defrosting, warming, blanching or cooking food.

Uses

• Defrosting
• Reheating refrigerated or frozen food
• Blanching, basic cooking and final cooking

Description

• Closed compartment
• Magnetron generates electromagnetic waves that excite food molecules, producing heat

How it works

• Magnetron-generated waves are fed into oven
• Food molecules set in motion as waves are absorbed, causing food to heat
• Result: cooking by convection inside the food

Electrical specifications

Power supply: 120 or 208 V, single-phase

Features

• No gas equivalent
• Cooking continues after magnetron stops (time needed to reach uniform temperature)
• Accurate temperature control
• Food colour is preserved
• Shorter cooking time
• More energy efficient than gas-powered steamers:
  • Gas: 45%
  • Electricity: 70%

The low-temperature cook-and-hold oven uses dry or moist heat to cook food. It lets you roast at low temperatures or warm up food.

Uses

• Roasting and cooking at low temperatures, then holding at the desired temperature
• Reheating
• Precise temperature and humidity control for both cooking and holding

Description

• Insulated enclosure
• Heat produced by electric elements
• Ovens sized for required production
• Efficient in terms of design, engineering and versatility

How it works

• Cooks both with dry and moist heat
• Elements heat air inside the enclosure
• Hot air circulating inside the oven heats food
• Cooking temperatures from 225°F to 260°F or 107°C to 128°C
• Holding temperatures from 140°F to 160°F or 60°C to 71°C

Electrical specifications

Power supply: 120, 208 or 240 V, single-phase and 3-phase

Features

• No gas equivalent
• More even cooking and less food shrinkage
• Meat tenderized by low-temperature holding, generally for 1 to 12 hours (holding 1 hour equals aging for 24 hours)
• Flexible and mobile: oven can be installed and moved almost anywhere since no ventilation is required
• Suitable for meeting high demand at banquets and receptions

Notes

Precise hold-temperature control is crucial. If temperature falls below 140°F (60°C), bacterial growth can occur. If temperature exceeds 160°F (71°C), cooking continues.

With this electric system, you can cook food and cool it within the time you set. This lets you stretch storage life to up to 45 days.

Definition

An integrated system for preparing, storing, packaging and distributing food.

Methods

Two ways to chill:

• Blast chilling
  • Traditional equipment like kettles, braising pans, steamers and convection ovens are used for cooking
  • Once cooked, food is placed in containers then put in blast chiller
  • Method based on blasting food product with frigid air to chill it quickly
  • Bags are used so food reaches desired temperature in prescribed time
  • Storage life: 5 days
• Immersion chilling
  • For cooking, kettle with agitator for pumpable food products, cook-chill tank for other food like cuts of meat
  • Once cooked, food is pumped to a fill station
  • Food is pumped into 1- to 12-litre bags
  • Bags are immersed in cold water to lower
  • Storage life: up to 45 days

N.B. Storage life includes food preparation and temperature adjustment time

How it works

• Cooking, then quick cooling and storage of food, with precise temperature control at every step
• Storage at near-freezing temperature to minimize bacterial growth

Benefits:

• Lower food costs
  • Reduced shrinkage from low-temperature cooking
• Lower power bills
  • Reduced ventilation costs
  • Low-temperature cooking more energy efficient
  • Some units can operate at night on cheaper electricity
• More compact than conventional equipment for high-volume production
• Centralized production

Cook-and-chill equipment

Kettle with agitator

Description:

• Large-volume kettle, ranging from 40 gal. (150 L) to 400 gal. (1,500 L)
• Designed to fit a food pump
• Heat for cooking from boiler-generated steam
• Kettles have agitators that gently lift and turn food to reduce cooking time

Options:

• Programmable cooking
• Probe monitoring

Fill station

• Designed to pump cooked food from the kettle and put precise amounts in bags
• Valve sized to let through cubes in stews and similar dishes
• Filled bags are sealed before plunging in an ice bath

Cook-and-chill tank

• pecially designed for immersion cooking of vacuum-packed products like meat
• Cooking in water bath at low temperatures, from 150°F (66°C) to 190°F (88°C):
  • Reduced losses from meat shrinkage
  • Enhanced tenderness
  • Natural juices and flavour better preserved
• Once cooked, food is chilled quickly to 40°F (4°C) by replacing cooking bath with an ice bath
• Once chilled to 40°F (4°C), food is removed from tank and stored
• Overnight unsupervised operations for units under automatic process control

Ice builder

• Designed to produce ice water continuously for ice-water chillers and cook-chill tanks
• Can also produce ice

Blast chiller

• Designed to quickly chill most food products, from soup to prepared dishes
• Suitable for chilling food that cannot be handled by a tumbler-chiller, such as breaded meats
• Food cooked with conventional equipment is divided into portions on covered trays
• Food is chilled from 165°F (74°C) to 38°F (3°C) in 90 minutes
• Chillers, most of which accommodate carts, are sized for daily throughput
• Most equipped with an air or hydraulic compressor for better cooling capacity

Low-volume units

• Combined unit: cook-chill tank and ice-water chiller for low-temperature immersion cooking, then rapid chilling
• Greatly reduced floor space

Predrying and drying

Heat pump

Benefits:

• Highly efficient: coefficient of performance (COP) ranging from 3 to 5: 1 kWh of electricity can produce 3-5 kWh of thermal energy
• Inherent thermal storage capability

Mid or shortwave infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Suitable for preheating fabrics (in order to increase the production rate) and thermosetting ink onto fabrics
• Enhanced dye setting on fibres
• No overheating (low risk of surface discoloration)
• Very good energy efficiency rating
• Fabric dries quickly and evenly
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

High-frequency (HF) (bulk materials (e.g., spools and skeins) and sheets of uniform shape)

Benefits:

• No dye migration
• Fabric dries quickly and evenly
• High energy efficiency

Induction (cylinder dryers)

Benefits:

• Precise temperature control
• Very low thermal inertia
• High energy efficiency
• Easily adapted to work with existing dryers
• No fabric overheating

Cold plasma (atmospheric or low-pressure)

Benefits:

• Dry process that imparts special surface properties to fabrics such as geotextiles and filtration membranes:
  • greater water repellence and stain resistance
  • greater resistance to abrasion, fire and chemicals
  • germicidal properties

Heating

Encased resistance heaters (coating and sizing baths)

Benefits:

• Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
• Precise temperature control
• Pollution-free; no combustion gases
• Sturdy construction

Drying after coating or sizing

Benefits:

• Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
• Precise temperature control
• Pollution-free; no combustion gases
• Sturdy construction

Electron beam (EB), high-frequency (HF), infrared (IR), microwave (MW) and ultraviolet (UV)

Benefits:

• Very good energy efficiency rating
• Short processing times
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment
• Suitable for focalized heat treatment
• High precision – suitable for both thick and thin coatings
• Suitable for graft copolymerization applications designed to adapt fibres to specific uses (e.g., grafting acrylic acid onto polypropylene) or impart new properties (e.g., flame or stain resistance) to basic textiles
• Can be used to thermoset dyes onto fibres (HF)

Microwave (MW) and high-frequency (HF) for polymers and glues

Benefits:

• Relatively short curing times
• Precise temperature control
• Good quality (no surface overheating)
• High energy efficiency
• Compact, modular equipment

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

• Suitable for the following applications:
  • Polymerizing resins
  • Thermosetting synthetic fabrics and bulk fibres as well as reactive or disperse dyes onto polyester fibres
  • Gelling various coatings
• Low specific consumption
• Superior finish
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment
• Short processing times
• High energy efficiency
• Suitable for focalized heat treatment

Ultraviolets (UV)

Benefits:

• Low specific consumption
• Easily adapted to work with existing equipment
• Short treatment times

Laser

Benefit

• Increased productivity (higher speed, great precision, suitable for automated operation)