Business sector

Reducing unit production costs

Predrying, drying and refrigeration (bulk products)

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

Heating of extruder dies and barrels, tanks, cables, etc.

Induction

Benefits:

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

Drying after coating or sizing

Electric resistance

Benefits:

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

Heating in convection or conventional ovens

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

Heating before thermoforming

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

Heating of metal parts or liquid baths

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

Curing polymers or glues (polymerization)

Microwave (MW) and high frequency (HF)

Potential Benefits:

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

Preheating and welding

High-frequency (HF)

Applications and potential Benefits:

  • Welding plastics
  • Preheating plastics before molding
  • Preheating rubber before vulcanization
  • Product dries quickly and evenly
  • High energy efficiency
  • Less wear and tear on molds
  • Better quality molded parts
  • Fast temperature rise

Preheating before molding and vulcanization

Microwave (MW)

Benefits:

  • Preheating before die casting and heating extruded profiles to rubber's vulcanization temperature
  • Very quick rise in temperature of entire mass of rubber
  • Good dimensional stability
  • Significant energy savings compared with traditional processes (consumption of a typical line varies between 0.15 and 0.17 kWh/kg of profiles)

Welding and polymerization

Microwave (MW)

Benefits:

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

Metalizing, crosslinking and grafting

Electronic bombardment and electron beam (EB)

Potential Benefits:

  • Manufacturing of improved polyethylene shrink-wrap films and tubes:
    • Greater impact resistance
    • Greater impact resistance
  • Extremely pure layers
  • Better hot/cold tack and resistance to aging and stress cracking

Applications

  • Metalizing heat-sensitive substances
  • Crosslinking of plastic sheaths (PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, PPS and polyacrylate) on electric and telephone cables
  • High-energy electron beam: vacuum melting technique that does not introduce any source of contamination. For example, metallic coating on plastic compounds
  • Low-energy electron beam (below 300 kV): technique that can be used for polymerization (for acrylate materials, for instance), crosslinking and grafting (polymerization on an existing plastic matrix)

Gluing coatings and adhesives on plastics

Corona discharge

Benefits:

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

Cutting, vaporizing, breaking down and depolymerizing plastics

Laser

Benefits:

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

Sterilization

Ultraviolet (UV) and gas ozonation

Benefits:

  • Low specific consumption
  • Easily adapted to work with existing equipment
  • Short sterilization times
  • Suitable for dry processing
  • Chlorine not needed for sterilization

Heat treatment

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

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

Depolymerization

High-speed mechanical grinding and ultrasounds

Benefit

  • Homogenizing solutions

Producing the same great taste at lower cost

Pasteurization, sterilization and heating

Induction, infrared, microwave, high-frequency and direct conduction heating of fluids

Potential Benefits:

  • High energy yield
  • Extremely precise temperature control
  • Little or no need for preservatives
  • Little or no impact on taste and other sensory properties

Applications

Induction

  • High-speed airtight sealing of tamper-resistant packaging, leakproof stoppers and aseptic packaging
  • High-speed airtight sealing of tamper-resistant packaging, leakproof stoppers and aseptic packaging

Medium infrared

  • Browning, melting cheese, caramelizing crème brûlée, icing cookies

High frequency

  • Food pasteurization, sterilization (e.g., prepared dishes)

Cooking and blanching, drying, browning and braising, dehydrating, and searing

Infrared, high frequency and microwave

Potential Benefits:

  • Precision and refinement (braising or browning without cooking or burning)
  • Better control of product moistness during drying
  • Rapid processing
  • Little or no impact on taste and other sensory properties
  • Reduces or eliminates fat content

Heating, drying and cooling

Heat pump

Potential Benefits:

  • Very high energy efficiency
  • Ease of use
  • Durability
Heat exchanger and pinch analysis

A heat exchanger can be used to manage streams, both hot and cold.

Potential benefit

  • Small investment and low operating costs

Tempering of frozen products, precooking of meat and fruit, fermentation, sterilization, dehydration and freeze-drying

High frequency

Potential Benefits:

  • Uniform thawing
  • Rapid processing
  • Little or no impact on sensory properties
  • Higher bacteriological quality of foods
  • Reduced losses from sweating

Concentration and purification of liquids

Pressure-driven membrane technologies: microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis

Potential Benefits:

  • Much higher energy efficiency than thermal processes
  • Very high energy efficiency
  • Potential increase in production capacity

Processing of plastic wrapping and sterilization of wrapper products

Atom and/or ion pervaporation of gases or liquids

TElectric potential-driven membrane technologies: electrodialysis, bipolar membrane electrolysis and membrane electrolysis

Potential benefit

  • High-purity separation

Increasing product quality

Batch preparation

Dehumidifying raw materials

Screw conveyor with induction drying

Potential Benefits:

  • Very high energy yield
  • Very precise temperature control

Application ALL-ELECTRIC MELTING

  • Heating of nonconducting materials (e.g., glass) with the help of a susceptor made of a material like graphite that can absorb energy and convert it into heat

Glass production: melting and refining

Heat pump with fuel-fired preheating

All-electric melting

Induction

Potential Benefits:

  • Very high energy yield
  • Very precise temperature control
  • More homogeneous melt as a result of electromagnetic mixing
  • No combustion gases
  • Easily adapted to work with existing equipment
Resistance

Potential Benefits:

  • Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
  • Precise temperature control
  • Consistently high quality
  • Products are free of contaminants since there are no combustion gases
  • Sturdy construction
  • Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment

Hybrid melting

Fuel-fired melting furnaces equipped with electric resistances

Benefit

  • Production can be increased cost-effectively by adding electric resistances to existing fuel-fired melting furnaces

Refining

Electric resistance (conduction)

Benefits:

  • High energy conversion efficiency
  • Low specific consumption (kWh/kg)
  • Negligible waste of material
  • Facilitates specialty glass manufacturing
  • Process can be automated
  • Compact equipment
  • No toxic gases
  • High power density, resulting in short heating or melting times
  • Quick fusion due to extremely high contact temperatures
  • Production can be increased cost-effectively by adding electric resistances to existing fuel-fired melting furnaces

Post-production processing

Tempering and thermoforming
>
Mid infrared

Benefits:

  • Easy to install
  • No rejects
  • Precise control of the molten bath temperature
  • Suitable for focused treatment
  • High-precision heating results in superior thermoformed products
  • Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment

Drying/curing of paints on glass or ceramic

Electric resistance furnace

Benefits:

  • Simple heating system that’s economical to buy and operate
  • Precise temperature control
  • Operating conditions can be reproduced from one batch to the other, resulting in consistently high quality)
  • Products are free of contaminants since there are no combustion gases)
  • Sturdy construction
  • Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment (e.g. inert gas)
Ultraviolet (UV)

Benefits:

  • Low specific consumption
  • Solvent-free
  • Superior finish (polymerization)
  • High processing speed

Hardening of polymers or glues on glass, ceramic or porcelain

Microwave, high frequency, induction and electron beam

Benefits:

  • High processing speed
  • Precise temperature control – suitable for bonding applications, e.g., glass and steel (induction)
  • No surface overheating
  • Superior penetration and very high speed (electron beam)
  • Cost-effective for large production runs (electron beam)

Thin-film vacuum deposition

Cathodic sputtering

Benefits:

  • Suitable for pure metal or compound (nitrides, oxides, etc.) deposition applications
  • Can also be used for depositing precursors such as ultra-pure metals and various reactive gases
  • Higher UV and IR reflectivity
Chemical vapor deposition

Benefits:

  • Fast, economical process
  • Precise temperature control
  • Fewer steps involved
  • Better adhesion than with sputtering
  • Coating retains its integrity even after bonding

Other surface coatings

Plasma

Benefits:

  • Suitable for depositing thin films of metal or metallic or non-metallic alloy
  • Can also be used to fuse alloys at very high temperature

Other processing

Cutting, engraving, piercing and drilling

Laser

Benefits:

  • Increased productivity (ultrahigh speed, high precision, suitable for robot operation)
  • Energy savings

Bonding

Electrotechnologies

Induction and high frequency

Benefit

  • Precise temperature control, making it possible to bond glass and metal (induction)

Container sterilization

Infrared (ir)

Benefits:

  • Very high energy efficiency
  • Short heating times
  • Suitable for controlled-atmosphere treatment
  • Easily adapted to work with existing equipment

Branding (on glass, ceramic or porcelain)

Electric resistance

Benefit

  • Suitable for the production of high-quality baked enamels
Laser

Benefits:

  • Flexible, reliable operation
  • No clouding or rejects
  • Precise, reproducible glass engraving

Shortening production cycles

Dehumidification

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

Heat pump with fuel-fired preheating

This low-temperature drying process uses a conventional fuel-fired preheating system (accounting for approximately 15% of the total energy requirement) 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 checking or warping, no mold)
  • Relatively low purchase price
  • Drying time comparable to high-temperature kiln
  • Optimization of drying equipment possible without adding a boiler

Applications

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

Vacuum

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

Continuously operating high-frequency kiln

For the precision drying of wood parts, a HF kiln can be used. It can be combined with conventional drying. It provides the option of treating only parts requiring additional drying.

In some existing facilities where planing is done, this technology can theoretically be incorporated without any additional handling of parts being necessary.

Potential Benefits:

  • Complies with National Lumber Grades Authority (NLGA) standard: 5% moisture content for convenience products
  • Increased overall productivity through reduction in cycle time of conventional dryers when used in combination with high frequency to complete drying of moist parts
  • Continuous process that does not require additional intervention
  • Most drying done by conventional dryers; HF used solely to perform precision work
  • Manufacturing of value-added products

Enhancing production control

Surface treatment

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

Heat treatment

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

Curing and polymerization

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

Machining

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

Melting and maintaining the melting temperature

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

Improve quality and speed

Polymerizing inks and varnishes on paper, paperboard, metal, glass or wood

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

Drying and baking coatings and films (varnishes, paints, inks, polymers, glues, etc.)

Infrared (IR)

Benefits:

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

Drying inks and glues

Microwave or high frequency (radio frequency)

Benefits:

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

Reticulating inks (acrylate)

Electron beam

Benefits:

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

Treating industrial water and recovering paints or treating ink discharges

Membrane filtration

Potential Benefits:

  • Lower energy consumption than traditional separation techniques
  • Compact equipment
  • Scalability
  • Can be automated
  • Can be used in combination with traditional separation techniques

Meeting environmental commitments

Drying of residual sludge

Screw conveyor with induction drying

Benefits:

  • Highly efficient, compact equipment
  • High processing speed

Effluent treatment

Membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration and ultrafiltration

Potential Benefits:

  • Suitable for concentration applications (e.g., metal salts)
  • High energy efficiency
  • Compact, modular equipment
Electrodialysis and electrolysis

Potential Benefits:

  • Suitable for reclamation applications (e.g., spent acids)
  • Easy to control

Residue treatment

Plasma torch

Benefits:

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

Heat recovery

Mechanical vapor compression (mvc)

Technology for increasing the pressure and temperature of a gas or of steam

Potential benefit

  • Highly efficient: Coefficient of performance (COP) ranging from 5 to 80 (1 kWh of electricity can produce the equivalent of 5 to 80 kWh of thermal energy)

Application:

  • Distillates, concentration by evaporation
Heat pump

Potential benefit

  • Highly efficient: Coefficient of performance (COP) ranging from 3 to 5 (1 kWh of electricity can produce the equivalent of 3 to 5 kWh of thermal energy)

Simplifying and adapting industrial processes

Heating: evaporation, dehydration, pasteurization and sterilization

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

Separation: distillation, concentration, purification and regeneration

Mechanical vapor compression (MVC)

Potential Benefits:

  • Suitable for concentrating solutions or separating liquid mixtures
  • Highly efficient: Coefficient of performance (COP) ranging from 5 to 80 (1 kWh of electricity can produce the equivalent of 3 to 80 kWh of thermal energy)
Membrane filtration

Potential Benefits:

  • Suitable for separating the components of a compound according to weight, molecular size or chemical affinity
  • Easy to control
  • High energy efficiency
  • Compact, modular equipment
Electrolysis

Potential Benefits:

  • Fewer steps involved
  • High ion-concentration capacity
  • Can be used to make high-purity products
  • High energy yield
  • Particularly suitable for electrochemical reactions
  • Rate and/or degree of oxidation or reduction of a compound can be increased or decreased as needed

Applications

  • Production of hydrogen by electrolysis of water
  • Production of chlorine
  • Electrogalvanization
  • Suitable for in-plant manufacturing of value-added products such as chemical reagents
  • Transformation of ionic charges of wastes streams into value-added products
Electrodialysis

Potential Benefits:

  • Fewer steps involved
  • Can be used to make high-purity products
  • High energy yield (draws less power than electrolysis)
  • Particularly suitable for separation of ionic solutions, but can also be used for various chemical reactions

Applications

  • Extraction of sufficiently ionized ions from a solution
    • Production of drinking water from seawater
    • Demineralization of whey, deacidification of fruit juice, purification of amino acids
  • Manufacturing of value-added products
  • Transformation of ionic charges of wastes into value-added products
Electroflotation

Potential Benefits:

  • Suitable for separating out solid-liquid and liquid-liquid phases
  • Sludge can be recycled
  • Extremely fine particles can be removed
  • Modular equipment
  • Easy to control

Heat recovery

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) 

Improving energy efficiency

Tempering

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)

Forming and thermoforming

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

Heat treatment

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

Curing and drying

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)

Surface treatment

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

Cutting, drilling, engraving and milling

Laser for glass, metal and plastic

Benefits:

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

Branding

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

Drying coatings

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

Polymerizing coatings

Ultraviolet (UV)

Benefits:

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

Serving superior quality dishes

The Benefits: of cooking with electricity

Electric cooking offers you:
  • Appliances that generally outperform gas appliances
  • Ease of use and maintenance
  • Safe, flameless appliances
  • Very precise temperature control
  • Equipment that lasts longer
Your competitive edge:
  • Reduced ventilation requirements since little heat is lost and no fuel burns
  • Capital costs sometimes lower than for gas appliances

Induction cooktop

Plate
Wok

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

Deep fryer

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.

Deep fryer
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

Combi-oven

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

COMBI-OVEN
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)

Steamer

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

STEAMER
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 oven

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

Microwave oven
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%

Low-temperature cook-and-hold oven

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.

Low-temperature cook-and-hold oven
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.

Cook-and-chill system

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.

Cook-and-chill system
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

Increasing productivity

Processing of raw materials

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

Textile finishing

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

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)

Curing

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

Heat Treatment

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

Sterilization

Ultraviolets (UV)

Benefits:

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

Cutting

Laser

Benefit

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