Discover leading-edge processes and technologies to help you do more while consuming less. See our recommendations by business sector.
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
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.
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)