1. Cathal Wilson, PhD, – Director
Polymer Processing Cost Savings Workshop
21st March 2014

2. Company Background
• Established 1992.
• Export 98% of goods to 65+ Countries
• Backward Integrated Manufacturing
• Specialists in Infrared for Industry.
• Produces components, systems and Control.
• Produces Finished Equipment and machinery.
• Advancing the Science of Infrared Process Heating
through Research Centre C2I2.
• www.ceramicxinfraredtraining.com now available
• Heavily involved in Contract R&D work.

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

4. Parts and Components

5. Parts and Components
Online Shop for Parts and Components Uk & Ireland
Office Opening in Cambridge to better Serve Uk Next
Week

6. Applications Engineering
Projects and Finished
Equipment Supplied into
Following Industries
•Packaging – Roll Fed
•Automotive/Aerospace –
Cut Sheet, extrusion
machine post processing &
Composites
•Oil – Extrusion machine
post processing and joining
equipment
•White Goods – Food
Industry 14 Patents
•Glass – Automotive and
High End Glass
Applications

7. Irwin 44 inline Thermoformer Upgrade
Clamshell style oven and control system 160KW, 132 control zones, ceramic
hollow constructed upper heaters, anodised aluminium lower heaters. Zone
temperature feedback via type K thermocouples and infrared thermometers.
Hetronik HC 500 power control with Siemens S7-300 master and 17’’
touchscreen panel PC. Ability to swap between closed and open loop control.
Expecting orders for 2 more machine upgrades this year.

8. Ceramicx Centre for Infrared
Innovation
Current Partner Universities
•Trinity College Dublin
•Institute for Manufacturing,
Cambridge University
•University of Limerick
•University of Duisburg Essen
•Cork Institute of Technology
Funding Won
€1million+ in Innovation Partnership
Support from E.I. and €10,000
Innovation Vouchers
Over €500,000 in 2 European Projects
with a further 4 Horizon 20:20
partnerships in the pipeline

9. Research & Development
Herschel currently doing significant work in
developing data and reports.
Noticing increase in enquiries relating to bio
materials, infrared can be used in flash
curing of silicone tube, stabilisation of
polymer webs, and in shrinking or joining
processes.
www.ceramicxinfraredtraining.com website
was launched on Friday February 14th. This
is almost complete with respect to the
Comfort IR section and the Industrial
sections will be complete in the coming 6-8
weeks.
Ultimate ambition is the creation of an RTO,
Research Technical Organisation attached to
the company but this will take a number of
years.

10. INFRARED HEATING TOOLS
Ceramic long
wave emitters

11. INFRARED HEATING TOOLS
Quartz
long-medium
wave emitters

12. INFRARED HEATING TOOLS
Quartz
tungsten/halogen
medium to short
wave emitters
Long wave glass,
cloth and anodised
aluminium faced
panel heaters

13. Ceramic heater spectral output

14. What is the Herschel?
• What are we building?
– A tool for mapping IR in 3D space
Important open questions
• How efficient are these heaters?
• Are they designed correctly?

15. • To develop a scientific instrument
for measuring IR heat around heater
assemblies
• To map the infrared heat flux
distribution, from a heater, in 3D
space
• To measure the energy efficiency of
IR heater assemblies
• To inform design optimization
strategies of IR heater assemblies
Objective of this R&D tool

16. • Heater assembly
 Variable heat
 Positioning system
• Schmidt-Boelter Type Gage
Radiometer
 Positioning system
The measurement concept
Schmidt-Boelter Heat Flux Sensor
How does one measure
IR heat flux and how
does one map it in 3D
space?
IR Heater
Reflector
IR Heat

17. The test facility in prototype form in
Trinity College

18. • FTE650W
• 0-650W (@230V)
• 250mm x 60mm
The Heater Assembly

19. Typical Results
• 50cm x 50cm 2D
planes
• 5 planes 10 cm apart
• 50cm x 50cm x 50cm
50cm
50 cm

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

21. Outlook
• The 3D IR heat flux mapping concept works
• Further work to be done with heater arrays
• A Tool to provide significant advancement to Infrared Heatwork
Science
• Founding Tool for Ceramicx Centre for Infrared Innovation and
and More Development and Research in Pipeline

22. Thank You!
Any Questions?