Process heating is a crucial step during manufacturing operations. There are various industrial heaters that are used to heat materials like steel, aluminium, glass, cement, rubber, plastic etc. Heat is used to raise the temperature of solids, liquids, and gases in various heating machines. One such device is the process heating equipment. The heat used in these equipment comes from fuels like natural gas, fuel oil, coal, and other energy sources. The industrial heaters manufacturers provide various types of heaters to be used in the process manufacturing industry. Let's take a look at some of the common types of process heating systems available:

Combustion or Fuel Based Heaters

In a fuel-based heater, the heat is produced by burning solids, liquids, or gases. They are then transferred to the material directly or indirectly. Most commonly used heat generators are oil, coal, natural gas, wood chips, charcoal, ethanol and cellulose. Additional oxygen is then added to the material to enhance the combustion. The direct method means there is contact between the material and the flue. The indirect approach, on the other hand, means that the content is kept confined in a vessel to avoid direct contact with the combustion gases.

Electric Process Heaters

Electrical heaters use electric current or an electromagnetic field to create heat. These heaters can also be used for direct or indirect heat. For the direct method, the material is heated by transmitting electrical current through the material itself. This excites the electrons within the material and creates heat. For the indirect method, heat is generated externally, and then the energy is transferred to the material.

Boiler and Steam Generators

Boilers are mostly used to create energy in the process manufacturing industry. Boilers produce steam with the help of fuel combustion. There are various advantages to this method:

Low toxicity
Easy transportation
High heat societies
Lower costs compared to other options.

A boiler comprises a complicated heating system. Therefore, there are a lot of factors involved that can lead to a decrease in inefficiency. However, some measures can be taken to improve performance.

In conclusion, though each method and product is different, the essential components and principles are the same for all - heat energy is transferred to the material that needs to be treated.