More about Heaters

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Heaters provide essential functions for an extensive range of manufacturing processes. They are also used in millions of commercial and industrial applications around the world. Due to their wide variety of uses, they are available in near infinite varieties. Some types are used in everyday life, while others are highly specialized to certain manufacturing processes.

Water heaters are probably the devices we most commonly associate with the term “heater.” Virtually everyone in the United States regularly benefits from a water heater, whether during a morning shower, doing dishes, or taking a bath. A typical home water heater runs on either gas or electric power. The tank normally holds between 40 and 60 gallons, which are kept between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. In an electric heater, heated coils heat the water. In a gas powered heater, a bottom burner keeps the water hot. Both types will turn on and off based on the temperature of the water. Tanks are designed to withstand a moderate level of pressure (approximately 300 psi). By comparison, industrial liquid heaters can easily handle temperatures over one-thousand degrees and fifteen-hundred psi (although these generally serve alternate functions).

Heaters do not always involve tanks. Nor are they used exclusively for water. They can heat anything from paint, solvents, and supercritical fluids, to air and low flash point liquids. They can also be as simple as the radiators we use to heat our homes. In addition, tankless water heaters are available for home and commercial use, often saving on space and energy. Steam injection heaters are a good example of tankless heating systems. They can deliver water at precisely controlled temperatures to multiple points.

Another common heating device used in manufacturing is a band heater. Band heaters are used extensively in plastic molding, injection and extrusion machines. They can also be used in oil reclamation equipment, food service, pulp and paper processing equipment and sterilizers. A band heater is basically a heated fitting. Normally, it is in a belt shape. It locks around a section of piping, or is placed within a certain part of a system. Coiled wires within the belt, or band, provide near instantaneous heat distribution throughout the strip. These wires are attached to an energy source (generally electric), which can be controlled remotely or by a sensor system. It heats whatever passes through its loop.

Other heater types include coil and infrared heaters. Even ovens are a type of heater, although they are not typically what people refer to with the term. In general, “heater” refers to closed systems meant for heating a liquid or gas to a desired temperature. In some cases, like tank heaters, this substance is stored for later use. In others, it heats the substance as it flows through the heating unit.