- Absorption
- The share of incoming radiation that a material takes up and turns into heat. It depends on the material and the wavelength. Learn more →
- Carbon emitter
- An infrared emitter with a carbon filament that peaks near 2 µm and reaches full power in one to two seconds. Also called fast medium wave.
- Ceramic infrared heater
- A heater with a resistance wire embedded in ceramic. Its surface runs at roughly 300–750 °C and radiates long-wave infrared (IR-C). Robust and very even, but slow to heat up. Learn more →
- Convection
- Heat transfer by moving air or gas. Conventional ovens heat mainly by convection; infrared heats by radiation.
- Dye migration
- Movement of dye towards the surface of a fabric as it dries, causing uneven colour. Prevented by fast, even infrared pre-drying. Learn more →
- Emissivity
- How well a surface emits (and absorbs) radiation compared with an ideal black body, on a scale from 0 to 1. Dark, matt surfaces have high emissivity; polished metals low.
- End cap
- The ceramic or metal part at each end of an infrared lamp that holds the lamp and carries the electrical connection. Learn more →
- Filament
- The heating wire inside a quartz emitter: tungsten for shortwave, carbon for fast medium wave, and resistance alloys for medium wave.
- Gold reflector
- A gold coating on the back of a quartz tube that reflects infrared back towards the product, so far more of the radiation reaches it than from a clear tube.
- Heated length (HL)
- The length of the glowing filament section of a lamp, which determines the width of the heated zone. Learn more →
- Infrared radiation
- Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than visible light, from about 0.78 µm to 1 mm. Industrial heaters use roughly 0.78–10 µm.
- IR-A (shortwave)
- The infrared band from about 0.78 to 1.4 µm. Emitted mainly by shortwave quartz lamps.
- IR-B (medium wave)
- The infrared band from about 1.4 to 3 µm. Emitted mainly by medium wave and carbon emitters.
- IR-C (long wave)
- The infrared band above about 3 µm. Emitted mainly by ceramic heaters.
- Medium wave emitter
- A quartz emitter running at about 900 °C with a peak near 2.5 µm. Well absorbed by water and many plastics; reaches full power in about a minute. Learn more →
- Outer diameter (OD)
- The outside diameter of a round quartz tube, for example 10, 12, 15 or 19 mm.
- Overall length (OL)
- The total length of a lamp from one end cap to the other. Learn more →
- Peak wavelength
- The wavelength at which an emitter radiates most strongly. It follows from the emitter temperature: about 2898 ÷ temperature in kelvin, in µm (Wien’s law). Learn more →
- Photoinitiator
- The ingredient in UV-curable inks and coatings that starts the curing reaction when exposed to UV light. Learn more →
- Quartz glass
- High-purity fused silica used for infrared emitter tubes. It withstands high temperatures and thermal shock and transmits infrared well. Learn more →
- Response time
- How quickly an emitter reaches full output after switching on: about a second for shortwave, one to two minutes for medium wave, several minutes for ceramic.
- Shortwave emitter
- A quartz lamp with a tungsten filament at about 2,200 °C, peaking near 1.2 µm. Very high power density and fast response. Learn more →
- Stretch blow moulding
- Making PET bottles by heating preforms with infrared lamps, then stretching and blowing them into a mould. Learn more →
- Thermocouple
- A temperature sensor. Ceramic heaters can include one so that each zone can be controlled in a closed loop.
- Thermoforming
- Heating a plastic sheet until it is soft and forming it over a mould by vacuum or pressure. Learn more →
- Thyristor power controller
- An electronic controller (SCR) that regulates the power to heaters, used for precise zone control. Learn more →
- Twin-tube emitter
- An emitter with two parallel quartz channels in one body, giving high power and mechanical stiffness. Typical sizes are 11 × 23 mm and 15 × 33 mm.
- UV-A, UV-B, UV-C
- Ultraviolet bands: UV-A about 315–400 nm, UV-B 280–315 nm and UV-C 100–280 nm. UV curing uses mainly UV-A; disinfection uses UV-C near 254 nm. Learn more →
- Watt density
- Heater power per area, usually in kW/m². It shows whether the heaters can deliver the required power in the available space. Learn more →
- White reflector
- A white ceramic coating on the back of a quartz tube that reflects infrared and tolerates very high temperatures.
Frequently asked questions
What do IR-A, IR-B and IR-C mean?
They are the three infrared bands: IR-A from about 0.78 to 1.4 µm (shortwave), IR-B from 1.4 to 3 µm (medium wave) and IR-C above 3 µm (long wave, emitted by ceramic heaters).
What is the difference between OL and HL on an infrared lamp?
OL is the overall length from cap to cap; HL is the heated length of the glowing filament section.
