Industrial Infrared Heating Applications & Thermal Solutions
Application Specific Heating for Demanding Manufacturing and Testing Processes
Precision Control Systems applies infrared heating where rapid response, high heat flux, limited footprint, or precise zone control makes conventional heating difficult. Core applications include extruded silicone curing, rubber vulcanization, PEX-a pipe crosslinking, wire preheat and wire jacketing curing, inline paint, primer and coil coating drying, continuous web heating and drying, inline reflow, vertical curing towers, horizontal curing systems and high temperature aerospace and hypersonic material testing. PCS can provide a standard heater, modify an existing platform, or engineer a complete system with power controls, sensing, cooling, material handling, and automation.
Why Engineers Choose PCS Application Solutions
Process Driven Design
PCS evaluates the material, geometry, production rate, target temperature, exposure time, working distance, and available utilities before defining the heater arrangement.
Emitter and Control Selection
Short wave, medium wave, or long wave emitters are paired with power, temperature, or process feedback appropriate to the application.
Complete System Integration
Multi-zone controls, PLC and HMI automation, conveyors, web handling, positioning, cooling, ventilation, guarding, and equipment communications can be included in the system scope.
Testing and Engineering Support
Calculations, thermal modeling, sample testing, and factory acceptance testing are used as appropriate to reduce process risk before installation.
Optimize the Thermal Process Around the Application
Infrared performance depends on more than heater wattage. Material absorption, color, surface condition, part geometry, emitter wavelength, reflector design, working distance, exposure time, and heat losses all influence the result. PCS evaluates these factors together so the heater and controls are selected for the actual process rather than a generic temperature requirement.
Contact our applications team to review your material, target temperature, throughput, available space, utilities, and control requirements.
Contact our applications team to discuss your process, request product information, or arrange sample testing when the application would benefit from validation.
Extrusion
Precision Control Systems designs and builds custom thermal systems tailored to the demands of polymer extrusion processes, including silicone, PEX-A, rubber, and other specialty materials. Whether integrated directly into the extrusion line or operating as standalone modules, our systems are engineered to deliver the precision, throughput, and control required by modern extrusion facilities.
We work closely with each customer to engineer solutions that meet unique product dimensions, line speeds, and material handling requirements. Key design variables include:
- Heater sizing (length, diameter, emission wavelength)
- Product support
- Zoning for irregular profiles
- Gauge integration
- Inline cutting
Applications Include:
- Crosslinking platinum or peroxide cured silicone tubing
- PEX-A pipe crosslinking
- Rubber shock curing
- Preheat stations for wire jacketing
Common Solutions & Example Cases
Aerospace
Precision Control Systems builds custom high performance thermal systems for aerospace materials testing and process simulation. Our systems are engineered to meet the demanding requirements of aerospace development programs, including rapid thermal ramp rates, precise thermal cycling, and multi-zone control, all critical for evaluating material behavior under flight and reentry conditions.
PCS specializes in systems that simulate thermal profiles experienced in aerospace applications such as:
- Hypersonic flight
- Atmospheric reentry
- Engine and turbine component qualification
- Structural fatigue and delamination studies
- Space vehicle materials and coatings validation
These systems support:
- Rapid temperature ramp rates (often exceeding 100 °C/s)
- Controlled soak, dwell, and cooldown profiles
- Localized heating for joints, welds, or composite layers
We are able to customize our control systems to meet customer specific application needs. Typical control platforms include:
- Programmable thermal profiles
- Data acquisition synchronized to temperature, time, and heat flux inputs.
- Adjustable heater zoning and feedback configurations.
Common Solutions & Example Cases
Web Heating and Drying
Precision Control Systems designs custom infrared and convection based systems for continuous web processing applications, delivering efficient thermal control for drying, curing, and heating of materials such as films, textiles, adhesives, coatings, and composites.
Our systems are designed to integrate into roll-to-roll processes, providing consistent heat delivery, optimized energy efficiency, and precise control across the full web width and length.
Typical Applications Include:
- Drying water or solvent based paints, coatings, and adhesives
- Heating metal web post galvanization
- Thermal curing of inks, resins, polymers, and adhesives
- Preheating bonding layers
Key Capabilities:
- Uniform heating across web widths
- Zoned control for precise ramp/soak profiles
- Temperature feedback via pyrometer or alternate non-contact sensor (closed loop control available pending application)
- Modular designs available for retrofit or OEM integration
Common Materials:
- BOPP, PET, PVC, Silicone, Rubber
- Filter materials
- Painted steel sheet
Common Solutions & Example Cases
Annealing, Brazing and Reflow Systems
Precision Control Systems develops infrared heating systems for metal conditioning, bonding, and reflow processes, including annealing, brazing, and solder reflow. These systems are tailored to meet the high temperature precision and repeatability demands of industries such as medical device and electrical component manufacturing.
Typical Applications Include:
- Annealing of braids and wires. Systems available to accommodate reel to reel or batch processing.
- Solder/tinning reflow of electrical connector strings
- Brazing ovens for copper lug production
Key Capabilities:
- Targeted heat delivery and precise temperature control
- Closed-loop PID feedback via thermocouples or pyrometers
- Process recipe storage in control system PLC
Common Materials:
- Stainless steel
- Nitinol
- Lead-free solder
Common Solutions & Example Cases
Lab Testing Equipment
Precision Control Systems provides off the shelf control and heater platforms designed for laboratory-scale testing, R&D, and process development. By combining our standard control systems with our spot, strip, and line infrared heaters, we enable researchers and process engineers to quickly iterate and validate their production process.
These bench top systems are readily available.
Project Highlights:
- Braid Prebake Abbott
- Molex Reflow
Common Solutions & Example Cases
Reel to Reel Electrical Pin Solder Reflow System
High powered and easily adjustable inline curing system for horizontal extrusion processes. The PCS cart systems are compact….
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