Induction heating has become the method of choice for those wanting a quick, safe and efficient way to heat metal or other electrically conductive materials.

Induction heating creates a seal between the aluminum foil and the plastic cap that prevents leakage and ensures a tamper-proof seal.

Induction heating is based on a simple premise: heating metal without physical contact. This feat is achieved by sending an alternating current though a coil that in turn produces a magnetic field around the coil. This magnetic field causes current to flow in the part, and depending on the resistivity of the metal used, generates heat within the part. As you can imagine, this process has many different uses and offers solutions to challenges such as temperature control and profiling.

Cap sealing is a common application for induction heating. This process involves the bonding of a laminated aluminum foil seal to a plastic receptacle. Typical examples include: medicine bottle caps, toothpaste tubes, and ointment and cream containers. Induction heating provides a ring of localized heating that creates a hermetic seal between the laminated aluminum and the plastic container. The seal produced increases the shelf-life of the product and reduces spoilage. This edge-effect heating is localized and quick to ensure that only the intended location on the product will be heated, preventing leakage and ensuring a tamper-proof seal. Induction heating also makes for an efficient, clean and environmentally safe assembly line production.

Induction heating power supplies provide fast, localized heat.

Beyond Cap Sealing

As any manufacturer involved in the heating of metal knows, being able to control the rate and flow of heating is important. Certain applications such as heat shrinking, adhesive curing, soldering and brazing require a localized, rapid increase or decrease heating of the part, which is hard to do with an oven. When a quick heating or cooling time is mandatory, induction power supplies can provide consistent power output and custom profiling that allow the operator the ability to adjust the temperature as the application requires. Induction power supplies can be designed to require little maintenance and allow easy integration of complex production setups. PH

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