Two automotive components makers use infrared systems from Heraeus to deburr, weld or form automotive plastic parts.

UK parts supplier Faurecia reduced cycle times by 20 sec by using carbon infrared emitters in the forming of dashboards. Carbon emitters transfer large amounts of energy quickly, allowing Faurecia to dispose of its prior preheating system. With the new Heraeus system, the components to be molded are heated directly in their molds.

As a result, says Heraeus, the heatup rate was increased by 16 percent and the heating stage throughput time was reduced to 40 seconds. Because there is no preheating system, energy savings totaled more than 35 percent.

Elsewhere, Bentley utilizes infrared technology to ensure the proper fit of its roof liners in its luxury car bodies. When the company began using a new adhesive, it needed a heat source that could heat to an activation temperature of 149°F (65°C) to maintain the process stage cycle time. A custom-built trim-handling system incorporating infrared emitters brings the adhesive up to the required temperature in less than three minutes.

Learn more about Heraeus’s infrared heating systems for automotive manufacturing at www.noblelight.com.