An industrial heating element represents an important component in furnaces, ovens and other heat-producing devices. Just as residential furnaces and electric water heaters rely on copper coils to produce heat, industrial and manufacturing facilities utilize industrial heating elements. These heating elements produce heat using electricity, without the need for a fuel-based combustion process. The amount of heat produced depends on a large number of factors, including the size and design of the heating element as well as how much electricity is connected to the device.
To generate heat, an industrial heating element requires an electric current. As the current passes through the element, it creates resistance, resulting in heat production. This heat may come in the form of heat energy for industrial processes, or may be used to provide ambient heating for building occupants.
Each industrial heating element may take a variety of different forms. One of the most common is the coil, which can range from very small to very large depending on application. Heating elements may also take the form of metal bars, or even a single length of pipe or wire for small projects.
Silicon carbide represents one of the most common materials used to create heating elements, primarily because of its ability to quickly generate heat when subject to an electric current. Some of these heating elements may be made of nickel chromium instead, while older versions may include a number of different metals. Very basic models often consist of ceramic or ceramic-coated metal.
The heat energy from an industrial heating element can be used to melt materials such as plastic or metal during manufacturing. It can also be used for arc welding, or for simple blending and fusion processes. The industrial heating element also plays a major role in heat treating, which includes drying or curing of materials and finishes.
One of the primary advantages of the industrial heating element over traditional heating methods is the lack of combustion. This eliminates the need for an exhaust system, and results in a quieter and cleaner production process. Electric heat via an industrial heating elements also produces higher temperatures than those generated during combustion.
While electric heating using a heating element produces no exhaust on-site, it does rely on fossil fuels at some level. The electricity used to generate heat often comes from large-scale, coal-burning power plants, which contribute to pollution and global warming effects. Electric heating is also fairly inefficient, and represents a relatively expensive method of heat production compared to combustion processes.
