Is it possible to apply infrared tube as a heater in post cure process ?
Have anyone ever tired that ?
Yes and no. The issue is even cure. Controlling the heat soak temperature requires quite a set up and sensors and controls to do it effectively.
I only use them for my clear coatings cure.
Those heaters are HUGE, you do realize, right? I mean…used to heat a large open area, like a store, or warehouse!
But in theory, they are just a heater…as long as you have an insulated oven box, and circulating fans, it’ll be the same as any other heater.
As for using them as a source of direct IR heat onto a part…yes, you will cure one side faster than the other, which is not good.
You can locate the infrared position where cover all of part areas
I find that directly warming carbon parts with a radiation source never ends up going well, as specific parts get much hotter than others. For instance, I used a direct heat lamp method with just a normal 100 watt incandescent bulb about 2 feet away from my part in an enclosed space. There was a 30F (!) difference in temperature between different areas of the part. If you’re going to use something like this, best bet is to put it inside of a closed space, and then direct the IR radiation towards a heat sink. I don’t think it’d have to be anything fancy, just a sheet of metal, maybe painted black the IR source side.
I agree with that, thanks for the helpful comment
I’ve used ir lamps mostly doing small repairs and water extraction from a composite. They use a lot of electricity and direct local heat to a small area. I have tried using them on the backside of moulds with limited success.
On repairs, it would be fine, because normally it;s just a thin layer being repaired (skin, even large thick laminate damage), you don’t need to heat the entire part.
As for any heat source…always have air circulation. It’s why industrial ovens have fans. Consistent and even heating. No matter the heat source.