Short-Wave Infrared — Mastery of All Three Wavelengths

Short-wave IR: up to 500 kW/m² of controlled power

Above 100 kW/m², in the presence of solvents, on thick products or in fast-throughput applications: short-wave IR asserts itself where no other wavelength is sufficient. And it is precisely because we master all three wavelengths that we know when to specify it.

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What Makes Sopara Short-Wave IR So Powerful

1 s

Response time

500 kW/m²

Maximum density

95 %

Efficiency

2,000°C

Tube temperature

10,000

Laboratory tests

Short-Wave IR: Power, Speed, Penetration

Quartz tube heated to above 2,000°C, one-second inertia, power densities from 5 to 500 kW/m². Above 100 kW/m², short-wave IR becomes the only viable technology. Radiation efficiency of 80 to 95%: the energy goes into the product, not the installation. Our range covers the full spectrum of needs, from fragile parts to high-performance composites.

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Extreme Reactivity

One-second inertia. On fast-throughput lines or variable-power processes, short-wave IR keeps pace without ever lagging behind the product.

Deep Penetration

Depending on the material, short-wave IR penetrates significantly deeper than medium-wave IR. Surface and core rise in temperature simultaneously without waiting for thermal diffusion. Decisive on thick products, heavy coatings and thermoplastic composites.

Liquid Paint Without Defects

With medium-wave IR, the surface dries before the underlying solvents: micro-bubbles, craters. With low-density short-wave IR (up to 30 kW/m²), the entire thickness of the layer is heated simultaneously. Result: homogeneous film, zero defects, even on fragile parts.

Safety in Solvent Environments

The quartz tube confines the heat source. The external surface of the emitter remains much cooler than a medium-wave emitter: risk of solvent ignition significantly reduced. A decisive advantage for solvent-based coatings and non-ATEX processes.

The Processes That Call for Short-Wave IR

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The challenge: create a new floor covering with unprecedented properties. The solution: a short-wave IR + medium-wave IR combination developed in the laboratory. The result: an industrialised product that did not previously exist on the market.

Drying of liquid paint on steel, plastic or composite without micro-bubbling or craters. Polymerisation of thermosets, drying of inks and pad printing. Short-wave IR heats surface and core of the layer simultaneously: evaporation is homogeneous, the film perfect.

Heating before stamping of acoustic insulator carpets, reheating of heavy masses, heating of thermoplastic composites. Precise heating regulation reduces energy consumption by up to 50% and eliminates surface defects caused by poorly controlled temperature rise.

Paper drying, in-line continuous coating polymerisation. When speed demands high power densities in a very short time, short-wave IR is the only technically viable answer.

Industries & Short-Wave IR Applications

From floor coverings to automotive, from papermaking to thermoplastic composites: every application represents a process where power density, reaction speed or depth of penetration have made short-wave IR indispensable.

Heating before stamping & heavy masses.

Automotive

PVC, foamed PVC, heavy coatings on woven or non-woven fabric.

Floor Coverings / Coated Textiles

Defect-free drying on all surfaces (metal, composite).

Liquid Paint

Fast throughput, very high power densities.

Papermaking

Process safety and deep penetration.

Solvent-Based Coatings

What Makes the Difference: the Emitter, the Regulation, the Material

Choosing short-wave IR is not enough. It is the combination of the emitter, the regulation and the knowledge of the material that delivers the result. Three pillars that make the difference in the field.

10,000 Laboratory Tests

30 years of short-wave IR expertise. Every new request is tested in the laboratory to validate the wavelength best suited to your material and secure your choice before any investment.

Emitters and Regulation Designed Together

The emitter alone is not enough. Our RadiantLine™ emitters and our ThermalCore™ cabinets are developed to work in tandem: fast surface rise, controlled core penetration, zone by zone.

A Certified Range, from 5 to 500 kW/m²

From homogeneous heating on fragile parts to high-power treatment of thermoplastic composites. 100% of emitters tested before dispatch. ISO 9001.