Increasingly complex materials
Carbon, glass, aramid, flax, non-wovens or coatings: technical textiles combine ever-higher-performance materials with radically different thermal behaviours.
Materials that conventional technologies (convection, gas) struggle to process at the throughput and precision the industry demands.
Thermal challenges in technical textiles
High-speed throughput
Technical textile lines advance at over 30 metres per minute. Energy must be concentrated within a few seconds, without slowing production.
Fineness & fragility
Heating a wire a few microns thick in a large volume of air. The challenge: concentrating energy without burning the material or losing efficiency.
Solvent management
Up to 80% flammable solvent per deposited layer. The process must remain below one quarter of the LEL to operate outside ATEX conditions.
Decarbonisation & energy efficiency
The desire to replace energy-intensive, bulky gas ovens with compact electric IR ovens for decarbonisation without sacrificing performance.
Sopara’s thermal response
Thermal solutions designed for technical textiles
Technical textile applications
From PVC gelation to high-performance composite materials, from construction to aerospace: every application represents a process that conventional technologies could not master — in throughput, safety or precision.
Case
studies
Case Study 1
PVC Floor Covering Manufacturer
The industrial challenge
Gelation of a colourless foamed PVC at over 20 m/min — a performance the market considered impossible outside standard medium-wave infrared.
The solution implemented
15 years of development:
- A combined short-wave IR + medium-wave IR oven, 2.5 m long
- 700 kW installed over 8–9 m²
- Processing the product in 6–7 seconds
- Achieved through direct penetration to over 1 mm depth
The impact
70%
Energy efficiency (vs. 20% with convection)
×5
Throughput vs. hot-air oven
Innovation
New patented product launched by the client
Case Study 2
PVC Floor Covering Manufacturer
The industrial challenge
Completely decarbonise a PVC gelation line in production, without significant interruption, competing against two rival suppliers.
The solution implemented
After 3 years of development and 1 year of trials:
- 7 m electric oven replacing a 40 m gas oven
- 700 kW installed vs. 2,500 kW gas + 150 kW ventilation
- Integration in series into the existing line without production stoppage
- Compact airflow system: air renewal every 2 seconds
The impact
÷7
Energy consumption
7 m
Electric oven replacing 40 m of gas oven
100%
Gelation achieved after optimisation
50 references
Process validated across the client’s entire product range
Case Study 3
Technical Composite Materials Manufacturer
The industrial challenge
Dry 200 litres/hour of methyl ethyl ketone from resin-impregnated technical wires. The previous installation had caught fire after 6 months of oven operation.
The solution implemented
Short-wave infrared oven outside ATEX, designed after a competitor had caught fire on the same process after 6 months.
- 500 g/m² of methyl ethyl ketone deposited, i.e. 400 ml of solvent per m²
- 200 litres/hour of solvent to dry continuously
- Concentration maintained below one quarter of the LEL at all times
- Infrared heats the product, not the air: massive extraction without energy loss
The impact
10 years
Operation without incident
×15 to ×20
Energy efficiency vs. previous installation
0
Surface micro-cracks on the finished product
Credentials & industrial
deployment
Historic references
Supplier to Gerflor, Tarkett, Forbo, IVC and Beaulieu for 50 years. Present across multiple sites of every major European PVC floor covering manufacturer.
Materials partnerships & innovation
Collaboration with Hexcel, Porcher and Arkema on technical composite materials. Four-party projects involving fibres, resins, integration and thermal processing.
Rigour & project methodology
Audit, laboratory testing, pilot, industrialisation, training, predictive maintenance. Over 1,000 test sessions in 25 years. ISO 9001 certified.
Frequently asked questions
The choice depends on the nature of the material, the required penetration depth and the desired effect. Short-wave IR penetrates to 50–100 microns and heats to the core — ideal for translucent PVCs, thick coatings and solvent-based processes. HP medium-wave IR heats at the surface to 5–10 microns — ideal for embossing, surface coatings and fine fibres. For complex processes, Sopara designs a mix of both technologies adapted to each stage.
Infrared has a fundamental advantage: it heats the product, not the air. It is therefore possible to extract large volumes of air to dilute solvents without losing energy efficiency. Sopara maintains concentrations below one quarter of the LEL to operate outside ATEX. This approach has operated without incident for over 10 years on installations processing up to 200 litres/hour of flammable solvent.
Yes. Sopara has replaced a 40-metre gas oven with a 7-metre electric installation, dividing consumption by 7 to 8. The approach is based on rigorous laboratory testing followed by progressive qualification. These projects are often eligible for decarbonisation subsidies.
The overall efficiency of a Sopara infrared oven is between 40 and 60%, compared with 15 to 25% for a hot-air oven. On certain processes such as PVC gelation, efficiency can reach 70%.
Wavelength selection, power density and regulation are decisive. On fragile materials, Sopara has developed double-sided heating techniques with real-time pyrometry on both sides, making it possible to achieve a homogeneous core temperature without surface damage.
Between 6 and 10 seconds for complete gelation at over 20 m/min, compared with several minutes in a hot-air oven. This performance is made possible by power densities that can exceed 350 kW/m².
Yes. Sopara handles both retrofit on existing lines and complete bespoke installations. The approach always begins with an audit of the existing process to identify the most appropriate and least disruptive solution for production.
Glass, carbon, aramid, flax and synthetic fibres. PVC, foamed PVC, PTFE. Thermoset and thermoplastic resins. Waterborne and solvent-based coatings. Non-wovens, woven fabrics, grids, wire mats. Over 1,000 test sessions in 25 years on a diversity of materials that few players can match.
Short-wave IR and HP medium-wave IR respond in 1 to 10 seconds, enabling precise modulation according to line speed. Sopara ThermalCore™ cabinets manage automatic zone-by-zone regulation, with dynamic real-time adaptation.
Short-wave IR and HP medium-wave IR emitters are designed for very simple maintenance. Access is built in from the design stage: telescopic rails, removable panels. The cabinet enables automatic diagnostics and near-real-time fault detection.
Process audit, laboratory tests on the client’s materials, pilot design, industrialisation, team training, predictive maintenance. A step-by-step approach that secures every transition and reduces industrial risks at every stage.
Yes. Low-inertia infrared can halt energy input in a fraction of a second. Combined with real-time pyrometry, the risk of overheating is controlled even on sensitive materials such as natural fibres or non-wovens.
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