New Technology: Thermoplastic CFRP Rapid Heater
On July 3, Chubu Electric Power in collaboration with METRO and SATOH revealed the development of thermoplastic CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) rapid heater “CF-1,” which cuts down the heating time to 12 seconds or 20% of conventional infrared rapid heaters. It is expected that a thermoplastic CFRP rapid heater of 470 x 700 mm in size will be priced at 7 million yen and ten units will be sold each year.
Chubu Electric Power had analyzed the infrared absorption characteristics of CFRP at the thickness of 1-2 mm to identify the range of wavelengths that absorbs heat at maximum efficiency. It had also developed rapid heaters that can emit infrared at such wavelengths. A gap in CFRP that possibly forms due to insufficient heat is solved by a technique of uniform heating. The CFRP heater can also heat up within a second after activating without the need to be warmed up.
Generally, it takes about 60 seconds for a conventional infrared rapid heater to heat up and takes twice the standard production time of similar aluminum parts.
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