Electric or gas catalytic infrared emitters put energy straight into the coating, so the film melts and gels in seconds to a few minutes instead of the 10 to 20 minutes of a convection oven. IR suits flat or simple shapes, heat-sensitive parts and booster zones ahead of convection ovens. Its weakness is line of sight: shadowed areas heat slowly, and dark colors absorb more energy than light ones.
Panels are curing in the IR in four minutes, but the hinge recess is always undercured.
Also heard as
- infrared cure
- IR oven
- IR booster
Related terms
Cure schedule
The time at temperature a powder needs to cure fully, measured at the part's metal, not the oven air.
Low-cure powder
Powder formulated to cure at lower oven temperatures, used to save energy or coat heat-sensitive parts.
Undercure
A film that did not get enough time at temperature to crosslink fully, so it looks fine but performs poorly.
PMT
Part metal temperature, the temperature of the substrate itself, which is what actually drives the cure.