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3D Infrared Systems for Large ComponentsNon-contact heat treatment — up to 12 meters diameter, up to 120 tons

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3D-IR 3D Infrared Systems for Large Components Ansicht 1

3D-IR 3D Infrared Systems for Large Components Ansicht 2

3D-IR 3D Infrared Systems for Large Components Ansicht 3

Conventional heating mats take days to install, degrade during long-term operation and leave oxidation marks on sensitive surfaces. SOPARA 3D IR systems replace hundreds of individually wired heating mats with modular infrared structures — installed in less than one day, non-contact and controllable to ±10°C. For preheating, temperature hold and post-heating on thick-walled large components up to 120 tons and 12 meters in diameter. Proven in the nuclear industry and naval shipbuilding.

Technical Documentation

Brochure

Manual

STEP / Drawing

Technical Data

Component Weightup to 120 tons

Component Diameterup to 12 meters

Temperature Range100 – 350 °C / >350 °C on request

Temperature Accuracy± 10 °C

Continuous Operation> 400 h

Setup Time≤ 1 day

Heating Zonesindividually PID-controlled

ConfigurationsRing, igloo, inverted igloo

MonitoringThermal camera + thermocouples

Benefits

Setup time reduced by over 90% — Modular IR structures are installed in less than one day. Conventional heating mats require several days of assembly with hundreds of individually wired elements for comparable areas.

Continuous operation over 400 hours — Temperature hold at ±10°C for weeks during the welding process. No contact degradation, no mat fatigue, no failure risks during long-term operation.

Non-contact heating — No contact with sensitive component surfaces. No oxidation marks, no metallic contamination — critical for nuclear and submarine components.

±10°C temperature accuracy — PID-controlled multi-zone regulation with minute-by-minute documentation. Thermal camera monitoring for full-area quality verification.

Modular design — Reusable IR modules in ring, igloo or dome configuration. Adaptable to pipes, domes and complex geometries up to 12 meters in diameter.

Made in France — In-house manufacturing from the IR emitter through the 3D configuration to the control cabinet. ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Reference Projects

IR Crowns — Infrared rings for cylindrical large components. Setup time reduced from several days to less than one day. Non-contact heating without surface damage — critical in highest quality environments where conventional heating mats leave oxidation marks.

IR Domes — Infrared heating domes for curved large components. Uniform heating even at extreme wall thicknesses. Multi-zone control with ±10°C across the entire surface — not achievable with heating mats on this geometry.

IR Carts — Mobile IR heating modules on chassis for changing positions in the production line. One system for multiple locations instead of hundreds of permanently installed heating mats. Changeover in minutes instead of hours.

Submarine industry — Temperature hold on pressure hull components for several hundred hours at ±10°C. No contact wear, no mat fatigue, no failures during long-term operation — where conventional systems require regular replacement.

Available Options

Ring configuration — for cylindrical vessels, nozzles and circumferential welds

Igloo configuration — heating hood over convex components

Inverted igloo — internal heating of concave geometries

Mobile switchgear — for changing deployment locations

Thermal camera monitoring — complete process documentation

Modular emitter arrangement — reusable for different component geometries

Customer-specific heating zone division — adapted to component geometry and wall thickness profile

More options on request

Applications

Preheating, temperature hold and post-heating on thick-walled large components. Non-contact heat treatment for nuclear, marine and offshore applications.

Preheating before welding — 100–350°C, prevention of cold cracking in high-strength steels (HY-80, SA-508)

Temperature hold during welding — 100–300°C for up to 400 hours, welding preheat maintenance and overlay welding

Post-heating after welding — 200–350°C with controlled cooling for defined metallurgical properties

Hydrogen bake-out (H₂ bake-out) — 100–200°C for the removal of diffusible hydrogen

Nuclear industry — Pressure vessels, steam generators, primary circuit components

Naval shipbuilding — Hull sections, submarine pressure hulls, large structures

For machine builders: SOPARA delivers turnkey 3D IR systems — from component analysis through configuration design to on-site commissioning

For plant operators: Setup time reduced by over 90% compared to conventional heating mats. Continuous operation for weeks without contact wear.

Why SOPARA

84 years of infrared expertise — Founded 1942 in France. As one of the oldest specialty brands for industrial infrared technology, SOPARA brings over eight decades of development and manufacturing expertise to every plant.

References with European industry leaders — SOPARA IR systems are running at market leaders in automotive, composites, flooring and nuclear — powering the most demanding thermal processes at French and European top companies.

Test laboratory in Pusignan near Lyon — Your material is validated in the SOPARA infrared lab on actual substrates: wavelength, power density and process parameters. Concrete results before the investment decision — no theory, no assumptions.

System expertise — from component to turnkey plant — Not just IR lamps. SOPARA delivers complete thermal process solutions: lamps, reflectors, protective glass, IR fields, power control, switchgear and process control. One contact for the entire thermal process. Made in France, ISO 9001:2015 certified, 5 % of sales invested in R&D.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are 3D infrared systems? — IR heating systems designed not for flat webs but for three-dimensional large components. IR crowns, IR domes and mobile IR carts for cylindrical, spherical or complex geometries.

For which industries are 3D IR systems used? — Nuclear industry (stress relief of large pressure vessels), maritime applications (preheating of ship components), aerospace, and industrial large-component manufacturing.

What is an IR crown? — A ring-shaped IR heating system placed around a cylindrical component (e.g. pipe, pressure vessel). Enables uniform heating of the entire circumference. SOPARA manufactures IR crowns with over 5 meters in diameter.

How are 3D IR systems controlled? — Via mobile switchgear with thermal camera monitoring. Each heating zone is independently controllable. SOPARA delivers control, switchgear and temperature sensors as a complete system.

What quality processes does SOPARA apply to 3D IR? — Functional analysis, risk analysis, FMEA, parameter historization and production tracking — quality processes developed within long-standing partnerships with the nuclear industry.

3D-IR Configurator

⚡3D-IR Configurator

Configure your 3D infrared heating system

Application Examples

Geometry

Tubes

Pipeline, Pressure Vessels, Rocket Components, Reactor Vessels

Dome / End Piece

Submarines, Pressure Vessels, Reactor Vessels

Treatment Scope

Dimensions

Outer Diametermm

Wall Thicknessmm

Pipe Lengthmm

Heat Band (auto-calculated)240 mm

Process Type

Preheating

Before welding — prevents cold cracking

100 – 350°C

Temperature Hold during Welding

Interpass heating, weld overlay, cladding

100 – 300°C

Post-Heating

After welding — controlled cooling

200 – 350°C

Hydrogen Bake-out (H₂)

Removal of diffusible hydrogen

100 – 200°C

PWHT / Stress Relief >350°C

Contact SOPARA Engineering for a feasibility analysis

Optional

Target Temp. (°C)

Material

Standard

≤1 day setup>400h continuous + PID documentation

±10°C temperature accuracyNon-contactModular designTC + thermal camera for temperature control

Treatment Area

0,0 m²

Estimated Power

10 kW

~11,4 kW/m²

Heating Rate

75,0 °C/h

Higher rates possible with increased system power

Configuration

Ring

Preheating

* Preliminary estimate. Binding design by SOPARA Engineering after detailed component analysis. Validation at SOPARA IR laboratory in Pusignan near Lyon available.