Our heating and drying technologies for food & industry

Homogeneous heating

Unlike conventional solutions, where heat is transferred by convection or conduction from the outside to the product through its surface, microwave and RF heat the entire product mass directly and homogeneously.It is called “volumetric heating”.

Thanks to these properties, SAIREM technology offers fast and reproducible results when used within industrial drying or food processing systems.

Almost instantaneous

Microwave and radio frequency have the ability to heat thanks the dielectric loss properties of materials. This phenomenon is caused by the vibration and rotation of polarized molecules inside the material, induced by the quick polarity reversal of the electromagnetic field (a million times per second).

The heat generation is almost instantaneous and allows for a perfectly controlled process thanks to rapid, uniform heating. Moreover, almost all the energy is transferred to the treated product, drastically reducing energy losses.

Selective properties

Thanks to water polar properties, microwave and radio frequency can heat up wet materials very fast. Specifically, they have the ability to evaporate water rapidly and selectively from many materials. This is because water molecules are highly polarised, more than most of the substrates in which they are usually found.

This property is used in many fields including the food industry and industrial heating, indeed anywhere where drying is involved.

The right frequency

Our equipment operates at different frequencies: 13,56 MHz and 27,12 MHz for radio frequency equipment, 915 MHz and 2450 MHz for microwave equipment. Other frequencies are used in specific countries, depending on the local regulations. Each of these frequencies has specific properties, such as, for example, different penetration depths.

Depending on your application, SAIREM will always select the most suitable frequency to optimize the effects you are seeking.

Safe technology

Although microwave technology has a thermal effect only, the high power used requires certain precautions. This is why all our equipment is equipped with redundant sensors and interlocks, as well as a microwave leak detector, which will immediately cut the power if necessary.

Good conductive materials, like metal, cannot usually be crossed nor heated by microwave and radio frequencies, as they do not have significant enough dielectric losses. This is why most microwave equipment is made of stainless steel, which blocks radiation perfectly, while also offering excellent durability and cleanliness.

Process synergies

Our advanced technologies can be combined with more traditional ones, such as hot air, steam, infrared … in order to gain most benefit from the combination. For example, you can quickly and uniformly cook a dessert with microwave, and achieve the final browning on the surface with infrared.