WS Thermal Process Technology is the U.S. subsidiary of WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH, which was founded in 1982 in Renningen, Germany. The company manufactures self-recuperative and self-regenerative gas burners for the heat-treating and steel industries. WS Thermal Process Technology opened its doors in Lorain, Ohio, in 1997 and currently has 10 employees for sales, service, training, and repairs. The German headquarters employs about 150 people in Europe.
The IHEA member’s signature product is the REKUMAT® self-recuperative burner, which is available in both direct-fired and indirect-fired (radiant tube) versions and is equipped with a recuperator of either metallic or ceramic (SiSiC) composition. High-efficiency options well above 80 percent efficiency have become a standard for WS.
WS is also known for inventing the game-changing flameless oxidation (FLOX®) technology, which enables high-combustion efficiency with low NOx emissions. The significance of FLOX® did not go unnoticed. Joachim G. Wuenning and his father were awarded the German Environmental Award for inventing and commercializing the technology. All WS burners can run with FLOX®, thus achieving the lowest NOx emissions with high-efficiency self-recuperative and self-regenerative gas burners.
Speaking of self-regenerative burners, the REGEMAT® integrates regenerators and switching valves into one compact unit so each burner can act individually. The highest air preheat temperatures are achieved by using ceramic honeycomb heat storage material. Both direct-fired and indirect-fired versions are available. REGEMAT can achieve efficiencies close to 90 percent, which can lead to tremendous energy savings at high operating temperatures and in continuously operated furnaces.
WS pioneered the use of ceramic single-ended radiant tubes in industrial furnace applications, achieving operating temperatures up to 2,300°F, unmatched temperature uniformity and long lifetime with low maintenance. With thousands of tubes in operation around the globe, WS has helped hundreds of customers improve their processes and drastically reduce their energy costs.
Over the years, WS has proven the global importance of energy-efficient and low-emission combustion systems by supplying in excess of 100,000 burners to the industry. Today, WS is heading toward the future of thermal processing at full speed. The company declared its products to be “green-gas ready,” meaning they are prepared to run on green hydrogen and various other promising fuels of the future while still achieving the low emissions one has come to expect from WS. Research and development efforts have been geared toward this goal for years, leading to a series of patents and putting WS in a unique position to provide its customers with solutions that last and, most importantly, are robust toward various different scenarios in the energy sector.
MORE INFO www.flox.com
Calendar of Events
June 15–16
Process Heating & Cooling Show
The inaugural show will focus on industrial heating and cooling processes. This event will bring together numerous industries in the process industries including oil & gas, electronics, pharmaceuticals, food, beverages, packaging and plastics, to name a few.
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center | Rosemont, Illinois
For details on IHEA events, go to www.ihea.org/events
