The entrepreneur-led Advanced Photonics Technologies Group (adphos) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The history of adphos began with the visionary idea of ‘drying with light’ and initial experiments in the garage of the current Managing Director, Dr Kai K. O. Bär.
Since its foundation in 1994, the medium-sized company has established itself as a leading supplier of high-performance thermal processing systems. adphos stands for exceptional technologies, pioneering processes and customised solutions. Based on the patented and versatile technologies aNIR® (Advanced Near Infrared) and aLITE® (Advanced Light Initiated Thermal Emission), which utilise electrothermal high-energy photon sources in combination with temperature-controlled air flows. Drying and heating processes take place within sub-seconds and reach temperatures of up to 2000 °C. At the same time, virtually heat-free applications can be realised. At the same time, almost heat-free applications (≤ 50 °C) can be carried out particularly gently on sensitive materials. As a result, adphos offers solutions that are more efficient and sustainable than conventional convection drying systems. Furthermore, the compact systems reduce the space required by a factor of 7 to 10 and, according to adphos, the precise control of the process parameters leads to improved production quality with minimal waste.
The key advantage of adphos technologies is their sustainability: the aNIR® and aLITE® technologies are completely CO2-free and can save over 60% energy compared to traditional hot air dryers. With over 5,000 systems installed worldwide, CO2 savings of over 1,000,000 tonnes per year have been achieved so far, and adphos shows that technological excellence and sustainability can go hand in hand. In addition to new installations, aNIR®- and aLITE®-based systems can also be used to retrofit or convert fossil-fuelled dryers and thermal process plants.
adphos
adphos, based in Upper Bavaria, is a group of companies focussing on the development of adphosNIR® technology. A technology with which thermal processes can be reduced and realised on a smaller footprint. Thanks to its global presence via subsidiaries and cooperation partners in many European countries, the USA, Japan and other industrialised nations, short distances and local support are guaranteed.