Drum Heating – Applications Advice For Heating Drum Contents

Published 12 Mar 2021

Drum Heaters – T&D are the largest supplier of Drum Heating Equipment in the UK. Contact Us Today

By Chris Dodds : estimated reading time 5 minutes

At T&D we are regularly asked: “what’s the best drum heater to heat ‘X’ product?”.

It’s a tricky question to answer. Our drum heaters and bulk container heaters are used in diverse applications across hundreds of industries and consequently one rule doesn’t suit all heating requirements.

The problem with giving specific recommendations are the variables involved. Variables such as heat-up time, stirring or not stirring, acceptable condition of product after heating and possible flash points. The workplace location of the drum heating requirement determines whether a “safe” area or hazardous area certified (ATEX) heater is required – drum heaters certified for safe use in hazardous areas and potentially explosive atmospheres can be supplied.

Drum Heating

Jacket Heaters For Plastic & Metal Drums

T&D offer two different types of heaters for drums; heaters for plastic drums and heaters for metal drums.

Our option for plastic containers is the HISD. An easy to fit, efficient and effective insulated heating jacket solution for all types of drums; particularly plastic containers, our HISD insulated Jacket heater is used for gentle warming of drum contents.

This heater is suitable for products which have a high viscosity; foodstuffs such as glucose, syrups and honey, which take a significant amount of time to absorb heat. Designed and constructed from high quality, durable materials the HISD drum heater is manufactured with a double insulated silicone heating cord which is threaded evenly across the length of the heater.

HTSD Drum Heater

This drum heater is the one to choose for thermally efficient heating of products which require consistently gentle heating.

There are several options available from T&D for heating products stored in metal drums. Firstly, the HTSD Side Drum Heater is specifically designed for melting or reducing the viscosity of products that require aggressive heating or high temperatures for handling.

Used to achieve product temperatures of up to 200°C this heating jacket provides the industry standard for handling products such as waxes, soaps and materials with a high water content.

Constructed with an outer layer of silicone coated glass fibre the HTSD has excellent thermal transfer properties and presents a great solution for maintaining consistently high product temperatures when held in metal drums or storage containers.

The HTSD is favoured when the entire contents of the drum needs to receive heat from top to bottom. It also acts as an insulation jacket once heated ensuring that the contents of the drum are heated as economically as possible.

HSSD Side Drum Heater

Our HSSD is an effective and simple element offering exceptional heating performance. The heater delivers uniform heating from accurately positioned PTFE coated, multi-stranded resistance wires and is used to reduce the viscosity of materials such as soaps, fats, foodstuffs, varnishes and chemicals allowing them to be pumped or poured with ease.

The HSSD is the drum heater of choice for products which are moving in and out of drums and consequently the level of material inside the drum fluctuates. Three of these heaters can be placed on one drum at the same time offering the option of turning off the top two heaters as the level inside the drum drops.

Manufactured from 2mm thick mild steel for extra rigidity on uneven surfaces and with tapered edges for safe drum location the HBD Base Drum Heater is designed for use in tough industrial environments. The product supplies heat through an etched foil silicone heating element bonded under the platen area and is protected by a resilient high temperature coating.

Used for similar purposes to (and sometimes in conjunction with) the HSSD, the Base Drum Heater offers uniform heating across the base of a drum ensuring the product is evenly heated to anywhere up to 150°C. This product is favoured for the same reasons as the other two high temperature options but is T&D’s most robust drum heating element.

As always, T&D are available to contact for further application advice on which drum heater to use.

drum heating specialists

Selecting Drum Heaters

When you call us please be sure to let us know; the material of your drum, what your product is, what the ambient temperature of the application is, what heating temperature you want to achieve and how quickly you want to heat the product. Please remember all of the above products are available as bespoke items – contact Thorne & Derrick to discuss your drum heating requirements.

Some drum heating examples

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