Q&A – DIRAC Industries/Maintenance BeNeLux on Electric Heating in the Packaging Sector
DIRAC Industries is a manufacturing and engineering consultancy firm specializing in industrial electric heating solutions. We provide heating systems for tank containers, trailers, and various packaging formats, including IBC containers, bag-in-box units, and foldable plastic containers.
Within our business unit IBCHeat, we have been developing practical, safe, and sustainable heating solutions for over fifteen years, particularly for the transport and packaging industries.
Our solutions are tightly linked to the packaging sector, especially in the food and dairy industries. We typically work with manufacturers of IBC containers, including bottle-in-cage, bag-in-box, and foldable types, as well as directly with end users from the edible oils & fats and dairy sectors.
These products are often highly viscous and require controlled heating to ensure proper processing and discharge.
Electric heating is used to maintain or restore the flow properties of viscous products such as palm oil, coconut oil, butter oil, liquid chocolate, syrups, sweeteners, lecithin, and similar materials.
Heating becomes essential when a product solidifies in an unheated environment. In such cases, the contents cannot be discharged without warming. The necessity depends on the physical characteristics of the product and the ambient conditions in which it is stored or transported.
We don’t just supply heating mats, we engineer them to fit each specific case. This includes selecting the correct temperature range, wattage, safety configuration, and ensuring compliance with local standards.
Our goal is to match the heating profile with the customer’s process needs and to respect the optimal product temperature, especially during container discharge.
Each project starts with a test phase. We receive the packaging units at our R&D lab in Kolín (Czech Republic) and build the first prototypes in-house. Based on test results and feedback from both the packaging manufacturer and the end user, we refine the design as needed, adjusting power output, size, thermostat settings, etc.
This hands-on, iterative approach ensures that each solution is tailored and reliable, regardless of whether decision-making is centralized or locally managed.
Our heating mats are equipped with two thermostats: one for control, the other for fail-safe protection. If the primary thermostat fails, the secondary backup intervenes automatically.
In addition, we have developed an ETL-certified version (certified by Intertek) that incorporates advanced safety features. This includes:
These enhancements ensure maximum protection and make the product suitable for regulated markets such as the United States and Canada.
Alternative methods include hot rooms, air circulation systems, or oil-based heating.
We deliberately choose electric heating for its precision, portability, safety, and environmental benefits. It’s the only method that can be seamlessly integrated into both stationary and transport applications, provided the systems are built to stringent safety standards, as ours are.
Product formulations, ambient temperatures, voltage standards (e.g. 230V in Europe vs. 120V in North America), and regulatory frameworks vary by region.
We take these factors into account during design, ensuring our heating systems are compliant and optimized for the specific conditions of each market.
The demand for safe, controlled, and sustainable processing is increasing globally. We expect electric heating to play an even greater role in food-related packaging sectors. Thanks to our longstanding partnerships and engineering experience, DIRAC is well-positioned to not just adapt to this evolution, but to lead it where necessary, always in alignment with applicable regulations.
We offer a portfolio of more than 70 heating mat models, many of which are already proven in the field. Most customers stock one to three models that suit their container types and product needs.
Factors like required wattage, container dimensions, certification demands, and geographic application all determine which model fits best. If needed, we develop custom solutions, backed by our in-house engineering, R&D, quality control, and certification teams.
