Glass score line heating lamp

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:28:10 +0800

Fixing those annoying cold spots in glass annealing

Ever had a piece of glassware with a weird shape—deep curves or tight corners—only to find out the kiln didn’t heat it evenly? It happens. Those “dead zones” are a nightmare because the hot air just doesn’t reach the deep recesses. That’s where short-wave infrared (IR) lamps come in. Instead of just heating the air and hoping for the best, these lamps let us aim heat exactly where it needs to go. You get the deep spots up to temperature without accidentally melting the exposed edges. How it actually works Think of traditional heating elements like a space heater; they warm the air around the glass. IR lamps are different. They send energy in a straight line, like a flashlight, straight into the glass. By lining these lamps up or grouping them together, we can push heat right into the “shadows” of a complex piece. We pick the lamps based on how much “punch” you need. If you need a lot of heat but have to keep the lamp further back to avoid scorching the glass, we just go with a higher wattage per millimeter. Simple as that. The gear you’ll need We mostly use quartz-halogen tubes. We use quartz because it lets the heat pass right through without getting trapped in the lamp housing. The heat goes into your work, not the machine. Depending on your power setup, we can tweak the voltage to fit your shop. You’ll just need to make sure your connectors—usually R7s or Sk15—match your current wiring so they slide right in. One heads-up: if you’re packing high-wattage tubes into a small space, don’t skimp on the cooling fans. If that air doesn’t move, your filaments are going to burn out way faster than they should. The trade-off Here’s the thing: IR heating is fast. Like, really fast. That speed is great for control, but it means the glass reacts quickly to any change. To keep things from getting wild, you’ll want a solid PID controller and a thermocouple tucked in close to the glass. If your sensor is too far away, you might miss a hot spot, and that’s how you end up with thermal shock. Keep the sensor close, keep the air moving, and your pieces will come out perfect every time.

Line on Warm IR Heater Connection

Glass score line heating lamp

Fixing those annoying cold spots in glass annealing