In Cleveland Ohio, a large food manufacturer called WATTCO™ for some flanged immersion heaters that were to be used to heat up vegetable oil in large tanks. In the food industry, oil heating is the primary purpose in using the flanged heaters. The flanged heaters are used in food industries to heat vegetable oil for controlling its viscosity. The vegetable oil flows smoother at certain temperature just as in any other industrial oil. The precise controlling of temperature is the key to oil heating. Maintaining an optimal viscosity is therefore the purpose of using the best heating options available.

In addition to the type of heaters used, it is also very important to determine the type of thermal housing boxes. The use of electric heaters at a facility that handles chemical processes inevitably creates a hazardous condition so that every safety measure that needs to be taken should be taken. The types of thermal enclosure used in processing of vegetable oil are NEMA 4 and NEMA 7. NEMA 4 enclosures are built for extra protection against moisture. NEMA 7 enclosures add protection against possible explosions that may occur around highly volatile gases.

The use of oil heaters in the process industry is all about keeping the viscosity just right. That means the control of the temperature must be precise for the heaters to keep the oil viscosity at the desired level. The variance of temperature affects the density of vegetable oils thus making them more or less viscous depend on the characteristics of each oil product. Maintaining the precise temperature also means the use of thermocouple to turn the heater on/off at just the right timing. WATTCO™ uses digitally controlled thermocouples that can operate in a wide range (0~255F or 55~550F) of temperature..

Additionally, the insulation of the tanks and/or pipelines is very important to prevent losing heat and maintain the optimal temperature. The efficiency of oil heaters may be undermined if the insulation is not properly done. The heat loss will create a fluctuation in the viscosity of the vegetable oil causing it to flow unsteadily. While the oil heater that is indirectly installed will create a steady flow of heat transfer, the loss of heat from the heat due to improper insulation of the tanks and/or pipelines will be problematic resulting uneven viscosity within the liquid medium.

Choosing the immersion heaters that can be used for the process industry is not hard. Oil heaters are the most common type of immersion heaters that are also a popular choice for oil industries alike. Whether it be the process industry or the petroleum industry, oil heaters are most effective in dealing with viscosity issue. These heaters are constructed most often to be either inline heaters or circulation heaters. There are however other less popular types that are equally important. For example, WATTCO™ builds over-the-side heaters to address the situation that installing immersion heaters to the side of the tank prove to be either impractical or impossible. Over-the-side heaters are versatile and designed for easy installation. They will install on top of the tank directly immersing along the side into the bottom. The elements are custom-configured for evenly distributing the heat by a direct contact.