Ancillary Markets and Heating Applications

These sectors are associated with specialized processes enhanced through CAS products and services.

This control panel is for an inline fuel pre-heater system featuring CAST-X Heaters made by Cast Aluminum Solutions in Batavia IL.

For each of these categories, CAS provides distinct components to enhance particular processes. Developed by our New Product Development Team or specified by our highly-capable Engineering Department, CAS products frequently help to overcome complex engineering challenges.

  • Aerospace Industry Solutions:  CAS develops & manufactures highly-specialized aerospace and defense-sector components, including propellant and flammable media heating devices.
  • Engine & Compressor Applications:  Cast Aluminum Solutions provides fluid & fuel pre-heaters for diesel engines, compressors, generators, and other industrial equipment.
  • Painting, Plating & Part-Washing:  We supply heating units for use in an array of coating applications, including spray painting systems, parts washing machines, and plating & anodizing processes.
  • Laboratory Heaters:  A number of custom-engineered solutions and small standard-model heaters are available for laboratory, test bench, and diagnostic applications.
  • Cleaning & Steaming Processes:  Steam generators and hot water heaters are available from CAS to meet the requirements of consumer and industrial-grade cleaning equipment.
  • Converting & Printing Sectors:  Heated components to fit niche applications in the printing, converting and packaging industries.

Space Exploration, Fixed Wing and Defense Applications

Our exceedingly-capable engineering team - combined with the performance of our standard products and the innovation built into our custom-engineered devices - helps aerospace and defense firms solve remarkably complex engineering challenges.

These inline heaters for jet fuel preheating are made by Cast Aluminum Solutions and feature the CAST-X no contact design.
  • Rocket fuel & jet fuel heaters for engine test stands and critical flight hardware interfaces: CAST-X Heaters are recommended due to their compatibility with high operating pressures, and ability to safely heat flammable liquids & gases. Explosion-proof enclosures and components enhance compliance
  • Heated probes and warming reservoirs for lubricants, hydraulic fluids, and combustibles
  • Vaporization solutions for cryogenic gases & fuels (phase change for liquid oxygen, nitrogen, CNG, etc.)
  • Heating devices for purge gases used in the preparation of fuel lines and storage tanks
  • Small air and oxygen heaters for use in space capsule and cabin environments
  • Inline water heaters for lavatory & galley water; custom-engineered platens for galley food warming
  • Custom-engineered lightweight cast aluminum motor and pump enclosures
  • Field discharge units (synchronous condensers) for synchronous motors
These CAST-X models, used to heat jet fuel and warm propellants, are made with XP parts by Cast Aluminum Solutions.

For aerospace customers heating pressurized flammable media, CAST-X Circulation Heaters represent a turnkey solution that’s flexible enough to meet an array of application. This CAST-X 2000 (left) has a single .5” (12.7 mm) flow-tube with a NEMA 7 explosion-proof enclosure, while this CAST-X 3000 (rt.) has dual .75” (19.1 mm) flow-tubes, with an ATEX explosion-proof enclosure.

This heavy oil heater for aerospace is also functional for fuel pre-heating, and is sold by Cast Aluminum Solutions under the brand CAST-X Circulation Heaters.

Aerospace companies requiring highly-engineered thermal components can rely on CAS for all stages of product development and production: from initial design, to performance & life-cycle tests, through final high-volume manufacturing. This heated probe and 3 heated nodes maintain lubricant viscosity in an oil reservoir on a passenger jet auxiliary power unit.

Engine and Compressor Applications

With products cabable of safely heating combustible fuels, Cast Aluminum Solutions offers a range of innovative solutions for integration with deisel engines, construction & mining equipment, military vehicles, maritime power plants, semi-trucks, large compressors and backup power generators.

Here, CAST-X Heaters are being used as inline fuel preheaters for diesel warming and oil heating, as certified by CAS in Batavia.
  • Fuel pre-heaters capable of safely heating gasoline, diesel, kerosene and other combustibles. With the CAST-X Circulation Heater design, fuels are isolated in stainless steel flow-tubes, having zero contact with heating elements. CAST-X Heaters may be installed in-line or as part of recirculating loops.
  • Glycol circulating heaters (engine warming); also oil, lubricant and hydraulic fluid heating solutions
  • Vaporizing heaters to eliminate the condensate and oil residue found in compressor tanks; these contaminants can be detrimental to air-powered tools, spray-painted finishes, and so on. Discharging tank condensate fluid into the ground is no longer an acceptable practice in many jurisdictions.
  • Heaters used to reduce moisture in air intakes on large industrial compressors; includes heaters deployed in desiccant wheel dehumidifiers using adsorption-regeneration processes
  • Seal gas heaters for dry gas seals systems found in centrifugal compressors and turbo-expanders; gases are heated above dew-point to protect seals against moisture caused by the Joule-Thomson effect.
These inline diesel fuel heating products that also warm oils, are supplied by Cast Aluminum Solutions of Batavia, Illinois.

The CAST-X 500 is an outstanding fuel pre-heater: heated media is isolated in the CAST-X’s seamless stainless steel flow-tube, never touching the heating element. Explosion-proof electrical enclosures add to the safety factor. A CAST-X 500 can heat diesel, kerosene, fuel oil, petroleum products, lubricants and gaseous media.

Cast Aluminum Solutions manufactured these fuel pre-heater products to meet all oil heating and thermal viscosity specifications.

CAS designs and manufactures custom-engineered lubricant heaters and fuel heating components. This heavy oil heater features a cast-in 2 kW tubular heater, customer-specified coarse-thread terminal fitting, and multiple heat fins to maximize the heat transfer area and ensure short heatup times.

Painting, Anodizing and Parts-Washing Applications

With unique design features, including isolated flow-paths and compatibility with caustic fluids, our CAST-X and PUR-X Circulation Heater lines offer substantial safety and contamination-prevention advantages versus traditional immersion heaters.

This inline paint heater, the CAST-X 1000, is a preheat mechanism that uses fluid warming to manage viscosity.
  • Inline heaters used to pre-heat spray paints and coatings in portable and industrial spray systems
  • Solvent, detergent, and water heaters used in part washing processes (prior to anodizing or powder coating). CAS offers high-pressure-compatible inline heaters used in spray-type clean & rinse systems, as well as heaters compatible with recirculating tanks for immersion-type clean & rinse systems.
  • CAS offers heaters with the ability to heat many of the caustic chemicals associated with chrome and nickel plating applications. The PUR-X Circulation Heater from CAS is equipped with a PFA flow-tube, which will not degrade or dissolve when exposed to many plating pre-wash chemistries.
  • All CAS heater designs feature isolated fluid paths. Compared to traditional immersion heaters, these are a much cleaner design. With an immersion heater, if the heater fails, MGO and other debris can end -up in the fluid path: with CASs isolated fluid path, this is impossible, even if the heater element fails.
This CAST-X 2000 is perfect for part washing applications in ultrasonic cleaning machines and has certified waterproof product enclosure options.

CAST-X Heaters can be configured to fit a diverse range of warming applications for paints, solvents, and diluents. A variety of enclosure types and flow-tube sizes are available. While convenient built-in thermostats are available on smaller models, all CAST-X Heaters are compatible with standard control panels.

Here are detergent heating products for powder coating prep machines, which remove grease by warming solvents.

Many pre-washing and plating applications require heating zinc phosphate or amorphous phosphate. These chemistries can be detrimental to stainless steel, but CAS’s PUR-X 2000 features a PFA flow-tube that can stand-up to many caustic chemicals and solvents. The PFA flow-tube is also field-replaceable, a convenient maintenance feature.

Laboratory and Test Bench Applications

CAS provides customers across the laboratory spectrum with liquid & gas heating solutions that meet industry standards for sterility, safety, and ease of use.

This CAST-X 500 is a perfect sterile heater for test bench laboratory heating of liquids or gases.
  • Inline heaters appropriate for use in laboratories, test benches, and diagnostic & analysis applications: CAST-X 500 and CAST-X 1000 Heaters, with power ranges from 500 to 3000 watts are suggested. All CAST-X Heaters feature 316L seamless stainless steel flow-tubes: additional options to enhance wetted surface sterility include electro-polished tube ID surfaces and ASTM-certified passivation procedures.
  • Custom-engineered thermal products for use in sample heating and agitating applications, including heated cuvette rotisseries & racks, heated immersion probes, small tank heaters, and heated platens. CASs New Product Development Team works directly with customers to design innovative devices that solve complex process challenges.
  • For applications with temperature demands under 392°F (200°C), our PFA flow-tube-equipped PUR-X Heater is suggested. Available in two sizes, with power ranges to 7.9 kW, PUR-X Heaters feature re- moveable, field-replaceable synthetic flow-tubes.
This CAST-X 1000 inline test bench circulation heater has sterile wetted surfaces and can heat flammable fluids.

For laboratory and small test bench applications, CAS often recommends a CAST-X 500 or CAST-X 1000 Circulation Heater. To provide protection against hot surfaces in table top and other close-quarter situations, all CAST-X models are available with touch-safe insulation jackets.

Cast Aluminum Solutions manufactured this lab cuvette heater, also called a dry block test tube warmer.

This is a heated cuvette rotisserie designed and manufactured by CAS. This rack is designed to spin slowly, gently agitating the sample fluids while maintaining optimal temperatures. CAS offers multiple finish options, and this particular component features a hard-coat black anodized finish.

Cleaning and Steaming Applications

Cast Aluminum Solutions designs and manufactures high-pressure hot water heaters and steam generators for inclusion in carpet cleaning machines, hard floor steamers & cleaners, and upholstery & fabric steam appliances.

Cast Aluminum Solutions makes these heaters for steam cleaning machines and carpet cleaning equipment.
  • The CAST-X 500 Circulation Heater is appropriate for consumer-grade carpet cleaners and fabric steamers; these are available with waterproof electrical enclosures, user-friendly thermostat controls, resettable overtemp switches, and industry-standard compression or threaded fittings.
  • CAST-X 1000 and CAST-X 2000 Circulation Heaters are appropriate for commercial-grade carpet cleaning machines and floor steamers. These inline heaters are available with up to 6 kW total power. Operating temperatures can exceed 660°F (350°C), and a variety of built-in sensors and controls are available.
  • All CAST-X models are compatible with high-pressure, high-flow installations.
  • Custom-engineered inline heaters can be designed & manufactured to meet specific customer requirements.
  • Most standard worldwide voltages can be accommodated, to facilitate global commercialization.

Packaging, Converting and Printing Applications

CAS supplies converting and printing equipment OEMs with heated devices for inks, coatings, adhesives and specialty-gases.

Here are examples of Adhesive Warming Devices and Ink Heaters used in the converting industry.
  • Heaters used to warm inks, adhesives, and coatings; helps to maintain consistency and enhance drying
  • Circulation heaters used to heat hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen compounds in sterilization applications for medical and food packaging
  • Custom-engineered heated devices to optimize airtight seals on heating lids, enclosures, and glued areas
  • Heated reservoirs and adhesive warming tanks for hot glue applications
  • Heated bars and components for sealing thermoplastic bags and pouches on continuous band sealers and horizontal flow wrappers
  • Heated forms and inserts used in the manufacturing of thermoformed trays and packaging
  • Inline heaters for flu-gas conditioning and waste gas abatement applications for the plastics industry