System Components

System Components

Microwave Components

An industrial microwave system is made up of three basic components: a generator or transmitter, waveguide or transmission line and an applicator.

Generator

Products

The generator or transmitter is the heart of the system. Its main purpose is to convert electric line power to microwave energy.  Crescend’s solid-state generators uses low voltage, DC electricity and combine multiple transistors to produce high power microwaves. See our Solid State Products page for currently available generator power levels. 

Waveguide and other Transmission Line Components

The next component that makes up industrial microwaves is the waveguide. It is the simplest component of the system and as its name implies, it guides the microwaves from the transmitter to the applicator. The waveguide is usually made out of aluminum to reduce weight. The dimensions of the waveguide allow microwaves to resonate through the waveguide with very low loss. These waveguides can go long distances and carry microwaves from one part of the facility to another. This is advantageous if there is a limitation on space or a need to isolate the generators from heat, dirt, moisture, etc. These waveguides are very similar to coaxial cable or AC power lines. Waveguide is also used in the television, high energy physics and radar industries, not just industrial microwaves.

Applicator

The destination for the microwaves is the applicator. This is where the microwave energy meets the load. There are many types of applicators available including:

  • Ovens, both batch and continuous, that can be configured to have multiple air intakes and exhaust ports, microwave safe doors, and conveyor belts.
  • Vertical tanks that have very uniform heating properties and make great replacements to conventional steam jacketed tanks and heating vessels.
  • Horizontal mixers that can be advantageous when continual mixing and conveying is required, but the material is not suited for pumping.
  • Your brain child! We know that not all products or processes work in the off-the-shelf applicators and we are continually advancing new industrial microwave applications and applicators.
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