By better focusing microwave energy and reducing signal attenuation that results in uneven heating, engineers hope to make continuous-flow microwave processing commercially viable.
IMS was founded in 1997 by two electrical engineers, Professor William T. Joines of Duke University and protégé J. Michael Drozd. The men conceived a method to focus the energy from a magnetron and overcome the uneven heating that characterizes the technology. They developed two systems for controlling electromagnetic energy: a cylindrical chamber through which fluids flow, and a planar system for drying on a moving belt. The planar requires a conveyor. Last fall, Harahan, La.-based Laitram LLC, which also owns conveyor belting manufacturer Intralox, acquired IMS. The potential synergies have made planar applications a priority for now, although continuous-flow processing in a tube may become the technology's most dynamic food processing application.