HTI

What HTI does

Heat Technologies, Inc. (HTI) is a private industrial equipment manufacturer founded in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, that designs and builds custom acoustic-ultrasonic drying, curing, cooling, and heating systems for continuous-web and three-dimensional product manufacturing. Its core technology, branded Spectra HE Ultra and protected by 6 issued US patents and 4 issued EU patents, introduces ultrasonic oscillations into a convective air stream to enhance mass transfer of liquids (water or solvents) from products, explicitly emphasizing 'transfer' rather than 'heat' to disrupt boundary layers and prevent skinning during drying. The platform is deployed in three commercial configurations: Add-On modules that augment existing production lines for throughput or energy gains, Replacement systems installed on existing frames, and complete New Install lines for greenfield production, with sub-products spanning continuous web dryers and 3D product dryers (including molded fiber, coated paper containers, and food items).

HTI's customer base is concentrated in enterprise industrial manufacturing: flexible packaging converters, paper and non-woven web producers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, automotive suppliers, and food packaging companies including one of the world's largest food product companies and tier-1 US-based packaging converters. Revenue is generated through custom hardware sales, system integration and installation services, and commercial-scale performance testing at the company's test stand housed at Alabama Power's Technology Application Center in Calera, AL (relocated from Georgia Power's CRC in August 2020). Go-to-market is a consultative enterprise field-sales motion combining customer-paid trials, custom engineering, and OEM channel partnerships, with geographic reach established in North America and the EU (European representatives active since 2011-2012, first EU installation completed 2016-2017). The company is founder-owned and led by Gene Plavnik (MS in Heat and Mass Transfer Engineering, 25+ years of applied experience), has 11-50 employees, has commissioned over 200 dryers worldwide, and operates without disclosed institutional capital, parent company, or subsidiary structure.

Name

HTI

Legal name

Heat Technologies, Inc.

Website

https://heattechnologiesinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HTI (Heat Technologies, Inc.) is a private Atlanta-based manufacturer of patented acoustic-ultrasonic drying, curing, and cooling systems sold to enterprise industrial customers in flexible packaging, paper converting, pharmaceutical, automotive, and food production globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Drying Equipment

NAICS

Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAHAEAC

Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Process & Industrial Plant Equipment

SECONDARYIMAHAKAC

Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Refrigeration, HVAC & Thermal Equipment

Keywords

• Ultrasonic drying equipment
• Acoustic drying systems
• Industrial web drying
• Mass transfer technology
• Coating curing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Acoustic Drying Systems: Design, build, and install complete custom drying systems based on Spectra HE Ultra technology. Revenue generated from custom equipment sales, installation services, and system integration. Systems range from booster modules to complete production line drying solutions.
2. System Upgrades and Retrofits: Add-on and replacement solutions for existing production lines. Revenue from installing Spectra HE Ultra modules into existing frames or replacing legacy drying systems.
3. Performance Testing Services: Commercial-scale testing at HTI facility in Atlanta to validate system performance for specific customer applications before equipment purchase.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heat Technologies, Inc. (HTI) designs, manufactures, and installs custom ultrasonic/acoustic drying, curing, cooling, and heating equipment under the Spectra HE Ultra brand. The patented technology introduces ultrasonic vibrations into an air stream to enhance mass transfer of liquids (water or solvents) from products, offering a compact, high-efficiency alternative to conventional hot air or infrared tunnel dryers. Systems are sold directly to industrial manufacturers (packaging converters, paper makers, pharmaceutical, food, and automotive producers) in three deployment models: Add-On, Replacement, and New Install.

Product overview

HTI offers the Spectra HE™ Ultra, a patented acoustic-ultrasonic drying platform that emphasizes mass transfer over heat in liquid removal from products. The core technology introduces ultrasonic vibrations into an air stream for greater moisture-defusing efficiency. The platform is available in three deployment configurations: Add-On (installed alongside existing equipment to boost throughput), Replacement (custom-designed to replace existing dryers on the same frame), and New Install (complete standalone drying system). Supporting the product portfolio is a commercial-scale Test Stand for application testing and performance validation. HTI holds 6 US patents and 4 EU patents, with all products manufactured in the USA. The company previously developed Spectra HE™ Pulse (pulse combustion-based drying) and Spectra HE™ IDRS (industrial boiler deposit removal) as earlier technology generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spectra HE Ultra Acoustic-Ultrasonic Drying System Patented acoustic-ultrasonic drying system that introduces ultrasonic vibrations into an air stream to enhance mass transfer of liquids (water or solvents) from products. Enables faster drying, curing, cooling, and heating compared to conventional thermal technologies, for industrial manufacturers across paper, packaging, pharmaceutical, food, automotive, and consumer products segments.
• Spectra HE Ultra Add-On System Spectra HE Ultra module deployed as an addition to an existing drying operation to boost production throughput and/or cut energy consumption without replacing existing equipment. For industrial converters and manufacturers seeking incremental capacity gains on current lines.
• Spectra HE Ultra Replacement System Custom-designed Spectra HE Ultra system installed on an existing production line frame to replace legacy hot air or infrared drying equipment, typically occupying only a portion of the original footprint. For industrial converters and manufacturers replacing outdated dryers.
• Spectra HE Ultra New Install System Complete new drying system built around Spectra HE Ultra as the only heat and mass transfer technology in a brand-new production line. For new manufacturing facilities or greenfield production lines where HTI's acoustic drying is specified from the outset.
• Spectra HE Ultra Continuous Web Dryer Custom-designed continuous web drying system for processing continuous webs and sheets in new production machines. Targeted at paper, film, non-woven, and packaging converters operating high-speed web lines.
• Spectra HE Ultra 3D Product Dryer Custom-designed Spectra HE Ultra drying system for three-dimensional articles such as coated paper-based and molded fiber products, consumer products, and food items. Replaces 30-50 meter conventional tunnel dryers with an approximately 5-meter unit. Supports production capacities up to 150,000 products per day in 24-hour operation.
• Spectra HE Ultra Test Stand (Performance Validation Services) Commercial-scale testing facility equipped with a three-slot acoustic dryer capable of running at adjustable line speeds up to 500 fpm with thermal input up to 60 kW and temperatures up to 600°F. Enables HTI to offer performance warranties on quoted systems and allows customers to validate Spectra HE Ultra performance for their specific applications prior to equipment purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Line speed increased by 30% (food product company case)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Alabama Power Company - Technology Application Center (TAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2020TAC in Calera, AL houses HTI's commercial-scale dryer test stand and demo equipment. TAC personnel (Mark Rawls, Nick Pournaras, Daniel H. Johnson, Scott E. Bishop) provided major upgrade to the demo system including automatic height adjustment and rapid changeover/calibration system. Partnership enables customer trials and performance validation.
• Georgia Power - Customer Resource Center (CRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer location of HTI's commercial-scale dryer test stand. CRC was completely shut down during COVID without access, prompting relocation to Alabama Power TAC.
• Southern Company ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of GA Power and AL Power. Discussions with senior personnel of GA Power, AL Power and Southern Company Services guided the test stand transfer from GA Power to Alabama Power.
• European OEM Printing Press SupplierflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHTI's Spectra Ultra HE technology selected for inclusion in new wide web printing press under construction by European OEM supplier. System became operational Q3 2016 with US-based converter. Recognized by both tier 1 OEM and globally active packaging converter as delivering unique throughput capacity enhancements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Clextral: French industrial drying and extrusion equipment maker serving food, chemical, and paper customers. Comparable as a niche mid-sized competitor offering specialized drying solutions with similar custom-engineering sales model.
• Andritz AG: Austrian industrial group with a dedicated Pulp & Paper / Drying division supplying industrial dryers and thermal processing equipment to paper, packaging, and converting customers. Directly comparable to HTI in the web/paper drying use case served by Spectra HE Ultra.
• Hosokawa Micron Group: Manufacturer of drying, mixing, and processing equipment with strong presence in chemical, food, and pharmaceutical drying applications. Directly comparable in technology scope (industrial dryers) and overlapping pharmaceutical/food customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Atlas Copco: Global industrial equipment OEM with broad portfolios in compressors, vacuum, and industrial process solutions including drying and heat-transfer equipment. Comparable as a much larger incumbent offering overlapping industrial drying capabilities to similar manufacturing customers.
• SPX FLOW: Global supplier of process equipment including drying, evaporation, and thermal processing for food, beverage, and industrial customers. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering industrial drying systems to similar enterprise process-manufacturing buyers.
• Bühler Group: Swiss industrial equipment maker specializing in food processing, including drying and thermal treatment solutions. Comparable to HTI's food-industry drying deployments (e.g., 3D product, food packaging) and as a scaled incumbent in adjacent drying verticals.
• GEA Group: Large German industrial engineering group supplying drying, separation, and thermal processing equipment to food, pharma, and chemical customers. Comparable as an incumbent serving overlapping pharmaceutical, food, and chemical drying applications where HTI also competes.

Emerging players

• Carrier Vibrating Equipment: Specialty manufacturer of vibrating and thermal processing equipment including fluid bed dryers for chemical, food, and mineral processing. Comparable as a niche specialty dryer maker addressing overlapping industrial drying buyers.

Regional players

• Koenig & Bauer AG: Major European press OEM whose printing presses integrate drying modules; HTI's Spectra HE Ultra was designed into a European OEM press (widely understood to be in this segment). Comparable as a channel partner/customer rather than direct drying competitor, but represents the OEM ecosystem HTI accesses.

Others

• Advent Process Engineering: Specialty engineering firm building custom industrial drying and thermal process systems for specialty chemicals, food, and pharmaceutical customers. Comparable as an adjacent custom-engineering player in the same industrial drying space where HTI sells bespoke systems.

Market position

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hti-heat-technologies-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HTI