Vötsch Industrietechnik (Reiskirchen-Lindenstruth, Germany) has developed the VHM Hephaistos microwave-based curing system, which heats the material itself while keeping the oven cool. The large-scale heating system is designed to cure carbon-reinforced composites and other high-quality materials. Because the generated microwave energy heats the material directly, rather than heating the air or oven elements, the company says oven users can realize savings in shorter warmup and cooldown times. In addition, the system reportedly cures materials without additional pressure. It also can cure parts in metal tooling without the sparking typical of traditional microwave-based ovens. voetsch.gocomp.biz/2