Litel infrared systems, in association with nv acotech sa of belgium [a shell bekaert joint venture], offers gas fired infrared burners. These specialty burners are called metal fibre burners [mfb]. Surface combustion is a gas burning technique in which pre mixed gas and air burns on a surface layer of a permeable and/or perforated medium. The permeable medium of the mfb consists of fine metal fibres. These are sintered together to produce a rigid but highly porous panel. This perforation leads to a more homogeneous combustion.. The advantages of mfb over other conventional burners: homogeneous combustion with high modulation rate; no need of air intake filter; excellent low emission values; low pressure drop across the material; noise free and resonance free combustion; high flashback resistance; free thermal expansion control due to flexible textile character; high resistance to thermal shocks; mechanical solidity; fast response; and fast cool down. Areas of applications: domestic boilers and heaters; industrial boilers and heaters; food industry for grilling, frying and baking; paper, textile, paint drying; curing of coatings; process heaters for refinery and petro-chemical industry; steam generators; car glass bending; glass treatment and annealing; aluminium casting; and steel industry.