The imitation of relief-like structures is achieved by embossing. The material has to be heated beforehand so that primary materials adopt the new 3-D patterns and retain them when cooling. In the production of large-area, multi-layer plastic textiles, tarpaulins and coverings, such as imitation leather or floor covering, heat is used in various places. Typically, the desired surface structure (for example the grain of the artificial leather) is created in a final process step by heating the surface and then embossing it with an engraved roller. Precise temperature control is required to ensure a homogeneous pattern over the entire processing width. The KRELUS IR heater field, which is build modularly from heater groups, ensures a precise, homogeneous surface temperature of the material immediately in front of the embossing roller and thus an optimum embossing result due to the individual controllability of the heater groups and the resulting optimum temperature profile.