The Orb DF-01iA Record Flattener uses a heating technique which is applied with two semiconductor heater films, one on the top and one on the bottom. By thermally controlling the heating-up phase and cooling-down phase, the warped record is allowed to properly relax and return to its original flat state. The machine heats only the outer edge and centre of the record. The grooves are not heated and therefore their sonic shape is preserved.

Please be aware however that while the Orb can flatten most records, any records that have been damaged due to heat cannot be salvaged - the damage has already been done and groove deformation cannot be undone. An easy way to confirm this is to check how light bounces off the surface of your record. If it spreads radially, it “should” be fine. However, if the reflection of light is “bent”, this would indicate the record has been heat damaged and cannot be fixed. There are also some records which cannot be flattened. These are:-

Flexidiscs.
Picture Discs.
Records under 115gram.
Records 200gram or over.
Some Sheffield Labs and BMG records.