All About Industrial Ovens
What is the definition of an industrial oven?
An industrial oven is a device that is used to heat treat items, condition metals, and cure metal coatings at high temperatures. Continuous and batch industrial ovens are the two most common types. Batch industrial ovens, as the name indicates, handle a large number of items at once. Continuous industrial ovens are used in large manufacturing and can have heating and cooling capabilities.
The way industrial ovens are utilized determines how they operate. Industrial ovens that use gas, electricity, steam, hot water, microwaves, or fuel oil batch or conveyor loading.
The success of an industrial oven is dependent on product loading and airflow patterns. The six types of airflow differ depending on the product and how it is loaded. Forced convection is used to disperse heat.
Industrial ovens come in a variety of shapes and sizes
An industrial oven's type and description are determined by its intended function. Curing ovens cause a chemical reaction to occur between a powder and metallic surfaces. Raw materials are dried in drying ovens to eliminate moisture. Other industrial ovens clean impurities, prepare metals for processing, and melt metals together.
Industrial ovens come in a variety of shapes and sizes
It's hard to include all of the many types of industrial ovens because new ones are always being produced. Specialized ovens are developed for a specific manufacturing process. The following is a list of the most popular types of industrial ovens available from manufacturers.
Electric industrial ovens
Electrically heated ovens use electricity to heat up quickly, provide precise temperature settings, and are inexpensive. They're perfect for working with flammable materials or metals like aluminum, which may discolor when heated by gas.
Ovens with direct gas
Although gas industrial ovens are more expensive to construct than electric ovens, they are less expensive to operate since gas is less expensive than electricity. They heat up faster and keep temperatures consistent for longer than electric or infrared ovens, resulting in cheaper running costs. Natural or propane gas is used to power gas industrial ovens. Curing steel coatings and aiding with the fabrication of automobile parts like brake pads and linings are just a few of their many responsibilities.
Ovens for curing
Powder or paint bonds to metals in curing industrial ovens. They have the ability to harden rubber, plastic, and metal items. Curing industrial ovens exist in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they may be used for a variety of purposes. Electricity, UV rays, hot oil, steam, or natural gas are used to power them, which are manufactured with steel insulated panels and frames. Most curing ovens may achieve temperatures of 800° F (426° C), however their temperature range varies.
Ovens for drying clothes
Drying ovens are used to remove moisture from materials, heat treat metals for extrusion, and sterilize medical equipment. They are vacuum ovens for powders, granular goods, and electronic components that employ natural or forced convection. The quantity of moisture in the product is measured as a determinant of the oven settings when used to remove moisture.
Ovens for batches
Batch ovens are used to heat huge quantities of items and available in a range of sizes and forms to suit the purpose. They can be benchtop or walk-in, and are heated by direct or indirect electrical elements or burners. Gas that has been trapped in items is vented in batch industrial ovens, preventing product degradation.
Ovens with conveyors
Conveyor ovens, sometimes known as continuous ovens, are used for large manufacturing and can run at different speeds. A cooling zone, various heat zones, and an exhaust hood are all included. Drying, curing, annealing, stress relief, bonding, tempering, preheating, and shaping are all done in conveyor industrial ovens. Their conveyor belt system is simple to integrate into a manufacturing or assembly line. Conveyor industrial ovens feature a large volume of output, are automated, and are versatile.
What is the operation of an industrial oven?
The type of fuel used to heat the oven, which can be hot water, direct and indirect gas, ultraviolet light, steam, or electricity, is the first item to consider when discussing how an industrial oven works.
The airflow pattern of industrial ovens is the second consideration and an important aspect, which might be:
- Horizontal – for objects stacked on shelves or hanging from the ceiling.
- Air is returned horizontally and vertically through ceiling ducts.
- The air supply originates from the ceiling and escapes through return ducts on the walls in a vertical/horizontal configuration.
- Parts are hung or placed on perforated shelves, depending on whether they are vertical/top down or bottom up. The return supply receives air from the ducts.
- To maintain a consistent oven temperature, the airflow must move with few impediments and at a steady velocity.
Industrial ovens are divided into two classifications by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), with Class B ovens not processing volatile chemicals or solvents and Class A ovens processing volatile materials and solvents. The NFPA rules established in the NFPA 86 Code Book must be followed by industrial oven manufacturers.
What are the applications of industrial ovens?
Industrial ovens are used for a variety of tasks, ranging from coating microscopic electronic components to baking final coatings on airplane and vehicle parts. They reduce moisture in cleanrooms to assist remove and confine pollutants.
Industrial ovens have a wide range of applications
Industrial ovens have a large and varied range of applications. They have become a necessary component of all types of production in order to increase product performance and dependability. A couple of the most popular applications are listed below.
Sterilization
As demonstrated in the dry heat sterilizer depicted below, industrial ovens are used to sanitize medical devices and tools. For the eradication of germs, microorganisms, and viruses, the medical business requires equipment with accurate temperature control. Industrial ovens include precision controls that are suited for the environment.
The uses of conveyor, batch, and laboratory ovens
Batch or conveyor ovens are commonly used by factories because to their capacity and durability. Despite the fact that laboratory ovens fulfill the same criteria as industrial ovens, they are often used for smaller part testing or treatment.
Regardless of the differences between the three types of industrial ovens, it is beneficial to have a basic understanding of each, especially when deciding which oven is appropriate for your production needs.
When purchasing a kind of production heating, it is critical to understand the difference between an industrial oven and an industrial furnace, as the two are sometimes mistaken.
Identifying the different types of industrial ovens
Ovens for research
Laboratory ovens are used to achieve consistent temperatures via forced volume thermal convection. Annealing, die-bond curing, drying, Polyimide baking, and sterilization are some of the processes used. With temperatures over 350° C, typical sizes range from one cubic foot to 32 cubic feet.
Drying, heating, thermal testing, and aging are just a few of the thermal treatments that laboratory ovens can handle. They're used in testing labs, universities and colleges, and material testing at industrial locations since they're so adaptable.
Lab ovens have latched doors, pressure release panels, stainless steel interiors, solid-state controllers and contactors, and a chemical-resistant external coating, unlike industrial batch ovens.
Batch ovens for industry
Temperatures exceeding 1250°F (676°C) are used in batch ovens. Batch ovens can be walk-in or cabinet-style, with capacities ranging from a few cubic feet to several cubic feet. The inside is made of aluminized steel, with adjustable ducting, a painted exterior, a digital controller, and a control panel. Batch ovens, as shown in the diagram below, are designed to handle bigger single batches at extremely high temperatures and have significantly greater capacity and size than laboratory industrial ovens.