Industrial ovens are an essential tool in many manufacturing processes, offering a controlled environment for heating, drying, and curing various materials. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each designed to accommodate specific production needs.
The following are the different types of industrial ovens:
Forced Convection Ovens
These ovens use fans to circulate hot air around the product, ensuring an even and consistent temperature throughout the chamber. They are commonly used for heat treatment, curing, and drying, and are suitable for a wide range of applications, including composites manufacturing, sintering, and pre-heating.
Batch Ovens aka. Box Ovens
Batch ovens are ideal for small to large-scale production runs and are commonly used in the composite manufacturing and powder coating industries. They are designed to process a single batch at a time, with a fixed or varying temperature profile that is programmed into the control system.
Continuous/Conveyor Ovens
Conveyor ovens are designed for medium to large-scale production runs and are used in the automotive and electronics industries, among others. They are designed to process products continuously, with a conveyor system that moves the product through the oven at a constant speed. The principle benefit is typically reduced need for multiple operators. Especially when combined with automated loading and/unloading.
Walking Beam Ovens
Walking beam ovens are used for large-scale production runs and are commonly used in the automotive and aerospace industries. They are designed to process products continuously, with a conveyor system that moves the product through the oven on a series of beams.
Bogie Hearth Ovens
Bogie Hearth ovens are designed to process large and heavy products, such as tooling and other large components. They are commonly used in the automotive and aerospace industries and are designed to move the product in and out of the oven on a powered load bed.
Infrared Ovens
Infrared ovens use infrared radiation to heat the product, rather than hot air. They are commonly used in the electronics and plastics industries, and are particularly suitable for applications where rapid heating is required. Customers can choose between long or short wave emitter to best suit their process requirements.
Vacuum Ovens
Vacuum ovens are designed to operate under a vacuum, reducing the pressure within the chamber and removing air and moisture. They are commonly used in the composites, manufacturing and electronics industries, and are suitable for applications where contamination and oxidation must be avoided. Vacuum ovens are especially valued where temperature sensitive components must be dried thoroughly, owing to the reduced boiling point of water in a vacuum.
Burn-Off Ovens/Pyrolysis Ovens
Burn-Off ovens or Burnout ovens harness a process known as pyrolysis. They remove or break down organic materials that have adhered to metal parts. This often takes the form of paint on jigs, or winding and insulation materials on motors. The process works by heating the parts in a reduced oxygen atmosphere where a reaction takes place and reduces the contaminant to a residue that is richer in carbon (ash). Any emissions that are given off during this process are put through an afterburner that heats these gasses to around 850°C for a minimum set time. Heating these gasses to such a temperature turns them into H2O and CO2.
Industrial ovens are a versatile and essential tool in many manufacturing processes, offering a controlled environment for heating, drying, and curing various materials. The different types of industrial ovens are designed to accommodate specific production needs and are suitable for a wide range of applications.
When selecting an industrial oven, it is important to consider the size and type of product to be processed, the production requirements, and the desired temperature profile.
At Caltherm, we have over 40 years of experience, making us the leading Industrial Oven, Dryer and Furnace manufacturer in the UK. For more information, please get in touch.