Discover the eight (8) things to know when specifying an industrial oven in this definitive guide to conveyor ovens created especially for Process Engineers and Industrial Buyers.
1. THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO
SPECIFYING
ACONVEYOROVEN
A Specifying Checklist for Process Engineers & Industrial Buyers
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THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO
SPECIFYING A CONVEYOR OVEN
A Specifying Checklist for Process Engineers & Industrial Buyers
THE 8 THINGS TO KNOW WHEN SPECIFYING
1. Oven Types
2. Heating Source
3. Tempurature Range
4. Heating & Cooling Profiles
5. Airflow Arrangement
6. Conveying System
7. Plant Environment
8. Product Requirements
3. KNOW YOUR OVEN TYPES1
CONTINUOUS OVENS
WHEN TO USE A CONTINUOUS OVEN
There are two primary conveyor oven types. CONTINUOUS ovens are for thermal processing large
quantities of similar products, while INDEXING ovens are typically for thermal processing large products
or groups of products with varying heating and cooling requirements.
As the name implies, there is a continuously moving conveyor system in this type of
oven. Parts are loaded on the conveyor belt and move through the heated chamber
at a predetermined speed that matches the desired production rate and thermal
processing requirements.
A continuous oven is ideal when large volumes of similar parts, shape and size, are
to be produced in-line. These types of ovens work very well with automated loading
systems as well as manually loading the parts on the conveyor belt.
INDEXING OVENS
WHEN TO USE AN INDEXING OVEN
Unlike continuous ovens, indexing oven parts are conveyed through the oven
chamber in a series of a stop-and-go movements. Individual parts or groups of
parts are staged in a load position and advanced incrementally through the oven
chamber.
Indexing ovens are ideal for applications where individual parts or groups of parts
are staged before entering the heated chamber of the oven. They work very well for
applications where the process requires the product to be processed at different
temperatures throughout the thermal process. Indexing ovens can feature multiple
zones of temperature control. For example: zone 1 operates at 200⁰F, zone 2
operates at 350⁰F, zone 3 operates at 500⁰F, and zone 4 is a cooling zone.
ASK YOURSELF
• What type of oven meets my needs?
• Am I processing large quantities of similar
products?
• Am I processing products that are staged in
groups or staged individually?
• Does my application or process required one
temperature set point or multiple ramp up
profiles?
4. ASK YOURSELF
• What are my local utility rates?
• What power source is my plant equipped to
handle already?
• How much product weight will be processed
per hour, shift or day?
CHOOSE YOUR HEATING SOURCES2
ELECTRIC
NATURAL/LP GAS
OR A COMBINATION OF ANY OF THE ABOVE
RADIANT/IR
5. KNOW YOUR TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS3
Determine your minimum and maximum operating temperatures.
Determine if you need a single temperature throughout the chamber….
…or multiple temperature profiles throughout the oven chamber.
ASK YOURSELF
• Should I specify higher temperature capacities to account for future products?
Even though your products today process at 500º, you may want to be prepared for future products at
higher temperatures.
maximum
minimum
6. KNOW YOUR HEATING & COOLING PROFILES4
HEATING PROFILES
COOLING PROFILES
The most important part of the thermal process is the heating profile. It is critical to know if your product
requires processing at a single temperature, ramp up to the required tempertaure in a specific amount of time
and soak for a specific amount of time, or ramp and soak at several temperatures throughout the thermal
process. (The graph is an example of several ramp and soak zones in a multiple zone indexing oven)
If cooling is required it is critical to know if the cooling is required for handling safety or is it part of
the thermal process. If for handling specify the temperature that is considered safe. If cooling is part
of the thermal process know the desired temperature and the time allowed to reach the desired cool
temperature.
ASK YOURSELF
HEATING
• Does my product have to ramp to a specific
temperature in a certain amount of time?
• Does my product need to soak after reaching
temperature?
• Are there multiple soak profiles?
COOLING
• What temperature is considered cool?
• Are there safety considerations, e.g. part
handling?
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 60.00 70.00 80.00 90.00 100.00
Left Top
Left Middle
Left Bottom
Right Top
Right Middle
Right Bottom
Set Point
7. KNOW YOUR AIRFLOW ARRANGEMENTS5
COMMON AIRFLOW ARRANGEMENTS:
ASK YOURSELF
• What shapes am I processing? Products may
have angles that block airflow.
• Where does the heated air need to be
impinged on the product?
• How heavy are my products? Remember,
if your products are too light, they may blow
around the chamber.
VERTICAL TOP TO BOTTOM AIRFLOW
VERTICAL BOTTOM TO TOP AIRFLOW
COMBINATION TOP TO BOTTOM AIRFLOW
8. KNOW YOUR CONVEYING SYSTEMS6
CONVEYOR BELTS come in a variety of materials and can be fitted with custom
product trays and tooling.
CONVEYOR SYSTEMS are available in horizontal, overhead/monorail, incline
and spiral configurations.
ROLLERS are often used in place of traditional belts and are available in a wide
range of materials.
The speed, size, shape and make-up of your product will determine the optimal conveyance system. Below
are some of the most common solutions:
11. ROLLER TYPES
METAL ALLOYS
COATED ROLLERS
ASK YOURSELF
• What speed do I want to convey products?
• Do I need a range of variable speeds?
• Does my product require custom product
trays or tooling?
12. KNOW YOUR PLANT ENVIRONMENT7
Consider the operating voltages available at your facility.
Choose a location that provide ample floor space for installation and product handling.
Be realistic when specifying your oven. Make sure your plant has the floor space to install your oven and
door space to get it inside your facility.
ASK YOURSELF
• What operating voltages are available in my
plant?
• What width, height, and length can my plant
support?
• How big is the door to my plant?
• If my door is too small, how will I fit the oven in
my plant?
13. KNOW YOUR PRODUCT8
Tell your oven fabricator as much as you can about your product so they can help you determine the best
thermal processing solution.
PRODUCT FLAMMABILITY
Combustible materials and flammable volatiles
pose a potential fire hazard when not properly
ventilated. Make sure your facility is equipped to
meet all EPA and OSHA standards.
PRODUCT SHAPE
• Is it round, rectangle, some other odd shape?
• Are there valleys, dips, or other characteristics
that will introduce airflow challenges?
PRODUCT DIMENSIONS
• What is the largest product that will go
through the oven?
• What is the smallest?
PRODUCT ORIENTATION
• How much room will it require on the conveyor belt?
• What orientation will be most efficient?
• How large is my plant operating area?
PRODUCT WEIGHT
• How heavy is my product?
• How fatiguing is my product to handle?
• How long is a shift?
PRODUCT LOADING
• Will the product be loaded one at a time or in groups?
• Will the product be loaded manually or automated?
ASK YOURSELF
• Considering all the questions above, what kind of oven would be best for my product?
14. NOW YOU KNOW
You now have the information you need to accurately specify your requirements to an oven fabricator.
It is recommended to choose a fabricator that handles all manufacturing in-house to ensure every
component is built to the same quality standard.
READY TO GET STARTED?
FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING
SPECIFICATION WORKSHEET
AND EMAIL TO JEVANS@DAVRONTECH.COM
1-888-263-2673
davrontech.com
15. CONVEYOR OVEN
SPECIFYING
WORKSHEET
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COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person:______________________________________________ Title:___________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________ City:__________________ State:_________________ Zip:____________
Email Address:_______________________________________________ PhoneNumber:________________________________________
METHOD OF HEATING
Electric
Natural Gas
Other:_____________________________
No Preference
OPERATING VOLTAGE
Example: 480 volt / 3 Phase / 60 hertz
Voltage:___________________________________
Phase:_____________________________________
Hertz:______________________________________
MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE
Specify degrees C or F
Degrees:___________________________________
Fahrenheit
Celsius
Please provide as much of the following information as possible to allow us to provide an accurate proposal
for your application.
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16. HEAT LOAD / CYCLE TIME
A. What type of materials will be heated?
Metal, plastic, etc. Include what “type” of material — e.g. alloy 304 stainless steel. If multiple materials,
please describe.
B. What is the maximum weight of the material to be processed?
If multiple materials, please provide the weight of each.
C. What is the time requirement for heating?
Please note if your product needs to ramp to temperature in a certain time. If your product ramps to
temperature, how long will it be required to soak at temperature? If multiple ramp and soak profiles are
required, please explain in detail.
D. Please describe the physical size of your product, include width, length and height.
Please provide width in relation to the width of the conveyor. Please provide length in relation to the
preferred direction of travel in the oven. If unkown, what is the required production rate per unit of time
— e.g. parts per hour or day?
E. In your production, will the parts be presented to the oven one at a time or in groups?
If processed in groups, please provide number per group. If single or group, how often will a part or
parts be presented for oven processing?
F. Conveyor ovens can operate in an index or continuous motion. If your requirement is
specific, please explain.
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17. A. If your oven operates in an index configuration, do you need doors at the ends of
the chamber to isolate the oven from the plant?
B. After the oven heating process, is cooling required for your application?
If cooling is required, what temperature is considered cool?
Are solvents present in your process?
If so, provide the type of solvent and volume per hour of production operation.
If your application requires drying a product, please provide the following information:
A. Based on the production rate information provided above, how much water, or
other liquid, needs to be removed from each part per hour?
B. Is a “wet” weight known for the part? If so, what would the “dry” weight be for the part?
From this, we can determine how much moisture has to be removed over what period of time.
C. Is the moisture only external to the part or is the part saturated?
D. Can the part be dried as quickly as possible or does it need to be gradual to prevent
damage or fracture?
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ARRANGEMENT
A. Please provide any available information regarding plant space requirements.
B. What is the height available at the oven location?
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18. If you have any special construction requirements list them here.
For example: alloy 304 stainless steel interior
If a specific belt or custom tray arrangement is required, please explain.
Please list any special instructions or requirements for your oven.
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1-888-263-2673 davrontech.com
Davron Technologies, Inc.
4563 Pinnacle Lane
Chattanooga, TN 37415
Fax: 423-870-3355
Thank you for filling out the worksheet! Ready to get in touch with a Davron oven specialist?
Send this worksheet as an attachment to JEvans@davrontech.com