Pretty much everyone has an oven at home. It’s perfect for cooking and heating up meals. The world of industry has taken things up a level when it comes to ovens. They can be larger, more powerful, and serve a host of different uses. But why would a manufacturing business or medical supplier decide to have one? Let’s find out.

They Are Designed for a Purpose

Every business’s needs and factory sizes are going to be different. These ovens can be a perfect fit for industrial applications because they are custom-made. People may desire walk-in ovens, specialized cabinets, or lab ovens. They can be either electric or gas-fired, depending on requirements. Some ovens even run on fuel oil, steam, UV rays, or hot water.

Uses for the Automotive Industry 

Direct gas ovens will cost a company more than an electric one, but its running costs will be cheaper. If a manufacturer wants to cure coatings on steel, they can use this oven. 

It will also have an application for making car parts, including brake linings and brake pads. These ovens also have uses for the manufacturing of other friction materials such as suspension and interior components, plus the actual engine. 

Uses for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Drying ovens are used to heat treat metals. This is for the extrusion process. The procedure involves heating material and keeping it in that environment for a specific amount of time. The cooling process then follows, during which time the hot air leaves via the exhaust and cool (ambient) air is introduced. 

Pharmaceutical companies use drying ovens to sterilize medical equipment, instruments, and glassware. This is to remove viruses, bacteria, and microbes. The ovens are ideally heated to 160 degrees C, with the items kept inside for between 45 minutes and one hour.  Gravity convection ovens are known to destroy any microbiological contaminants found in laboratory equipment. 

Manufacturing ovens can also bake the coating onto tablets. The use of an oxidizer can ensure that the excess chemicals and waste are removed from this coating too. 

Forensic labs use specially adapted vacuum ovens to help develop fingerprints. Other businesses use them for temperature testing and conducting incubating temperature-sensitive experiments. 

When Mass Production Is Required

Conveyor ovens are also called continuous ovens. This is because there is not just one chamber that heats materials, and needs to cool down again. Instead, there is both a heating and a cooling chamber for moving the products around. They give consistent results and are perfect for being incorporated into an assembly or production line within a factory. 

Continuous ovens can be used at different speeds, and the manufacturing industry uses them for drying, stress relieving, annealing (increasing inductility), curing, bonding, preheating, tempering, and forming. 

When Batch Production Is Required

Batch ovens can be small or large. Companies can choose if they want a walk-in oven or benchtop version. There are different ways to insert the materials, ranging from carts and racks to trucks. Each batch will receive identical treatment within the oven. 

They are multi-use like the conveyor ovens, helping with annealing, curing, drying, and aging. 

When Food Production Is Required

Companies specializing in both normal and packaged food production use baking ovens to increase productivity. 

Tunnel ovens are used to bake products. They can be placed on the pan or on the hearth. Products can be cooked both quickly and continuously. They can be fired by direct or indirect gas, and such ovens are also used by the automobile industry. 

When Pre-Treating and Painting Is Required

Curing ovens are used to make paint or powder bond with the metal. They can go as high as 800 degrees F (426 degrees C), which speeds up the whole process. 

Some metals, rubber, or plastics are put in curing ovens to harden them up. Adhesives and coatings can also receive this treatment.  

Heat Treatment, Burn-In Testing, and Sintering Purposes

Heat treatment can address stress relief (i.e. structure, thermal, and residual aspects) in metals. Brittleness can be reduced and metal can be tempered.

When electrical circuits need assessment, they will need burn-in testing. This will be both static and dynamic. It can be used on electronic devices and integrated circuitry. 

The process of sintering changes the composition of the metal, making it both stronger and denser. An example is when heat treating Teflon coated pipes and pipe fittings.   

Environmental laboratories use industry ovens to dry specimens and calculate their moisture content. They do this by weighing the items both before and after the process. 

As we have seen, industrial ovens have many applications. They range from solder strength testing in circuit boards to making cars or sterilizing medical equipment. The legal specifications are strongly enforced, so it’s important to meet these requirements at all times.