There are thousands of ovens that come in all shapes and sizes and people predominantly use ovens in their households for cooking and general use.  Businesses in the fast food and catering industry also have the facilities to accommodate for in-house cooking.

There are however ovens of a different kind – specifically, ovens that are implemented for manufacturing processes and production. Many businesses get confused and they will try to locate an industrial oven – this however can be more challenging than anticipated, as individuals don’t always know which oven to get. Sourcing the right oven can be time consuming which ultimately costs you money.

To help make this easier we have been able to identify the differences between the types of ovens and, which will be applicable to your industry and business. Below is some information on the different kinds of oven available as well as its functionality.

Drying ovens

‘Drying’ is a process where liquid is removed by evaporation through the supply of heat – It is a process of mass transfer. The moisture is carried away via air, which is in the form of heat.

Predominantly drying ovens are used to remove moisture from a product so that specific products that need pre-treating for painting are ready, as they will be dried.  Often enough people think that these ovens are kilns however the key difference is the temperature that they reach.  Kilns reach a higher temperature as they ‘bake’ the product and a drying oven …. well the answers in the name.

Curing ovens

Curing ovens are used to ‘cure composite materials and coatings’. This is a process whereby materials are hardened through the cross linking of polymer chains. The materials are basically joined together in this so that they can be shaped and hardened together. The benefits of the curing oven is that it heats your parts faster which can allow for increased production, lower installation and start up costs and most importantly its reduced maintenance.

Curing ovens come in either batch or with a conveyor facility- this will depend on the manner of your manufacturing and production processes.

Industrial ovens have a host of functions and they are able to facilitate all manufacturing processes. It is often confusing as there are many to choose from. Not many manufacturers implement the right ovens, which can affect productivity and ultimately cost you lots of money. It is recommended that you research your oven thoroughly and scope the market for the best price. One thing you need to consider is whether they will facilitate servicing your oven should anything happen to it. The reason why this is important is that should something happen then they can repair and service the problem straight away as this may cost you more on production down time – which will affect your overall costs.

By Sam Hurley

Sam Hurley is a Digital Marketing Consultant at Focus DC in Leicestershire. You can contact Sam on Twitter @fdcstudio