Comparison of the Categories of Industrial Ovens

Comparison of the Categories of Industrial Ovens

Comparison of Industrial Ovens and Industrial Furnaces

Industrial Ovens 

An industrial oven is a large, powered machine used to heat metal objects. Most ovens use either direct or indirect heating methods to produce the desired temperature in an object. The industrial oven is made up of multiple parts and it is classified according to its function. The industrial oven is able to create a high temperature and then keep the metal at that temperature for a long time. Additionally, the industrial oven is very reliable and it can be used in a wide variety of settings.

Comparison of the Categories of Industrial Ovens 

  • Industrial Batch Ovens: A batch oven operates at a temperature above 1250 degrees F or 676 degrees C. Batch ovens are walk-in types or cabinet-type ovens, ranging in size, which may vary from a few cubic-feet to several cubic-feet. They feature aluminized steel interiors, adjustable ductwork, painted exteriors, digital controllers, and a control panel. This type of oven is designed to process larger single batches at high temperatures and has a much larger capacity & size as compared to laboratory furnaces.
  • Conveyor Ovens: They are designed in a number of configurations, including flat belts, chains, Ferris wheels, carousels, overhead trolleys, serpentines, spindles, and rods. Unlike the batch oven, a conveyor oven requires no loading/unloading/heating & cooling, thus saving labor as well as energy costs. This type of oven is used for preheating, annealing, tempering, curing, heat-shrinking, drying, & heat-forming. This type of oven has lesser flexibility than the batch-type oven. They have a similar temperature as that in a batch oven. Such type of an oven can feed or index continuously through heat zones and is usually automated for big quantities of small and medium-sized products. 
  • Laboratory Ovens: This type of oven is designed for forced volumetric heat convection applications for providing uniform temperature. In this, the processes include annealing, drying, die-bond curing, sterilizing & Polyimide baking. Sizes can vary from as small as 1 cubic foot to as large as 32 cubic feet with temperatures above 350 degrees Celsius. This type of oven is designed to perform heat treatments like drying, heating, heat testing, and aging. Because these types of ovens are so versatile, they are usually seen in testing laboratories, universities & colleges, and for material testing at industrial sites. Unlike industrial ovens, the laboratory ones have latched doors, stainless-steel interior, pressure release panel, solid-state controller & contactor, and chemical-resistant exterior coating.

Comparison of Industrial Ovens and Industrial Furnaces

Often people get perplexed about the differences between an industrial oven and an industrial furnace, and these two terms are used interchangeably. Essentially, both devices talk of the methodology to generate extreme heat in a fireproof enclosure for the purpose of heat treatment. The main differences are described below.

  • Atmosphere: An industrial furnace and industrial oven both operate in an environment with air or inert gas. Unlike an industrial oven, the furnace can operate in a flammable atmosphere consisting of hydrogen or endothermic gasses and exothermic gasses.
  • Temperature: Industrial ovens are designed for aluminum aging as well as for aerospace curing; they operate at temperatures between 450 degrees F and 850 degrees F. On the other hand, Industrial furnaces operate at a temperature between 2000 degrees F and 2250 degrees F.
  • Applications: Air circulation, as well as temperature control, allows an industrial oven to perform the operations like cooking, curing, baking, and other such low-temp operations. On the other hand, high-temp industrial furnaces can perform more vigorous operations like annealing, tempering, & carburizing, etc.
  • Heat Distribution: The air inside industrial ovens gets heated in a chamber separate from the product and is also circulated. Air circulation must be very high for heating the product(s). 
  • Vertical Airflow: The heat in furnaces is in direct contact with the product being processed. Heat sources can be set in different configurations for the purpose of a uniform heating effect.