LEWCO Delivers 4th Industrial Oven to Global Aerospace Manufacturer

LEWCO, Inc. recently delivered a large composite curing oven to a global manufacturer of aerospace structures, systems and components. The oven features a top mounted heater-box with natural gas burners and high efficiency circulation fans. It was designed to meet NFPA 86 Class A standards. OSHA compliant safety railings surround the top perimeter of the oven to allow for added safety during oven maintenance.

Epoxy components are loaded into the batch oven through bi-parting swing doors and connected to an internal vacuum header. A state-of-the-art oven control system was designed by LEWCO controls’ engineers to meet strict aerospace specifications. This system provides a simple, yet reliable operating platform.

The oven has a maximum operating temperature of 500°F and a temperature uniformity of +/- 10°F was required. LEWCO engineers conducted a 25-point uniformity survey and achieved results of +/- 6°F, beating the requirement by 4°F. Engineers attribute this to LEWCO’s proprietary plenum design and effective airflow distribution.

The oven’s workspace dimensions measure 12’ w x 14’ d x 8’ h. Due to the overall size of the oven, it was designed it to be disassembled in three sections for shipment. These sections will then be reassembled on-site in one day or less. LEWCO engineers will oversee the final commissioning of this oven.

This is the fourth walk-in oven this customer has ordered from LEWCO and construction is about to begin on a fifth oven for a different process heating application. According to Mike Luli, a LEWCO applications engineer and the project manager overseeing the commissioning of this oven, “The customer is extremely pleased with the performance of the previous LEWCO Ovens they’ve purchased. Our ovens are yielding better results than any other oven the customer currently has, so they want to continue working with us. Now, it is our job is to continue improving on our oven design and performance. We want to continue this great customer relationship and ensure future success.”