Long Dwell Times & Limited Space Pose Design Challenge

LEWCO, Inc. recently delivered (2) custom conveyor ovens to a large multi-national manufacturer of electrical insulators. The ovens will be used to cure a proprietary coating on various parts up to 248°F. A solvent in the coating required both ovens be designed to meet the requirements of NFPA 86, Class A ovens.

Curing part coatings at low temperatures is relatively simple; however this project posed a little more challenge to engineers. They were faced with designing two different ovens. The first oven had to meet long dwell time requirements and fit within a limited space. The second oven had to be integrated with an existing overhead conveyor system, while also fitting within a limited space.

After initial assessment for the first conveyor oven, it was obvious there was not enough room for a straight pass-through oven; therefore LEWCO utilized a double pass conveyor system. This design met the long dwell time requirements, fit within the required space, and was cost-effective to build because the overall length was cut in half.

To accommodate space constraints for the second oven, engineers used an “L” shape design. This design allowed the oven to be placed in a corner of the customers building. The oven was then elevated near the ceiling so that it could tie into the existing overhead conveyor that runs throughout the plant.

According to Senior Applications Engineer Lou Schaefer; “This customer came to LEWCO for expertise on conveyor oven design at a competitive price. The solution speaks for itself. It was cost-effective, saved space, and could easily be integrated into their current process system. They were happy with the results. ”