Military Base Installs LEWCO Composite Curing Oven
Recently, LEWCO delivered an enhanced duty composite curing oven to a military base. The oven has a maximum temperature of 650°F and is used to cure vacuum-bagged composite aircraft parts.
The enhanced duty walk-in oven features a top-mounted heater-box with a 1,500,000 BTU direct fired natural gas burner and (2) 36,000 CFM high-efficiency circulation fans provide uniform heat throughout the workspace. The airflow volume of the oven is designed to meet the strict temperature uniformity requirements. The temperature uniformity exceeded customer specifications of +/- 10°F, by achieving better than +/- 5°F at an operating temperature of 375°F. 
Included with the oven are (6) vacuum ports, (1) vacuum transducer, (6) type “J” thermocouple jacks, an integral vacuum pump, and a 60-gallon vacuum pressure accumulator tank with variable pressure controls.
Oven controls include a Eurotherm Nanodac temperature controller with a redundant high-limit controller to provide precise temperature control with over-temperature protection. This controller has a multitude of capabilities, such as a serial communication port, ramp/ soak programming, and data logging. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) interfaced with a Human Machine Interface (HMI) to communicate over Ethernet IP, allowing remote monitoring. The equipment and controls are designed to be compliant with AMS2750E.
Due to flammable volatiles present in the workspace, the oven is designed to NFPA 86 Class A Standards. Many features are involved in meeting this standard including safety ventilation, a purge cycle, and explosion relief. LEWCO Industrial Ovens meet these standards.
