Industrial Oven & Dryer Applications

No matter the industry, if you’re a manufacturer, you likely have process heating needs. Ovens, dryers, cheese melters, and more, even if the physical approach is the same (remove moisture or cause a chemical reaction by applying heat), there are many differences in this process.

Common Applications for Industrial Ovens

Just as there are differences between chemical coatings and ciabatta, there are important differences between curing ovens, baking ovens, and the like—all with different temperatures, heating and cooling cycles, and atmospheres. Today, we would like to explore some of the most common applications in which an industrial oven is used, and invite you to learn more about our upcoming oven and dryer guide.

Glass Annealing: Annealing is the process in which a material (often glass) is heated to relieve internal stresses before going through a slow cooling process to increase strength and reduce brittleness.
Baking: Baking, as it pertains to food manufacturers, is the process of heating a product in low temperatures to expel the gasses within it.
Brazing: Brazing is the process in which parts or metal components are joined using a dissimilar material with a lower melting point than the two materials being joined. An alternative to the welding process, brazing is used in the aerospace, automotive, electronic device manufacturing, medical and scientific engineering process, and more.
Burn-In Testing: Used to test materials, burn-in testing ovens are designed for dynamic and static burn-in of integrated circuits and other electronic devices, including laser diodes. Used to avoid failures during the use of a device, these ovens force early failure of products that would ultimately fail during later use.
Calcining: Calcining is the process in which solid materials or ores are heated to induce phase transition, decompose calcium carbonate into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide, or remove a volatile fraction.
Curing: The curing process is one of the most common applications of industrial heat. Used to set coatings (both liquid and powder) or to harden adhesives, the curing process is used in nearly every industry.
Composite Curing: Composite Curing is the process of setting in place high-strength, low weight carbon materials. With carbon fiber and other composites being used more frequently in a variety of industries, the composite curing process requires uniform heat and exceptional airflow control to achieve complete product uniformity.
Drying: Drying encompasses multiple definitions and serves many different purposes. For pharmaceuticals, this could mean the curing of tablets from a slurry. Drying could also refer to the sterilization of lab equipment, or the traditional “industrial dryer,” which includes float dryers, web dryers, or tower dryers designed for packaging, printing, coating, and more.
Depyrogenation: Depyrogenationrefers to the removal of pyrogens (fever inducing substances) from solution, most commonly from injectable pharmaceuticals.
Heat Treating: Heat treating is the application of heat to metal in order to achieve a desired effect. Heat treating includes annealing, stress relief, aging, and tempering, and takes place at set temperatures dependent on the material being treated.
- Metallurgical Annealing: As it pertains to metals, annealing is the process of applying heat to increase ductility.
- Aging: Aging simulates the effect of time on a material. As it pertains to Aluminum, this process hardens the material to provide more durability. To avoid damage and cracking, this process needs low, steady temperatures and takes place over hours or days.
- Stress Relief: Metal stress relief is the application of heat to relieve residual, structural, and thermal stresses resulting from cold working, shearing, welding or gas cutting.
- Tempering: Tempering is the process to reduce the brittleness of a hardened metal. This requires a stable, controlled environment to achieve the exact balance of hardness and ductility.
Pre-Heating: Pre-heating, as the name implies, is the heating of a material before it enters the main chamber. Many materials need to reach the application temperature at a specific speed, and the preheating process achieves this.
Sintering: Sintering is the process in which a material is compacted, bonding with itself without reaching a melting point. Through the sintering process, materials gain density and increase strength. Used in multiple industries including the dental industry, powdered metallurgy, and metal injection molding, the sintering process includes pre-heating, high heat, and cool-down.
Sterilization: Sterilization is a necessary part of the pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing industry. In this, industrial ovens are used to destroy bacteria present on glass and metal—including vials, syringes, surgical rods and staples, and more—before sealing and shipping the products.

Whether dryer, oven, furnace, or kiln, the application of heat to achieve a desired result requires the right tool for the job. These are just a few of the common applications in which an oven could be used; industrial ovens can be customized based on any unique need or application.

We will discuss the specifications and the industrial oven and dryer purchasing process in depth in an upcoming whitepaper.

The CMM Group: Experts in Heating Applications

When looking at ovens to achieve any of the above-mentioned applications (or ones that weren’t mentioned such as post-curing, thermal degreasing, and more), there are numerous factors that go into the final oven. To tackle the challenges, there are additional specifications to meet the unique needs of manufacturers. These specifications could include atmospheric changes, inert gas environments, and so much more, all designed to meet your company needs.

New Guide from The CMM Group: Steps to Selecting an Industrial Oven

Whether you’ve done it before or this is your first purchase of major machinery at your facility, having a plan in place and understanding the processes can help you f ind an oven or dryer that can benefit your company for years or decades to come with minimal downtime. At The CMM Group, we’re here to help and are proud to announce a new guide on the oven and dryer selection and implementation process, detailing every step from recognizing your needs to the consultation process to installing and operating your new industrial oven or dryer.We invite you to download the entire Five Steps to Selecting an Industrial Oven or Dryer for Your Manufacturing Facility guide here or preview it via SlideShare below:

Five Steps to Selecting an Industrial Oven or Dryer for Your Manufacturing Facility from The CMM Group

Ready to learn more? Contact The CMM Group today!