Superior Finishing Systems worked with an equipment company in North Carolina to evaluate how to improve their convection oven. We were seeking increased production time and ability to fully cure all parts. Further, our customer was experiencing bottle-necks in the production process because of the various sizes of parts, causing the plant to slow the line speed, which caused reduced productivity. The integration of load cell system provides a more efficient transition of the various parts coated. After evaluation, the retrofit consisted of the following:

• Removed existing IR emitters from oven;
• Extended entrance vestibule by approximately 5 additional feet to accommodate air seal and new heaters. The old IR heaters were removed and a lot of eight (8) 18″ x 60″ Vulcan IR Heaters, each having 45,000 BTUs were installed;
• Integrated load cell (0-2000 lbs.) and new PLC controls into existing conveyor and IR Control Panel to convert to automated control;
• The controls monitor ranges of part weights and adjust infrared output accordingly.

The installation resulted in our customer reducing their cure oven running temperature from 475°F to 435°F. They were also able to increase their line speed by one foot per minute and are achieving a complete cure on their parts. In addition, the plant was able to reduce its natural gas consumption. These factors result in an approximate 10% savings overall. At a cost of just under $50,000, their investment should be easily recovered in just a few years.