A defense industry manufacturer has purchased an inert atmosphere batch oven for processing stainless steel parts in a reduced oxygen environment to prevent scaling. The furnace is designed to use a nitrogen atmosphere system to reduce surface oxidation of parts and includes a flow meter calibrated for nitrogen and controlled via closed loop to maintain the reduced oxygen level.
Wisconsin Oven Corporation shipped the system, which has a maximum temperature rating of 1,250°F with the capacity to heat and cool approximately 6,000 lbs. of steel per load in an inert atmosphere. The temperature is controlled by a Watlow F4T digital recorder/controller with ethernet communication capabilities. Temperature uniformity of +/- 10°F at 1,000°F and 1,200°F was verified with a nine-point profile test.
Vice President of Sales
Wisconsin Oven Corporation
Source: Wisconsin Oven Corporation
The oven features a “CAN” style construction with a heavy plate exterior, a total of six inches of insulation, and an 18-gauge 304 stainless steel interior. To maximize throughput and productivity, the oven is designed with a pneumatically operated vertical lift door and powered load/unload table capable of handling up to 6,000 lbs., along with a water cooling system to reduce the cooling time, to allow for faster production cycles.
“This inert atmosphere oven includes several state-of-the-art features that increase production throughput and provide reduced surface oxidation,” said Mike Grande, vice president of sales at Wisconsin Oven. “These include water cooling to reduce the cooling time at the end of the cycle, closed-loop nitrogen control to prevent nitrogen overconsumption, oxygen and humidity sensors to provide real time data, and an industrial IoT system to connect the unit to the Wisconsin Oven aftermarket team for remote data monitoring and tech support.”
The press release is available in its original form here.
