Baker Furnace, Inc. shipped a custom-built, high-temperature conveyor oven designed to heat treat rods used to manufacture commercial heating elements. The process also requires a nitrogen purge to create a specific atmosphere.
At 35 ft long with an operating temperature of 1900°F, the engineering challenges for this unique application were a combination of the size and high temperature coupled with the fact that the application required four different heating zones with a nitrogen injection in every zone.
The electrically-powered conveyor oven was constructed as a modular system which allowed Baker Furnace to conduct a complete test on site and then break it down to ship and install in the most cost-effective manner. The first two zones for heating measure 24”w x 16”h x 12’L while the two cooling sections measure 24”w x 16”h x 20’L, both with nitrogen injection supply lines to create an inert atmosphere. The oven is equipped with a 24” wide inconel wire woven belt supported by an internal inconel slider bed, which is driven with a gear reduction motor (speed controlled by Allen Bradley drives). Using formed rod-style, Kanthal elements rated at 60kW for heating, the entire system is controlled with an Allen Bradley touch screen HMI and Allen Bradley PLC software.
“Designing a conveyor oven of this size and temperature is a challenge in itself, but our biggest hurdle came when we had to achieve a plus or minus 25°F heat uniformity within the multiple zones. Each zone required different temperatures with a nitrogen injection. We leaned on our past experience as well as testing several scenarios to come up with a design that the customer loves.” Tim Bacon, Lead Project Manager at Baker Furnace.
