Think : Thermal : Choosing the Right Industrial Oven for Your Application

Choosing the Right Industrial Oven for Your Application

Industrial ovens are available in an array of capabilities, considerations, classifications, and configurations to meet a wide range of thermal-processing applications and accommodate almost any work space footprint.

There are batch ovens, continuous-process ovens, bench-top ovens, cabinet ovens, truck-in ovens, top-loading ovens, conveyor ovens, Class 100/clean-room ovens, stacked ovens, inert-gas ovens, Class A/solvent-venting/explosion-proof ovens, standard and custom annealing ovens, curing ovens, drying ovens, lab ovens, gravity ovens, convection ovens, composite-curing ovens, and ovens-that-you-haven’t-yet-thought-of-to-have-custom-built kinds of ovens.

With so many options available, how can you choose the industrial oven that’s right for your application?
Here are some questions to help you get started as you navigate your way through the sea of heat:

• Does the oven need to cool as well as heat?
• Does your application need humidity?
• Will you need vacuum? 
• How much internal workspace will you need?
• What are your minimum and maximum temperature requirements?
• What size footprint do you need to accommodate (bench top, stacked, reach in, truck in, walk in?)

TPS offers an online product finder to help you narrow your selection based on the above criteria. Visit our Product Finder here:

• Do you want the oven to be electric or gas fired?
• What ramp-up and recovery times will the oven need to provide?
• Will your application work best with gravity or convection heating?
• Will you require specialized doors (vertical lift, for example) or a top-loading feature?
• Will the oven need to dry, anneal, cure or seal?
• What type of airflow (vertical, horizontal or both) will work best for your application?
• Does your application require that your oven meet specialized industry requirements such as those for Class 100 Clean Room status or NFPA 86 Class A Solvent Venting/Explosion Protection? 
• Does the oven need to use an inert gas?
• Will you need chart-recording capability?
• What type of controller do you need?
• Will you need customized features or a fully customized product to meet your application needs?   

The list goes on.  If you need help determining what type of industrial oven is best for your application, or if you need an industrial or lab oven with customized features or a fully customized product, TPS’s Engineering Design Services team can provide the expertise you need.