Industrial ovens remove solvents from products through drying, curing, baking, dehydrating and aging. It also reactivates adhesives, gel and fuse materials together and preheat, sinter, melt, heat-treat, laminate other materials. These processes need heat and mass transfer, which is possible through conduction, convection or infrared heat. Each and every business process requires different heating technology so industrial ovens are planned with a combination of these types of heat transfers.

Batch and continuous units are the two possible configurations that exist for industrial ovens. Most ovens fall under the category of batch ovens, which process an individual product in a single group. Continuous ovens consist of automated systems that move large quantities of products through the oven.

In conduction, heat is applied directly to one part of an object, exciting the electrons. It transfers heat from a hot plate to the bottom of the product or material. But in convection, excited molecules reach a state of fluid motion as gases or liquids are heated. Infrared ovens use radiant heat, which heats the object itself, rather than the air within the oven. Infrared heat is the heat transfer method of choice in the curing of metal, plastic and composite parts.

Industrial ovens are used in a wide variety of industries, including coated paper, vinyl, textiles, industrial and coated fabrics, technical textiles, safety fabric, knits, carpet and building materials.

To optimize drying and curing processes, choose the appropriate energy source, get good control, design dryers properly and use air. Finally, it is important to remember that precise processes can only be accomplished with precise temperature control.