Cooked food has been part of our livelihood since man discovered fire thousands of years ago. Many centuries ago, the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks used brick ovens, which was the basic idea for the oven. The central idea was to evolve from open fire cooking by using bricks to contain the fire and allow for cauldrons to be placed over the top of a fire.
Humankind has achieved significant milestones over the years concerning ovens, the basic idea for the first oven has remained. With such significant advancements, ovens have evolved over the years in size, and we now have Walk-In Ovens. This guide explores what you should know about “Walk-In Ovens.”
What is a Walk-In Oven?
Walk-In Ovens, also referred to as Truck-in Ovens or Batch ovens, are a category of industrial ovens mostly used in manufacturing. The term “walk-in” is derived from the oven’s height: which is the same as the average adult. Industrial ovens are made to capability, classification, configuration, and classification. With this range of different factors, industrial ovens are able to link up to a broader scope of thermal-processing applications and fit any workspace impression. Walk-in ovens are mostly made for large scale operations and engineered to cover any need: whether it’s a customizable oven or one that is custom-engineered from scratch to the final product.
Choosing the Right Type of Industrial Oven for Your Application
Ovens range from batch ovens, cabinet ovens, bench-top ovens, truck-in ovens, top-loading ovens, conveyor ovens, standard, and custom annealing ovens, curing ovens, drying ovens, convection ovens, composite-curing ovens, and other types of custom-built ovens engineered for different needs. With multiple options available, you need to ask yourself a few questions to help you understand the industrial oven that meets your application area:
- What are your specific temperature and uniformity requirements (maximum and minimum)?
To help ensure a uniform product, uniform temperatures within the industrial oven work area have to be met. The temperature range of industrial ovens varies from 450℉ to 1200℉. Consider the following factors in line with temperature and uniformity requirements:
- Required dwell time and cycle time.
- Heat-up rate control.
- Type and quantity of product load.
- Specific cool down prerequisite.
- Oven heating capacity.
- Does vertical (up/down), horizontal, or uniflow (the combination of horizontal and vertical up) airflow methods work for your application.
The type of airflow helps in reducing cold spots count across the chamber; this is vital to successful industrial oven operation and selection. You do not want to achieve unpleasant results by coupling the wrong airflow with the incorrect product-loading configuration. The most commonly utilized types of industrial oven airflow are as follows:
- Vertical/Horizontal
- Horizontal/Vertical
- Vertical/Top Down
- Vertical/Bottom Up
- Full Horizontal/Vertical
- Full horizontal
- Do you want the industrial oven to be electric or gas-fired?
Choosing the proper heat source is a vital decision when choosing thermal processing equipment. Consider the following list, which displays the most utilized sources of heat for industrial ovens.
- Direct gas-fired – are expensive as they handle either propane or natural gas.
- Electric heated – these are commonly used industrial ovens.
- Indirect gas-fired –these ovens are efficient, with statistics placing them at 70 percent better than electric heated.
- Steam heated
- Hot water heated
- Oil fired
- Does the industrial oven need to cool as well as heat?
- Will you require a vacuum?
- Have you considered the shipping and installation costs of the oven design?
- Do you require a fully customized product to meet your needs?
- Will the oven need to cure, dry, anneal, or seal?
- Do you need vertical or horizontal airflow for your application?
By answering a few of the questions listed as the list is long, you will be able to pick an industrial oven that is best suited for your application.