LEWCO Designs Continuous Process Oven for Automotive Manufacturer

When a leading Tier 2 Automotive Manufacturer was in need of a large oven to cure polyurethane foam, they turned to the experts at LEWCO. The result was a custom, high-efficiency, field assembled, continuous process oven.

The customer’s process consists of filling aluminum molds with polyurethane foam. The molds are fixed on steel carriers which pass through the oven at 176°F. to cure the foam. Once the mold reaches the end of the oven the foam is transferred to the next step of the process. 

The oven features a single, direct-fired, natural gas heater box supplying (2) independent oven zones each with a capacity of 2,000,000 Btu’s/Hr. A reduced flow fuel train permits operation as low as 140°F. At low fire position, the gas flow is reduced allowing the oven to operate at a lower temperature. The complete fuel train is NFPA 86 compliant.

The oven is equipped with a Programmable Logic Controller which incorporates temperature control, safety and motion abilities into a single controller. A Honeywell UDC2500 temperature controller with a redundant high-limit controller provide precise temperature control and over-temperature protection. Burner sequencing, ignition and flames monitoring is provided by Kromschroder flame safeguard. The PLC and temperature controller communicate over Ethernet IP, allowing remote monitoring at the customer’s master control panel. The process temperature set-point can be driven by a change in ambient temperature outside the oven. This was needed due to the oven being placed in a large open area.