Convection Cure Ovens

When a thermoset powder is exposed to elevated temperature, it will begin to melt. As the material begins to melt, it will flow out and then chemically react to form a higher molecular weight polymer in a network-like structure. This cure process, called crosslinking, requires a certain degree of temperature for a certain length of time in order to reach full cure and establish the full film properties that the material was designed for. The chart below shows a curve of time temperature relationship for a theoretical powder material. The powder would cure at any point on the curve from 10 minutes at 420 F to 25 minutes at 320 F (10 mins. at 215.6 C to 25 mins. at 160 C). The application of energy to the product to be cured can be accomplished by convection cure ovens or infrared cure ovens.

Convection Cure Ovens

A convection oven uses a heat source, most commonly a gas burner, and a fan to heat the interior of an insulated enclosure. Different powder materials require different cure temperatures, commonly in a range between 350 F and 400 F (177 - 204 C). The part is heated by the hot air in the oven and it in turn conducts heat into the coating. The coating must be held at temperature for a predetermined length of time to reach full cure. So the cure cycle is so many minutes at so

Figure 5-1 Typical Cure Index

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Convection Cure Ovens

many degrees of temperature. The time it takes to bring the metal up to temperature must be added to the cure time requirement to determine the full cycle time in the oven. Convection cure time may be as short as 10 minutes or as long as 30 minutes, depending on the mass of the substrate and the cure requirements of the powder. Convection curing is dependable and flexible. The oven can be adjusted along a full range of temperature requirements and the line speed can be adjusted for the time requirement. The part can be exposed for a longer period of time than what is called for, usually with no change in color, gloss or performance in the coating. Energy consumption is related to the load of product, the amount of insulation and the volume of exhaust. Typically, a gas-fired oven is very efficient and cost effective. Materials The oven interior skin should be aluminized steel because it has superior heat resistance over galvanized or cold rolled steel (CRS). The outside oven skin can be galvanized, aluminized or painted CRS. The steel should be 20 gauge thickness. All of the oven trim should be the same metal as the skin. Insulation The insulation should be No. 4 density mineral wool or equivalent fiberglass and the thickness should be 1" for every 100 F (37.8 C) or fraction of 100 F. If an oven has a maximum rating of over 500 F (260 C), the oven panel should be 6" thick. The roof and walls should be the same panel thickness but the floor may be plain concrete, aluminized skin or insulated oven panel. Elevated ovens must have an insulated floor. Floor mounted ovens should have 2 to 3" (5 to 8 centimeters) of insulation. It is possible to use a steel skin with no insulation but there is significant heat loss through the floor. Duct Design Cure oven ductwork should be designed to circulate air in a way that will maintain even heat throughout the oven and not create turbulence. Excessive air velocity in the cure oven can cause powder to be blown off of parts. It can also cause parts to swing around and hit other parts or the walls of the oven.

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Convection Cure Ovens

The best location for the duct is the ceiling, located in the corners and between passes in a multiple pass oven, with the air directed down towards the floor. Discharge cones or nozzles are used to adjust the volume and velocity of air as it exits. With the return at the center, the air will circulate back up through the parts. The floor is also an acceptable location, arranged under the conveyor with air passing up through the parts. However, floor duct will inhibit cleaning the oven interior and it is subject to damage if parts fall off the conveyor. Unlike the dry-off oven, air impingement on the parts is not desirable in a cure oven. It may accelerate curing but it will also blow powder off the parts and can blow dirt onto them as well. High velocity should be avoided inside a powder cure oven. Oven Size The oven size will depend on the size and mass of the product to be run and the production volume. The oven must be sized to handle the largest part with enough burner capacity to handle the heaviest load of product. A batch oven cycle time will typically be around 15 to 20 minutes. The oven interior should be big enough to handle 20 minutes worth of production. In some cases, two ovens are necessary to maintain a flow of work.
Figure 5-2 Cure Oven Duct Arrangement

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Combination Dry-off/Cure Ovens

The interior size of an oven for a conveyorized system will depend on the largest part size and the production line speed. The actual length of the conveyor will be the cure time required plus the bring-up time of the substrate, times the line speed. If the metal of the part takes 5 minutes to bring up to the design temperature and the powder takes 15 minutes of cure time, the oven cycle time will be twenty minutes. If the line is travelling at 10 feet per minute (3 meters/min.) the oven will need 200 linear feet (60 meters) of conveyor. bring-up time + cure time = cycle time cycle time x line speed = length of conveyor in oven Oven Balancing Even air flow and temperature balance in a convection oven is important. If there are areas that are not even in temperature the coating may not be uniformly cured and color and gloss may vary. To make sure that the oven is evenly heated, a temperature recording device should be run through the oven at least once a month. Using several probes to read both air and part temperature from top to bottom, the operator can determine if any problems are likely to occur and where the temperature variance in the oven is located. They can also determine how long it takes to bring the metal to temperature so that the cure cycle time is known. Adjustments to the discharge ductwork can then be used to create even distribution of the oven energy supplied by the heat source and conveyor speed can be adjusted to provide the proper time in the oven.

Combination Dry-off/Cure Ovens

Some manufacturers offer a single oven with one route through for drying and one route for curing. This arrangement saves capital equipment cost and some manufacturers may claim that it saves energy. However, moisture drying and curing operations should not be done in the same oven. Moisture evaporation can affect the cure process and uncured powder can drift onto parts in the drying section and cause dirt defects. Air flow and temperature requirements for drying and curing are not the same. As for energy savings, the amount of fuel required to dry and cure the parts will be the same regardless of whether it comes from one burner

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