What Is an Industrial Curing Oven?

In industrial and manufacturing facilities, curing ovens help you solidify epoxies or plastics or help apply an adhesive or coating on a surface. In many settings, curing ovens help you get more done. Explore what curing ovens can do so you can decide whether this machinery is right for your applications.

Defining Industrial Curing Ovens

A curing oven is a kind of industrial oven. When a specific temperature is reached inside the chamber, a chemical reaction happens. This reaction can finish or harden a product. For example, it can cure a coating or adhesive so it sticks to a product and protects it correctly. Curing can also harden some types of plastic and epoxy, helping create a finished product. 

There are different kinds of industrial curing ovens, including infrared (IR) curing oven and UV curing oven options. When choosing a curing oven, consider the results you want and whether you will be primarily curing powder coatings, adhesives or other materials. If you have questions about the right solutions for your requirements, contact our team at Dubois Equipment.

How Does a Curing Oven Work?

Curing ovens work by heating a product and its coating to a specific temperature, based on the coating manufacturer’s specifications. Before placing the product in the oven, you will clean, rinse, dry and apply coating to the product. 

Place the material you want to cure in the oven and set the temperature to the required amount. For many powdered coatings, this temperature is 390°F (200°C). Once the oven reaches the right temperature, keep the item in the oven for the required length of time to properly cure the material. 

Some curing ovens have heating zones or push material through the oven on a conveyor belt. This process may be needed to achieve the correct chemical reaction for your application. 

What Is a Curing Oven Used For?

Curing ovens are used in many industries, including electronics, defense, automotive, aerospace, electrical, transportation and energy. In these sectors, curing ovens can be used for:

• Curing adhesives so they can properly bond parts together
• Curing paints and coatings so they stick to a finished product
• Curing polymers, which hardens them and allows polymers to be used in a variety of applications
• Drying and preheating products, often ahead of coating or finishing
• Finishing, which hardens materials and protects them from corrosion and rusting

How Dubois Equipment Can Help

Dubois Equipment offers industrial curing ovens, including UV curing ovens, IR curing ovens and high-velocity ovens. We can also develop custom solutions based on your application and coating requirements. Contact us today to speak to our experts or request a quote to get started.