Drying Ovens

Drying Ovens

In the food production industry, drying ovens are used to remove moisture from food in order to preserve it. Snacks like bagel crisps, pretzels, crackers, assorted corn products and other examples all require drying before they can be packaged. In manufacturing, an even greater variety of possible drying applications exist. Heat treatment is a major component in many drying processes. Rubber and plastic extrusions, after emerging from the extrusion process, are sometimes subject to a heat drying process in order to impart desired qualities of strength and hardness into the material. In laboratory and medical equipment settings, drying ovens can be used for sterilization of instruments, particularly of glassware. Drying ovens are also widely used in applications related to the heat treatment of ceramics. Kilns are drying ovens that are used for hardening soft clay and ceramics products once they have been molded or shaped.
 
Industrial ovens are designed in two main configurations: batch ovens and conveyor ovens. Batch ovens can be small and portable or they can take up all or most of a room. Batch ovens are intended to heat several products at once under the same conditions in order to produce products with uniform qualities. This kind of oven is useful for smaller product runs and for producers who require an enclosed heating space. Because batch ovens are enclosed, they can be designed as vacuum ovens, which reduce the risk of damage caused during the heating process because of unwanted exposure to atmospheric elements. Some drying ovens take advantage of evacuated heating enclosures; these ovens are often used to dry items at a lower temperature than would otherwise be used, and for that reason they are often used in laboratories that use heat-sensitive materials. Conveyor ovens allow for a continuous stream of production. They function by passing products through a heated area using a conveyor belt. Conveyor ovens are good solutions for large scale heat treatment service providers because they require a minimum of technical supervision and can heat large quantities of product efficiently.