Industrial Processing Equipment

Steel is a time tested material which has proven to be very effective for belt ovens. The main use for Steel Belt Ovens is biscuits/cookies, however, they can also be used for pies, pastries and even some pet food products.

Steel belts are often exposed to extreme mechanical and thermal stress. For this reason it is important to purchase your steel belt oven from a reputable manufacture who you know will provide steel that will withstand these extreme conditions. Process Systems Services Pty Ltd manufactures the highest quality steel belt ovens.

Hygiene advantages of Steel Belt Ovens

Steel belt ovens are primarily used in the food processing industry; this is due to its high hygiene level.  Steel has a completely flat, smooth surface; this means that it does not have any crevices for dirt and other foreign particles to lodge into. Steels hardness and durability enables for easy and efficient cleaning of all surfaces with a variety of different cleaning methods such as heat, scrubbing, high pressure sprays and chemicals. Additionally, the hard surface makes it more durable and therefore your oven will have a much longer life-span. Steel is not able of absorbing bacteria in the way that other, more natural materials are, for example, wood. A lot of foods contain acid which have a tendency to cause pitting which creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and bread. Steel is not affected by acid and therefore does not and therefore avoids this problem and is ideal for cooking acidic foods. When all these things are taken into consideration it is clear that steel belts is the most hygiene option for industrial ovens.

Heating Systems

There are several different types of heating systems that can be used in industrial ovens. These include conduction systems, convection systems and infrared systems. Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy between neighbouring molecules due to a temperature gradient.  This transfer always occurs from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature to equalise temperature differences. An example of a conduction heating system could consist of a pod and heating element. The stainless steel plate has a heating element that is energised from a power supply, which then heats the pod. The pod heats the receptacle placed on top of it (a bowl, plate etc), which then transfers heat from the bottom to the top.

A convection heating system uses currents to augment traditional ovens. A fan motor is used to move the air around,  stripping the thin layer of air that surrounds and insulates the food to expose it to hot air flows, cooking it more quickly and evenly by eliminating hot spots. It also cooks food at lower temperatures than a conventional oven.

Infrared Ovens

Ovens can also use infrared radiation to heat materials. Infrared has a wavelength longer than visible light, but shorter than microwaves. It is used extensively in a huge amount of applications, from night vision and target acquisition for military purposes, to remote temperature sensing, short-range wireless communication, infrared saunas and weather forecasting.

Unlike heat that is transmitted by conduction or convection, infrared radiation can travel through a vacuum. It is used in ovens because it will heat opaque, absorbent objects rather than the air around it. It is highly efficient because the wavelength of the infrared heater can be matched to the absorption characteristics of the material. So it is used in all sorts of manufacturing processes, from forming plastics to print drying, curing powder coatings and plastic welding.

Industrial Ovens

Industrial ovens are used for thermal processing of various products, from food to chemicals. They perform a variety of functions, come in different forms and are fueled by various energy sources. Industrial ovens are used to process large quantities of produce, as opposed to domestic ovens, and as such they are built differently. So industrial ovens can be designed for products to be pulled along a conveyor belt or heated in batches with trays.

Industrial ovens can run on electricity, natural gas, petroleum, steam and so on, just like many cooling applications. They serve a variety of functions from curing to baking, roasting, melting, heating, and chemical processing. They type of function and produce will determine the form that the oven takes. For example, a steam oven is built in order to maintain a high level of humidity, thereby preventing the food from drying out.

Types of Ovens

A batch oven is often very large, consisting of carts and racks, often used in bakeries. They are also known as walk-in or truck-in ovens. Bench ovens are usually smaller, and designed to process very specific amounts of material. Industrial curing ovens are often used for creating chemical reactions that will preserve the product, often meat. Foundry ovens are used to melt metals, and so used in mining operations, die-casting and jewelry industries. Drying ovens de-moisturise the materials like kilns, often used to treat ceramic objects.

Industrial vacuum ovens are designed to heat in a vacuum in order to ensure the materials are not contaminated and to reduce the chance of harmful chemical reactions. As mentioned above, there are also industrial steam ovens and conveyor ovens. Conveyor ovens are useful because they allow the produced to program varied temperatures at set intervals, providing an automated process system.