Wisconsin Oven ships curing oven for filament-wound composites

Wisconsin Oven Corp. (East Troy, Wisc., U.S.) has announced the shipment of a gas-fired batch oven to a leading military supplier. This oven will be used to cure long, tube-shaped, filament-wound composite parts.

According to Wisconsin, the batch oven is designed to process up to 5,000 pounds of wound composite parts per load while optimizing floor space in the customer’s facility. The work chamber dimensions are 6 feet wide × 6 feet × long × 13 feet and 9 inches high. The parts are loaded into the chamber by a powered load car in a vertical orientation on wound mandrels. This configuration is said to significantly reduce floor space requirements compared to a horizontal setup. 

The oven also features an air-operated vertical lift door with a half-door design, where part of the door is mounted to the powered load car. This door design reduces the overall height of the vertical lift door, decreasing the overhead space required for opening. Door limit switches are included at both ends of the door, along with monitoring for the door safety latch, ensuring safe and reliable operation.

This filament-wound composite curing oven is designed for a maximum operating temperature of 500°F, with temperature uniformity of ±10°F at set points of 125°F and 385°F, verified through a nine-point profile test before shipment. The combination airflow system delivers both horizontal and vertical upward airflow, ensuring optimal heating rates and consistent temperature distribution across the product. To support low-temperature operation in high-temperature factory conditions, the oven uses a chilled-water cooling system. A fresh air inlet enhances cooling efficiency by drawing makeup air from outside the building, minimizing reliance on the facility’s air supply.

 “This oven design prioritizes optimizing floor and overhead space without compromising performance,” emphasizes Mike Grande, VP of sales at Wisconsin Oven Corp. 

Wisconsin mentions additional features worth noting, including temperature uniformity of ±10°F at multiple setpoints, a reinforced insulated floor and six thermocouple jack panels.

The filament-wound composite curing oven was fully factory tested and adjusted prior to shipment from the Wisconsin Oven facility. All safety interlocks were checked for proper operation and the equipment was operated at the normal and maximum operating temperatures. An extensive quality assurance check list was completed to ensure the equipment met all Wisconsin Oven quality standards.