The existing gas oven being used to cure the epoxy required the manufacturer to process parts in batches rather than in-line as desired.
Excessive Cost
Processing the stators in batches to cure the epoxy required human intervention which increased the manufacturer’s costs.
Unacceptable Scrap Rate
The gas oven did not provide a cure that was completely acceptable to the manufacturer, elevating scrap rates beyond an acceptable level.
Solution
Heat
Twenty Model 4185-25 Infrared Strip Heaters were used to apply heat to cure the epoxy.
System Configuration
The Infrared Strip Heaters were used to construct two ovens. Ten Heaters were used in each oven and the ovens were placed end-to-end to create a 50 inch (1720 mm), in-line heating tunnel.
Benefits
In-Line Processing
The Infrared Strip Heater heating tunnels were installed in-line as desired by the manufacturer.
Shorter Curing Time
With the Infrared Strip Heaters, the manufacturer was able to cure the epoxy 29 percent faster than had been possible with the gas oven.
Reduced Cost
By reducing the amount of human interaction required to complete the curing process, the manufacturer was able to produce the stators for a lower cost.
Reduced Scrap
The new heating process reduced the manufacturer’s scrap rate by nine percent.
