Drying ovens: types and applications

An essential part of the finishing process, drying is usually performed in a coating oven. Developed according to the type and composition of the lacquer used, an industrial oven must meet specific drying parameters. The secret is to understand production needs down to the smallest detail and then provide solutions that ensure the right balance between cost, efficiency and performance.

Products By - Technologies

Drying: what is an industrial oven for?

Based on the characteristics of the finished product, a coating oven must guarantee an optimal result. For example, the use of latest-generation industrial drying ovens makes it possible to:

  • obtain fast and uniform drying
  • take up little space, thanks to compact and vertical solutions
  • obtain specific aesthetic finishes (deep matt, etc.)
  • implement "green" and energy saving processes (for example in the case of UV ovens)

In some cases, heated rooms with forced ventilation are used as an alternative to ovens to speed up the drying process.

In which industries are coating ovens used?

Drying processes are used in many sectors, and the raw materials involved can vary a great deal.

Materials

Sectors

Campi di utilizzo

The following is a selection of specific products finished in industrial ovens

APPLICATIONS

01

Flat panels

Flat panels can be of many different substrate materials, from wood to plastic, metal or ceramics. Usually coated on roller coating equipment, curtain coaters, industrial digital printers, vacuum coaters and spray coaters can also be used.
02

Raised or curved panels

Generally speaking, raised panels are coated using spray coaters which also manage to coat the edges. However, panels with shallow grooves can also be processed on a roller coater with a soft rubber application roller.
03

Panels

As a flat surface, most panels will be processed on roller coating machines applying basecoats and topcoats with intermediate drying/curing stages and sanding operations.
04

Stairs

Finishing techniques for stairs differ according to how and where the stairs are implemented once laid. Curtain coaters add abrasion-resistant materials, roller coaters and spray coaters are more specifically decorative technologies.
05

Sunglasses

High-speed spray coaters developed especially for products such as eyewear will guarantee quality coating and production efficiency.
06

Ceramic panels

Depending on the desired effect, ceramic panels of most dimensions can be decorated using low temperature, high temperature and solid colour techniques.
07

Interior components

Interior components are made of a variety of substrate materials, from wood to plastic, metal or ceramics. According to shape and size, they can be coated on complete lines implementing combinations of roller coating equipment, curtain coaters, industrial digital printers, vacuum coaters and spray coaters.
08

Furniture components

Depending on shape and size, furniture components are coated using the most suitable finishing machines, which include sanding, coating and drying solutions.
09

Flat doors

Managed on roller coater and curtain coater lines, doors can also be processed on an overhead line using anthropomorphic spray-coating robots and in-line drying solutions using hot-air ventilation.
10

Raised doors

Overhead spray-coating lines with anthropomorphic robots using 3-gun wrists on each spraying arm. This is one productive solution to finish doors usually destined to use outdoors.
11

Wooden components

Several different techniques can be used to coat wooden parts, usually according to their shape and size. Integrated lines also feature other equipment for brushing, sanding, drying etc.

What are the existing types of coating oven?

The different types of oven adapt to multiple production requirements. Each Cefla Finishing coating oven can be customised: we define the oven parameters with our customer and then test the results in our LAB. Below is a list of the main categories of industrial ovens.

These coating ovens are integrated in finishing lines designed primarily for water-based lacquers. The ovens in this category are Aquadry and Ecogel. We also supply ovens for glass panels and in-line ovens for profiles.

A vertical oven is designed to dry pieces that require long hold times in a controlled and clean environment. Omnidry belongs to this category.

When UV paints are used, an adequate drying system is required. UV ovens guarantee sustainable drying, because of lower energy consumption. The UV-R, UV-R LED and UV-I ovens belong to this category.

For deep matt finishes, excimer matting ovens are used to obtain matt-finished surfaces based on patented technologies. The Exydry oven belongs to this category.

Focus On

oven

Drying ovens: flexibility is the word

Flexibility is a key feature in a market that requires small production batches without, however, compromising on productivity. At Cefla, we develop a wide range of finishing systems, using water-based or solvent-based lacquers and 100% UV acrylic paints. We can provide customised solutions to meet all customer application needs - ranging from energy efficiency to size requirements. 

Discover Cefla Finishing drying solutions

MACHINES

Aquadry LA in-line oven

Materials:

  • Plastic
  • Metal
  • Ceramic
  • Wood
  • Fibre Cement
  • Mineral Fibre

Machine Type:

  • Ovens

Ecogel

Materials:

  • Plastic
  • Metal
  • Ceramic
  • Wood
  • Fibre Cement
  • Mineral Fibre

Machine Type:

  • Ovens

Omnidry

Materials:

  • Plastic
  • Metal
  • Wood
  • Fibre Cement

Machine Type:

  • Ovens

UV-I

Materials:

  • Plastic
  • Metal
  • Ceramic
  • Wood
  • Fibre Cement

Machine Type:

  • Ovens

UV-R

Materials:

  • Plastic
  • Metal
  • Ceramic
  • Wood
  • Fibre Cement

Machine Type:

  • Ovens

Exydry

Materials:

  • Plastic
  • Ceramic
  • Wood

Machine Type:

  • Ovens

Case studies

Case study

We have helped hundreds of companies around the world achieve their quality, efficiency, and productivity goals. Here are their stories.
We have helped hundreds of companies around the world achieve their quality, efficiency, and productivity goals. Here are their stories.
01

PWS Distributors Ltd. and fully automated lines for kitchen components

02

From simulation to solution for top-class kitchen furniture

03

Finishing efficiency for the crafted complexity of Salvi Harps

Webinar

Learn more about UV-I in our webinar

Learn More

MAGAZINE

Explore the topic on our blog. You can find articles on technologies, innovative techniques, and tips to improve the efficiency of your finishing line.
Explore the topic on our blog. You can find articles on technologies, innovative techniques, and tips to improve the efficiency of your finishing line.
01
    Industry 4.0 and Digitization

cTracker and the gift of ubiquity

02
    Spray coating

How can overspray be reduced?

03
    Spray coating

3 reasons to move from a manual to an automated spray coating process

04
    Automotive

Flatbed lines: the future of auto component coating

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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

01 Which coated materials need drying?
All coated materials need drying. The type, duration and method of drying differ according to the nature and quantity of the applied lacquer.
02 How many and what types of drying are there?
Mainly two categories: physical and chemical drying. The former is based on hot air, air flow speed and time, while the latter requires a source (typically lamps) to activate some internal components in the lacquer. There are also lacquers that need both of these methods.
03 How do I decide which drying technique is the most suitable?
The recommended type of drying depends on the type of product and is normally defined in agreement with the lacquer manufacturer, to ensure the required coating performance over time. The coating cycle, which also includes drying, is then defined with the aim of obtaining the desired final result, reducing the required investment and optimising performance.
04 What are the advantages of drying?
Let's talk about the advantages of the whole finishing process, which includes lacquer application and drying. The "finished" item ends up with improved resistance and protection from external agents, as well as a better aesthetic presentation.
05 What is meant by excimer drying?
Excimer drying is a drying process for UV coating products, which allows surfaces to be obtained with truly outstanding deep matt finish and resistance characteristics of the coating film. Normally it is a mixed cycle, which includes the evaporation of the solvents, followed by exposure to a dedicated lamp (an excimer lamp), to end with final UV crosslinking, necessary to definitively "lock in" the obtained result. The oven Exydry-Z ensures a deep matt finish, surface resistance and soft touch effect even on shaped or raised panels.
06 Are the edges dried, too?
The drying process depends on the type of coating process. If the edges are treated during the work cycle, these will obviously require drying.
07 Can I easily manage process scheduling including drying?
The entire coating process, or the drying part only, can be managed through recipes, therefore in a very straightforward way.
08 Is a drying oven very maintenance-intensive?
It depends on the type of oven but generally speaking drying ovens are low maintenance. Only vertical ovens, due to their operating mode, require some extra care because of the loads that they have to bear, but all that's required is checking, tensioning and lubricating some of their parts.
09 How long does it take to clean a drying oven?
Normally drying ovens are basically maintenance-free, as these machines do not generally get very dirty.