This is a very special Annealing oven for Eurotherm because it required addressing three crucial aspects in customizing the system:
- To build a high-precision Annealing oven.
- Installation in a confined space.
- Delivered in one piece to comply with company policy.
High precision Annealing oven
Our customer is one of the major players in automotive supply for the most prestigious car manufacturers in the world. Its history, which dates back to the 1920s, is synonymous with top-quality workmanship and this is why the request was clear from the beginning: to guarantee a premium heat treatment for lenses and lights in the automotive sector .
We have thus created a Annealing oven inside which the piece is at a uniform temperature throughout the cycle with a temperature uniformity of ±2°C .
Inside the oven there are six temperature probes , three on each side, which constantly monitor the process. The oven is heated electrically to ensure maximum efficiency and adequate performance.
The drawers, designed to accommodate 36 headlights, are moved Step-by-Step inside the oven at a constant temperature of 85°C for 12 minutes . At the end of the cycle, they return to the entrance area, allowing the operator to load and unload the lenses with ease.
The Annealing oven is also equipped with an electrical panel with double operator panel to allow the operator to view all the process data in real time, so as to be constantly under control.
Optimization according to space
Uniformity of treatment inside the Annealing oven was a major challenge, given the limited space available. The reduction in the size of the system made air flow management even more complex .
The cooling phase occurs naturally without forcing, at the end of the process the lenses return to their starting position, allowing the operator to unload the pieces at the same time as the loading phase.
Monoblock Annealing oven: a logistical challenge
Despite the requests, we managed to deliver a 7-meter-high, 2-meter-wide oven, which required two-phase handling: lifting from the ground using a crane and positioning in the work area using a forklift. Special measures were in fact taken to allow the customer to move it within the factory using a standard forklift.
A detail that improves ergonomics
In the manual loading and unloading area of the lenses we have installed a button with tactile feedback (visible in the photos) that serves to reset the safety barriers. When the operator enters the loading and unloading area of the lenses, the conveyor stops safely, to reset it it is sufficient to touch the capacitive button: a measure that translates into greater ease of use for the workers.
