How to Build a Powder Coating Oven?

A curing oven is a specialized piece of equipment various industries use to cure coatings applied to products. Curing involves heating the work piece to specific temperatures for a set period to achieve certain properties such as adhesion and durability.

This crucial process is what affords powder coating its protective and aesthetic properties. Curing ovens may vary depending on the unique requirements of the material your curing. Nonetheless they all have the same functionality and a well-designed and constructed unit is essential for high-quality finishes.

Modern curing ovens can be quite expensive, especially for low-volume operations. If you have budget constraints, building your own may be a viable option. Such an undertaking may seem intimidating; but with the right parts, materials and tools, you can put together a working curing oven. This article takes you through the step by step process of building a powder coating oven.

What You Need

You can find everything you need to build the curing oven at your local hardware stores or from online marketplaces. The components you will need to make your oven include:

●       Steel studs and tracks

●       Sheet metal (16-26 gauge)

●       Steel rivets

●       Heating elements

●       Lighting fixture

●       Insulation – mineral wool or fiberglass

●       PID controller box kit

The tools you will require include:

●       Rivet gun

●       Drill

●       Tin snip

●       Cut off tool

 

The Building Steps

The Oven Frame

The curing oven frame is built from industrial construction steel studs. Once you’ve decided on the dimensions, you can start with the floor frame. Cut the studs to length and arrange them at 90° angles to form a square.

Rivet the corners top and bottom. Add extra studs at equal distances inside the frame for additional support. Repeat the stud and rivet construction process for the back and side walls.

Following this process create small sections on the walls for the heating elements. Next place the wall frames atop the floor frame and rivet them into place. You can construct the oven ceiling the same as the floor.

After completing the frame, you can skin it using the sheet metal. Skinning supports the frame to prevent flexing. You can request your supplier to cut to your specifications or DIY with a cut off wheel.

Lay down the first layer on top of the oven floor and rivet into place. Repeat this step for the inside of the walls and ceiling. Next use a cut off tool to make precise cutouts for the heating elements on the walls and lighting fixture (lamp holder and bulb) on the ceiling.

 

Insulation and Heating Elements

You need to insulate your oven walls for energy efficiency purposes. You can use fiberglass or mineral wool insulation. Place the insulation in the spaces between the steel studs. You will need individual insulation panels for heating element cutouts.

Various oven heating elements are available ranging from 2000 to 4000 Watts. The wattage you need will depend on the size of your oven. An online BTU calculator can provide a good estimate.

Install the heating elements in the cutouts with the wiring terminals coming out the back then rivet the insulation panels in place. You can now skin the outside of the oven ensuring you drill holes for the outgoing wiring.

 

Oven Door

You build the oven door the same way as the frames, using studs, sheet metal, and rivets. Next skin the doorframe on one side, add insulation to the inside of the frame, and rivet the sheet metal on the outside.

Install a tadpole gasket around the front perimeter and install the door using several door hinges. You can add latch toggle clamps to compress the door against the gasket to prevent heat escape.

 

Control Box and Wiring

The control box controls the oven’s heating elements. You can purchase a control box kit, which comes with a manual and wiring diagram allowing you to assemble the system yourself. Note that it is advisable to use standoffs for spacing when installing the control box onto the curing oven.

The heat may affect the device components if you place it directly on the oven. The final step is wiring the control box and the heating elements. Run the wiring from the elements and lighting fixture through metal conduit fittings to the control box.

You can then plug the main power and turn on the control box. The heating elements and lighting should light up if your build went well. You can now feed your powder coating racks into the oven for curing.

 

Conclusion

Overall a curing oven is essential to the success of the powder coating process, alongside spray guns and powder booths. It’s possible to build your own powder coating oven with some decent DIY skills.

However, if you opt to purchase a curing oven, getting high quality equipment from a reliable supplier is central to effective and satisfactory operations.

RAMSEIER KOATINGS is a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced powder coating systems and technologies crucial to different industries worldwide.

We offer a range of best in class equipment including curing ovens, automatic powder coating systems and manual coating machines. Our extensive product catalog includes everything you need to build a reliable powder coating line to achieve high quality finishes.