After, nearly, 5 years in the coating industry and now manufacturing equipment, we have learned that there are a few things you want to take into consideration when purchasing powder coating ovens.

1. Most importantly, KNOW YOUR MARKET. What are you going to coat? Who are you going to get work from? How large will your pieces be? What volume of pieces will you shoot at one time? In a day? In a week? If any, do you have workspace issues? What resources do you have such as electrical and gas supply? Answering these few questions will help you determine several important features of your equipment.

2. CHOOSE THE CORRECT SIZED OVEN. More often than not coaters tend to under purchase their oven. They think they will start off small and work their way up. If you don't know your market and don't realise the potential, you may quickly find yourself turning away business because your oven is too small. I'm not saying to go out and purchase the largest oven on the market, but purchase the largest unit you can afford. If you prefer to limit your capability and stick with only small pieces then a small unit will be fine, but sooner than not you will find customers than are looking to have motorcycle frames, large rims and other large pieces, coated.

3. Is the oven you are looking at certified? Your curing oven should be certified at some level or another, to prevent possible damage to both yourself, your property or shop and to the pieces that are being cured. Most ovens come with UL or CSA certifications and many will meet NFPA Code 86. In case you don't know, the NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. They regulate many of the features of our daily lives including ovens and furnaces, sprinkler systems and commercial and residential wiring. It's never a bad thing to spend a little more money to protect yourself and your property from faulty equipment.

4. Do you want gas or electric? What type of service do you have in your shop or garage? What is the cheapest form of energy in your area? I often keep this in mind when dealing with customers: Larger ovens are better with gas, smaller ovens are better with electric, and when I say better I mean cheaper to use and more efficient.

5. Do you want digital or analog controllers? Analog controllers work fine if you are baking a cake, but for curing you want to make sure you can reach the most accurate temperature as possible. Powder coating can be more forgiving, but other industries such as carbon fiber curing require ovens to be extremely precise in temperature measurements. Digital controllers, particularly PID controllers, offer the greatest control over your heat as well as the most accurate numbers. They are also much more user friendly and are easily adjustable with just the push of a button.

6. Simple things to keep in mind:

           a. Your oven should have a means of air circulation such as a blower, circulation fan or in the case of many gas units a forced air burner. This keeps hot spots from forming and unevenly curing your powder.

           b. Your oven should be a tighly welded box both inside and out, to prevent loss of heat and warpage of the interior and exterior skins. This also protects the user and other surrounding objects from possible fire, damage or injury in the event that the unit malfunctions or is improperly used. Keeping the heat and the fire inside the oven chamber is essential for optimal use and safety.

           c. Your oven should have an automatic alarm or shutdown to prevent overheating and possible fire. It should also have a safety, power disconnect of some sort, so the unit can be quickly switched off in event of an emergency.

          d. Your oven should contain quality commercial or industrial parts and pieces such as; controllers, enclosure boxes, electrical elements, gas burners and other essentials.

           e. Your oven is your money maker, so treat it like one. It is also a large investment. Think of it like this: Cheap labor gives cheap results, so cheaper is not always better. Find something that is affordable, but that will also last for the life of your business. Don't buy a cheaply built unit that will be detroyed within the first year. Ovens are already expensive, so why continue to buy them if there is no need?

All in all, use your common sense. If it looks cheap, dangerous, or does not stand up to some of the above mentioned standards, it's probably not for you.

Johnny- Wise Guys Fabrication