Polyurethane Reheat Oven for Automated Polyurethane Forklift Wheel Manufacturing

The process requirement was to provide an intermediate reheat stage between the primary cure and final post-cure portions of the polyurethane wheel manufacturing sequence. The machine had to preserve production-line timing while restoring or maintaining product thermal condition before the next major operation.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENT

• The equipment serves as the intermediate reheat stage between the primary cure oven and the final post-cure system in an automated forklift wheel manufacturing line.
• The machine restores or maintains the required thermal condition in molded wheel assemblies before they advance to the final post-cure stage.
• The oven functions as a thermal transition module — not a primary cure or long-duration post-cure system — within a coordinated manufacturing sequence.

LINE INTEGRATION REQUIREMENT

• Because the oven sits at a transition point inside the line, the machine integrates cleanly with upstream and downstream automated handling.
• That required indexed conveyor movement, dependable lift-and-transfer hardware at both ends, predictable door operation, and repeatable product positioning during every cycle.
• The control architecture is compatible with the Allen-Bradley platform used across the broader production line.

PACKAGING / FOOTPRINT REQUIREMENT

• A compact machine architecture capable of fitting into a tightly coordinated automated process path was required.
• The oven packages its heat, airflow, motion control, and transfer interfaces efficiently while still maintaining serviceability and process control.

SAFETY / CLASSIFICATION REQUIREMENT

• The oven was classified as NFPA 86 Class B, consistent with its cure-related thermal duty.

UTILITY REQUIREMENT

• Required electrical service: 480V / 3PH / 60Hz.

The thermal process requirements were established from the need to restore or maintain polyurethane thermal condition in molded forklift wheel assemblies at the intermediate reheat stage of an automated manufacturing line.

TEMPERATURE CAPABILITY

• Operating temperature: 265°F to 275°F.
• Maximum design temperature: 300°F.

PROCESS BASIS

• The thermal process basis is intermediate polyurethane reheat, positioned between the primary cure oven and the final post-cure system.
• The machine delivers a stable forced-convection environment sufficient to restore or maintain product thermal condition within the available dwell time at the specified index interval.
• The shorter dwell time of approximately 10.2 minutes reflects the machine's specific role as an intermediate reheat stage rather than a full primary cure or long-duration post-cure system.

HEAT INPUT REQUIREMENT

• Heat source: electric resistance heat.
• Total installed heat input: approximately 108 kW.

AIRFLOW DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS

• Recirculation fan: one New York Blower 208 PLR plug fan.
• Recirculation airflow: approximately 8,500 CFM.
• The recirculation airflow package supports the required thermal recovery or maintenance duty within a relatively compact process envelope.

EXHAUST / VENTILATION BASIS

• Exhaust fan: PQ1 exhauster rated at approximately 550 CFM; 0.75 HP motor.
• Oven classification: NFPA 86 Class B.

DWELL / CYCLE BASIS

• Index rate: 49 in. every 179.5 seconds at approximately 10 ft/min.
• Dwell in heat: approximately 10.2 minutes.

To deliver the process requirements for the intermediate polyurethane reheat stage, the following equipment concept and architecture was developed.

OVERALL CONCEPT

• One compact electric-heated indexed conveyor reheat oven serving as the intermediate thermal transition module between the primary cure and final post-cure stages in an automated forklift wheel manufacturing line.
• The machine is built on structural steel reinforced pan-style construction, supporting repeated indexed movement, dual-end transfer interfaces, vertical lift doors, and line-level automation integration while maintaining thermal containment.

HEATING ARCHITECTURE

• Heat source: electric resistance heating.
• Total installed heat input: approximately 108 kW.

AIRFLOW / RECIRCULATION ARCHITECTURE

• Recirculation fan: one New York Blower 208 PLR plug fan delivering approximately 8,500 CFM.
• Exhaust: PQ1 exhauster at approximately 550 CFM; 0.75 HP motor.

CONVEYOR / HANDLING ARCHITECTURE

• Main conveyor: two lines of C2082H K-1 steel roller chain with a servo-driven indexing arrangement.
• Main conveyor capacity: approximately 18,350 lb maximum product load.
• Indexing motion: 49 in. every 179.5 seconds at approximately 10 ft/min, coordinated with the broader automation sequence.
• Transfer conveyors: lift-and-transfer conveyors on both the inlet and outlet, bridging the reheat oven to adjacent production operations.

SHELL / CONSTRUCTION ARCHITECTURE

• Shell construction: structural steel reinforced pan-style oven construction.
• Overall approximate dimensions: 318.43 in. deep × 102.73 in. wide × 164.69 in. high.
• Special features: vertical lift doors on both ends; roof and floor port openings reflecting the specialized interface conditions at this point in the line.

CONTROLS ARCHITECTURE

• Control platform: Allen-Bradley line-integrated controls architecture consistent with the broader production line.
• Servo platform: Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5700 on the main conveyor axis, providing precise indexed motion control for this transition-stage module.
• Control enclosure: remote-mounted NEMA 12 enclosure.
• The controls package includes distributed field integration, motion coordination, machine interlocks, and machine-to-machine communication with adjacent equipment.