You can't fit a round peg into a square hole. Likewise, fitting a standard product mindset into a purchasing decision for custom equipment will result in a less than optimal outcome. Process, Process, Process: focus on process when buying an industrial oven to achieve a "perfect fit."
If you downloaded this guide, you are likely doing homework on purchasing a custom industrial oven. The objective is to select the most suitable manufacturer which can deliver the correct solution within a budget
and schedule.
The problem is that until the design of the custom industrial oven is fully concepted, there is not enough information to accurately price the bid. Yet, customers often base their buying decision purely on the “lowest price.”
Some manufacturers will submit low initial bids, particularly during a downturn in the economy. This leads to taking shortcuts in concepting the industrial oven in order to reduce the price, which can lead to problems down the road.
Historically, supplier relationships were viewed as merely transactional. Suppliers were essential, but they were not partners, and the supplier relationship was inherently adversarial. Buyers wanted to pay less for more, and suppliers wanted to be paid more for less. A successful relationship balanced those incentives.
In the optimal situation, both buyers and suppliers recognize that a purely transactional approach is rarely optimal for either party. Finding the "best value" depends on the availability of information to both parties. Information exchange is best facilitated through collaborative relationships in which buyers and suppliers work together to design an industrial oven with the "perfect fit."
Has the manufacturer concepted the design of the custom industrial oven before making the proposal, or is it "throwing it over the fence" to meet a price target?
Tip: Customers should focus their purchasing process on a technical review of the manufacturer's proposal, rather than attempting to compare "apples-to-apples" in proposals that may vary widely in materials and engineering concepts – some of these concepts will work, and others will not.
Is the manufacturer using first order engineering principles to concept the design, or is it copying and pasting similar designs used in the past in order to save time?
Tip: Copying and pasting previous similar designs is a common practice in the industrial oven industry which often leads to underwhelming solutions. An industrial oven should always be concepted around a customer's unique process and product, thereby developing a solution that strikes the correct balance between performance and cost.
Can the manufacturer execute on the concept in the bid, or will the specs and price change during the production process?
Tip: It's important to understand if the engineering team will deviate from the concept in the proposal. It can also be helpful to ask if the manufacturer's production team bases its work on engineered drawings, or do they need to fix concepts in the shop?
Does the manufacturer have a proven track record of success in manufacturing custom industrial ovens?
Tip: Ask for references or case studies on successful projects.
Most customers need to fit their purchase of an industrial oven into either a formal or informal Return on Investment (ROI) calculation.
In calculating the amount of the "investment," it is important to include not only the original price of the oven, but also the cost of change orders and delays because the design of the oven was not concepted right in the beginning.
Although difficult to anticipate, customers should also consider the costs of quality and manufacturing downtime caused by the equipment's poor performance.
Once you understand how to find the best value for your industrial oven needs, it is also important to consider your current and future production needs.
Your manufacturing process may change for a number of reasons: it could be a new product mix, a move to a new facility, or a change in material or finishing process. The world is not static, and you should take this into account when buying a new industrial oven.
For a small incremental cost, you can often future-proof your industrial oven to meet the requirements of anticipated changes in your manufacturing process.
Will the maximum temperature required for thermal processing your product or future products change?
Will the size of your product change which causes you to reevaluate the size of your oven?
Can your business and thermal processing benefit from using a programmable temperature controller?
Considering these questions on the front-end can save you money and prevent downtime in the future by eliminating the need for an upgrade or retrofit.
Let's say your manufacturing process currently requires a max temperature of 650° F. This max temperature fits your current production needs, but will it be enough for your future production needs?
If there is a possibility that your future production requires an industrial oven with a higher max temperature, consider buying an oven with a max temperature of 750° F. This may increase the cost because the oven will require more insulation, but this incremental cost difference is much less than the cost of a future upgrade, retrofit or new oven.
Let's say that the product you manufacture is four feet wide, but you anticipate a change in your product mix (and size of that product mix).
If you have space in your building for a larger oven, you may want to plan for future product mix by purchasing an industrial oven that will accommodate a product that is six feet wide (rather than your current product which is four feet wide). For the incremental cost of buying a larger sized oven, you can avoid costly downtime associated with an oven upgrade, retrofit or buying a new oven.
Shipping constraints add cost to ovens by requiring oven to be broken into sections. With larger ovens, it is important to review your load configurations to explore the possibility of specifying an oven that is deeper rather than wider. The less an oven needs to be broken into sections for shipping, the greater value you will receive.
Programmable temperature controllers have benefits that many customers do not realize until after they have purchased their industrial oven.
For example, you can trigger ramp soak steps, or run automatic cool-down features, or even back up your process with a programmable temperature controller that has data acquisition. The documentation of your process can provide benefits to your internal operations and may be required by your customer or end-user.
When buying an industrial oven, consider upgrading the single set-point controller to a programmable temperature controller.
At Precision Quincy, we design and manufacture industrial ovens with a "perfect fit."
We are proud of our 70-year legacy and the "Precision Quincy" name that we attach to every industrial oven design that leaves our facility in South Beloit, Illinois. We are also proud of the modern approach we take in the design and manufacturing of Precision Quincy industrial ovens and furnaces.
As a manufacturer of industrial ovens, we understand that it is not just about heating air. Our business is driven by the need to lower costs, improve operational flow and ensure safety.
In an industry flooded with oven companies built on a legacy of "rigid standardization," we focus on translating customer needs to engineer oven and furnace products with the flexibility to satisfy the adage "one size does not fit all."
Precision Quincy is not only a manufacturer of new equipment, it also offers a full range of replacement parts, and oven repair and maintenance services, including rebuilds and retrofits on all brands of industrial ovens for a multitude of applications.
For more information on any of our commercial oven products or services, including oven design, sales, and installation, or if you still have questions about the type of industrial oven or furnace you need, please call Precision Quincy at 302-602-8738 or request a quote.