MINIMIZING ENERGY LOSSES THROUGH THE CONVEYOR BELT OF AN OVEN: 3 KEY PARAMETERS TO ACT

Since energy transition is a key issue for the industrial sector, MECATHERM is committed to pursuing and accelerating its efforts in the field of sustainable development offering innovative and energy efficient equipment to help its customers to optimize energy consumption and reduce losses.

In this article, we take a closer look at the oven conveyer belt and identify key parameters manufacturers can focus on to reduce energy losses during the conveying process.

The portion of the energy used to heat the load (dough + baking pans) is fixed and will not change regardless of the oven technology used. Therefore, for each of our customers, the aim is to ensure that useful energy constitutes as much as possible of their total energy consumption.

Some of the thermal energy lost during baking may be lost through the oven walls, conveying and fumes.​

We approached MECATHERM expert Hicham Maiden, R&D, Thermal Project Manager to understand why it's important to  carefully assess the impact of oven conveying on energy consumption.

According to Hicham, « Manufacturers have 3 key parameters on which they can act to reduce energy loss through conveying. ».

1. Reducing the thermal inertia of the conveying system through the choice of material and its mass. For example, MECATHERM's FTM oven is equipped with a fine, lightweight mesh belt that stores very little energy

Example of a multi-deck tunnel oven:

2. Reduce energy loss through oven inlets and outlets by reducing the surface area exchanged with the outside world optimizing thermal insulation in these areas. For example, the inlet and outlet chairs of the M-TA tunnel oven or vertical ovens have been designed to minimize energy loss at the oven ends.

Example of vertical oven :