OV301 Precision Composites Curing Oven

Designed, manufactured and quality assured in-house by Easy Composites Ltd in the UK, OV301 is a fully featured professional industrial curing oven for convenient bench-top installation. The intuitive touchscreen interface provides unrivalled useability and process feedback.

This composites oven is oven is specifically tailored for composites use, including curing or post-curing laminates, prepregs, thermoplastics, castings and moulds.

The precision manufactured, sturdy design is engineered for demanding everyday production use whilst the convenient bench-top size and precision control makes the oven equally suited to laboratory or R&D use. The highly featured touchscreen controller with its integrated datalogging, automated vacuum pump control output and auxiliary temperature sensor input, make the OV301 suitable for even the most highly controlled and quality assured manufacturing processes.

OV301 has been meticulously designed to offer unrivalled thermal efficiency meaning that complete prepreg curing cycles can be completed for only a few pence.

Features Explained

Touchscreen Controller

Developed and manufactured by Easy Composites, the touchscreen controller allows the user to intuitively create and run even the most complex ramp and dwell programs. The onscreen graphing overlays a live temperature trace of the internal temperature as well as the auxiliary sensor temperature on to the complete program profile.

Ramp and Soak Programming

The controller has a large internal memory that allows for large numbers of complex ramp and soak cycles to be stored. The cycles can have full alpha-numeric names for easy selection and can even be saved to a USB stick to allow sharing between multiple ovens and restoration should they accidentally be modified or deleted. The option of enabling password protection can also be used to prevent unauthorised/accidental modifications of the saved programs.

Data-Logging

Whenever the oven begins to run a cycle, it automatically searches for a connected USB stick, if found the controller will automatically create a log file on the USB stick and begin datalogging. Once the cycle is complete, this USB stick can simply be removed and plugged into any PC where the log file(s) can be accessed.

Vacuum Pump Control Socket

The oven features an integrated power socket for the connection of a vacuum pump. This allows the vacuum pump to be automatically switched off at the end of the cycle, saving electricity and reducing unnecessary wear on the pump. The socket can also be manually controlled from the touchscreen for convenience.

Vacuum Ports

The 2-vacuum ports on the side of the oven allow the connection a vacuum bag inside the oven, to a vacuum pump outside of the oven. As standard the oven features ¼” BSP female sockets both inside and outside of the oven. By fitting an appropriately sized hose tail barb both inside and out, a basic connection can be established, however the optional vacuum valve assembly and gauge allows easy connection with the additional benefits of both a vacuum pressure readout and an isolating valve allowing the vacuum to be shut-off. The optional vacuum valve and gauge also includes hose tail barbs to suit the Easy Composites 8mm ID Silicone Vacuum Hose.

Typical Uses

• Prepreg Curing Oven
• With two separate vacuum ports into the oven and fully programmable precision temperature control with ramp and soak functionality, OV301 is the ideal workshop out of autoclave prepreg oven for carbon fibre and glass fibre components and tooling. The large internal capacity and repositionable (or removable) shelf allow this compact oven to cure a surprisingly large payload of vacuum bagged parts.
• Oven for Curing Composite Parts and Moulds
• Many resin systems used in components or composite tooling do not achieve their full mechanical properties without an elevated temperature post-cure. OV301 can be used in production areas to post-cure composite laminates, coatings and tools to speed up their cure, increase mechanical properties and achieve maximum Tg.
• Casting Resin and Silicone Curing Oven
• The precise temperature control, low running costs and practical workshop/studio dimensions of OV301 make it an ideal resin curing oven for casting resins such as polyurethane and epoxy. By oven curing fast-cast polyurethane castings improved mechanical properties can be achieved whilst considerably shortening demould times, allowing moulds to be cycled faster - increasing production and quality.
• Materials Research and Development Lab Oven
• The precision PID temperature control coupled with multi-stage programmable ramp and soak functionality, excellent internal heat consistency and standard integrated datalogging functionality make OV301 an excellent lab oven for material research whilst its three-tier safety systems ensure a high level of safety and reliability.

Further Information

Precision Temperature Control with Ramp and Soak

The oven delivers the highest standards of PID temperature control accuracy, utilising high-quality RTD temperature measurement coupled with effective fan-assisted airflow to minimise stratification.

OV301 even boasts full 'ramp and soak' temperature control which can control heating rates (degrees per minute), and hold for a specific length of time at set temperatures. Although useful in a range of curing processes, 'ramp and soak' control like this is a feature usually reserved for only the most advanced laboratory ovens and autoclaves.

Temperature, ramp and soak are all fully programmable so recommended cure and post-cure cycles for different materials can be saved and run automatically for the ultimate in precision and consistency.

Options

OV301 has been designed from the ground-up to offer all the functionality desirable in a fully featured composites benchtop curing oven and as such is available with a choice of options to ensure it provides a 'turn-key' system to match your needs. Please select any options from the drop-down list at the top of the page.

Vacuum Valve Assemblies

OV301 includes two integral vacuum ports which can be supplied complete with optional gauge and valve assemblies for convenient connection of one or two separate vacuum lines into the oven. This optional assembly includes an 8mm hose tail barb to fit to the inside vacuum port enabling the connection of Easy Composites 8mm silicone hose. This hose is suitably temperature and pressure rated for use inside the oven.

Auxiliary Temperature Probe

An auxiliary temperature probe can be connected to the socket on the front of the oven. This will provide feedback on the temperature of the part or tool being processed. This data is also automatically logged in the datalogging file created on any connected USB flash drive.

Additional Shelves

The oven is supplied as standard with on moveable internal shelf. Additional shelves are available allowing for the curing of multiple small parts. Up to 3 evenly spaced shelves can be fitted (1 supplied + 2 optional extras)

Fitting, removing, and repositioning the shelves is a simple tool-free operation. The shelves simply lift up and slide out. This allows the oven’s internal layout to be easily reconfigured and provides great access for cleaning.

The shelf is a sheet metal construction featuring swaged ventilation holes to minimise the risk of tearing vacuum bags when loading and positioning parts, insure excellent air flow and temperature distribution, and virtually eliminate the risk of the shelves marking the part or material being processed.

3m Vacuum Pump IEC Extension Cable

When connecting the EC4 vacuum pump to the integrated vacuum pump control socket, the vacuum pump must be positioned on the right-hand side of the oven to allow the standard power cable to reach. If you wish to position the EC4 vacuum pump on the left-hand side of the oven or in another location, the 3m IEC extension cable can be used.