Contour Covering Technology (Winterswijk): gas consumption twenty times lower with new drying and curing ovens

Contour Covering Technology of Winterswijk supplies custom sheet metal parts to demanding customers in the medical and semiconductor industries. Quality and energy efficiency are high priorities there. The 35-year-old ovens in the powder coating shop used too much gas and heated the hall considerably, and replacing them within the available space and time was no simple matter.

The ESTEE concept

After extensive market research, Contour Covering Technology chose the ESTEE concept:

• a hybrid heat source, 100% gas and 100% electric for both ovens, fully adjustable according to the available electrical power;
• an A-cap air lock at the entrance of the curing oven, which keeps the heat inside the oven naturally;
• heat exchange between the heating chambers of the curing and drying ovens;
• heat exchange between the parts leaving the curing oven and the parts entering the drying oven;
• our own air distribution concept, resulting in an extremely flat oven curve;
• automatic doors at all entrances and exits, which close when no parts are passing through the line.

Built in one month

In mid-December 2023, ESTEE dismantled the existing ovens. At the same time, Contour Covering Technology took care of the utilities and dug a pit for the A-cap air lock. Construction of the new ovens started on 2 January 2024, and the route of the existing conveyor system was also modified. On 1 February 2024, the new ovens were operational.

The result

All targets were met or exceeded. The oven curve is so flat that the working temperature could be lowered from 200 °C to 180 °C. The heat in the hall dropped noticeably straight away, and after a few weeks gas consumption had fallen by a factor of 20.

With the hybrid heat source at 40% electric, the oven runs on gas only at start-up. Once Contour Covering Technology has expanded its solar panel park, the ovens will be able to run fully on electricity: zero emission.

Both companies look back on this project with pleasure and pride, and are already making plans for other parts of the powder coating shop.