VIP Soluciones presents its gradient oven Vulcano 4545.
The growing demand for coatings with higher and higher technical characteristics, which in turn call for increasingly stringent application parameters, makes the gradient ovens a fundamental tool for the research, development and formulation of the coatings of the future.
This laboratory machine, essential for premium paint manufacturers, enables to both test the mechanical properties of coatings with different gradients and to define their optimal firing conditions in order to achieve the best performance possible.
Vulcano 4545 has been developed by VIP Soluciones, a company that also deals with the maintenance and restoration of already existing ovens. It is equipped with a heating surface composed of 45 thermal bars controlled by four standard PLCs, which enable to:
- Heat one, two, three or four sectors up to 300°C by inserting three thermal bars between different areas to dissipate the temperatures.
- Obtain gradients between two temperatures, with the possibility to automatically assess the unit value of the temperature difference applicable to each sector of the heating surface.
- Simulate firing or perform temperature tests at intervals of time in which the heating surface reproduces the parameters collected in industrial furnaces with conventional temperature recording systems.
The Vulcano 4545 gradient oven has three main advantages. The first one relates to its high precision degree resulting from the design of the aluminium bars that make up the heating surface. The opening in their central parts houses the electrical resistance that brings heat to the system – and that is controlled through software thanks to temperature probes located a few tenths from the area in contact with the surface. This ensures high accuracy because of the proximity between the measuring unit and the coating to be tested.
The ability to adjust the test starting time through software enables to calibrate the test as a function of the thermal mass of the surface or based on other special features of the support.
The second advantage offered by this tool, related to the first one, lies in the individual calibration of all equipment produced by the company. With such individual adjustment, the control software compensates for any variations in the manufacturing tolerances of the different equipment components.
The third advantage is related to the design of the machine and to the objective of minimising its maintenance costs. The technical team has focussed on two factors: Ease of parts replacement and use of standard parts. As for the first element, functions have been identified to make the temperature measurement (probes) independent from the heat sources (electric resistances). The design of the outer structure, finally, allows a quick and easy access to components that might need to be replaced.
Another key point has been the use of standard mechanical and electronic components to minimise the time and money needed to find spare parts.
The control software has been programmed to create an intuitive and user-friendly work environment, compatible with any device on the market. The program enables to know the current operating stage and the test status in real time.
The presence of test history records and their accessibility greatly facilitates the feedback possibility of the formulator.
For further information: www.vipsoluciones.es, info@vipsoluciones.es