Wisconsin Oven - 2018 Year In Review

2018 was another year of unprecedented growth here at Wisconsin Oven. The growth we experienced in 2017 led to many new employment opportunities in 2018. This continued growth allowed for the shipment of 224 pieces of equipment to companies in industries such as composites, aerospace, technology, and automotive. This equipment included a mix of custom and standard batch and conveyor ovens that were used for curing composites, treating aluminum castings, post curing refractory material, and stress relieving automotive springs.

Another highlight from 2018 was the development of the Wisconsin Oven Universal Training Center (WOC-U). Dave Strand, President and CEO, noticed the need for more skilled tradesmen and created a solution with WOC-U. Through WOC-U, experienced Wisconsin Oven production personnel and engineers provide specialized training to help prepare the workforce of the future.

Employees Giving Back

Wisconsin Oven is a proud partner of the United Way of Walworth County. Wisconsin Oven encourages employees to donate to the United Way, with great incentives such as extra vacation days and a drawing for an extra week of vacation at the end of the year. Wisconsin Oven employees were the largest contributor to the United Way of Walworth County in 2017 which led to the appointment of Dave Strand as the Honorary Campaign Chair for 2018. Wisconsin Oven employees also donated 526 pounds of food to the East Troy Food Pantry, hosted a local blood drive, and provided Christmas gifts to a local family of five in need in 2018.

Our blog series this year focused on how our equipment plays a role in many of the products we use every day, including your mattresses, wrinkle-free shirts, bathroom doors, microwaves, and more. Read the highlights from this year’s blog posts below!

Tempering

If you slept like a dream on your mattress last night, it may in part be due to the heat treatment of the springs in your mattress. Mattress springs are tempered during their manufacturing process to reduce the brittleness in the hardened steel. Wisconsin Oven offers a variety of tempering ovens used for many applications, including manufacturing the perfect mattress springs for a good night’s sleep.

Curing in the Home

Remember 20 years ago when we all had to iron our clothing each day or else it would be a wrinkled mess? We were saved by the introduction of a chemical that could be cured into shirts, allowing us to hang up our wrinkle-free shirts directly out of the dryer. In fact, many of the items we use in our life have undergone curing, a process that makes products stronger, more durable, easier to use, and more appealing to the eye.

Curing in the Industry

As you get into your car and head to the gas station, you use more products that rely on curing during production – products supplied by the oil and gas industry. Pipes and their coatings often need to be cured, which seals the coatings and improves the function and efficiency of oil and gas industry pipes. A Wisconsin Oven curing oven is used for this process and can vary in size based on the size of the piping.

Powder Coating

You might be surprised to learn that many of the items you use every day are also powder coated. Powder coating is an alternative to liquid paint during the finishing process of products. The application process for powder holds the coating securely to the item, creating a more durable surface than liquid paint. Many household items - such as decorative gates, furniture, benches, doors, and smaller items including fixtures, bathroom scales, antennas, and microwave ovens -- have gone through a powder coating oven.

Hydrogen Embrittlement

When hydrogen enters a metal, the metal will be reduced in ductility and its load bearing capacity will be affected as well. Common signs of hydrogen embrittlement are cracking of weldments and stress-induced cracks. Absorption of hydrogen doesn’t need to be permanent and can be addressed if caught prior to cracking. A common way to reduce the hydrogen in the metal is to perform an embrittlement relief or hydrogen bake-out cycle.

45 Years and Counting

This year at Wisconsin Oven, we celebrated our 45th year in business. Wisconsin Oven has been a leader in the design, manufacturing, and engineering of industrial ovens and other quality heating equipment since 1973. In the last four decades, Wisconsin Oven has grown in its product offerings, and now provides standard and custom industrial ovens for a wide variety of applications including heat treating, drying, and finishing. All of us here at Wisconsin Oven are looking forward to another great year in 2019!