Oven Conveyor Belt

Oven Conveyor Belt

An oven conveyor belt is an endless transport belt specifically designed for use in heat treatment furnaces. It carries workpieces or products through the furnace and must therefore withstand high temperatures and often substantial weight. Typically, oven belts are metal belts — either woven/braided wire mesh belts or perforated plate belts.

Use Cases:

• Hardening furnaces: Small steel parts are carried through an annealing and hardening process (up to ~900°C) on a wire mesh belt. The belt can be made of heat-resistant stainless steel (chrome-nickel steel).
• Soldering furnaces / glass frit furnaces: Electronic components on PCBs are transported in reflow soldering systems on fine mesh belts (steel or bronze). Glass is also conveyed through cooling ovens on metal belts.
• Food ovens: Spiral wire belts (e.g., for cookies or pizza) made of stainless steel run through tunnel ovens. Typical temperatures range from 200–300°C, and the materials must be food-safe.
• Sintering furnaces in powder metallurgy: Powder-compacted parts pass through sintering zones above 1000°C on mesh belts.

The construction must be both heat-resistant and track straight. Spiral mesh belts (similar to spiral weave, but specially connected into belts) are common. These offer the advantage of being relatively flexible and able to loop around rollers, while still being made from thick wires.

Oven belts made of plates (steel segments with joints) are used for very heavy loads but offer less openness — typically used when ventilation is not required.

Material selection is critical: Standard stainless steels (e.g., 1.4301) can only withstand continuous loads up to ~600°C before losing strength. For higher temperatures, heat-resistant steels like 1.4841 (314) or nickel alloys (Inconel) are used. These form protective oxides and resist creep more effectively.

The service life of an oven belt depends on temperature, load, and atmosphere (oxidizing vs. inert). Even with the right material, they eventually wear out due to material fatigue (creep over time). Replacement is then necessary.

GKD, for example, manufactures oven belts and pays special attention to custom weaves (e.g., crimp connectors) and seams to prevent tearing under heat.

Summary: Oven belts are essential components in continuous thermal processes. They combine transport function with heat resistance. In the glossary, this term helps define the category of process belts offered by GKD — and explains the specific requirements (material, weave type) these belts must meet under extreme conditions.