Category Archives: New Technology

Design capability, high temperature curtain, Insulation Systems, New Technology

High Temperature Strip Curtains

February 22, 2016 Ryan

Continuous conveyor ovens are widely used in a variety of industrial processes including composite curing and heat treating. The entrance and exit points of these ovens represent significant areas for potential heat loss and energy inefficiencies. Without a proper heat barrier system these openings can be the culprit for thousands of dollars in wasted energy cost. In addition, regulating and controlling critical process temperatures can become a daunting task with inadequate heat containment.

Utilizing Worbo’s unique high temperature strip curtain system, energy costs may be significantly reduced and process temperatures may be accurately controlled. These strip curtains serve as an effective thermal barrier while allowing for the passage of parts through the oven chamber. Unlike traditional PVC strips that will break down at moderate temperatures the Worbo solution can withstand excessive temperatures and will continue to function effectively up to 1000^oF.

A typical example of a proven and extremely effective Worbo strip curtain design consists of a double layer heat barrier system. In this system the inside face of each strip if fabricated from Worbo’s exceptional Eko-Therm^TMheat reflective material. This unique material serves to retain convective heat with in the oven chamber in addition to preventing radiant heat from escaping through the oven door. The outside face of each strip is fabricated from Worbo’s extreme duty MSA96 (96 oz/yd2) silicone coated fabric offering outstanding durability and abrasion resistance as moving parts are transferred though the oven opening.

MSA96 side of strip curtain — Outside face of strip from extreme duty MSA96

Eko-Therm side of strip curtain — Inside face of strip from heat reflective Eko-Therm

In addition to generating significant energy cost savings, Worbo’s high temperature strip curtains offer the following key benefits:

Reduce the risk of workplace burn hazards near the opening of the oven.
Strips are easy to install and individual strips are simple to replace should they become damaged without the need to replace the entire curtain.
Excellent abrasion resistance and exhibit outstanding durability as parts move in and out of a conveyor oven.
Allows for oven temperatures to be accurately controlled ensuring product consistency and quality is upheld.
Manufacturing cycles are increased as the thermal barrier facilitates faster oven pre-heat time.
Strip curtains may be supplied in a variety of widths and lengths to custom fit virtually any oven opening.

Worbo’s heat resistant strip curtains are tailor made for each specific application in consideration of temperature constraints, environmental conditions, cycle frequency, oven geometry, etc. Contact the design team at Worbo to assist with your continuous conveyor oven application.

clean insulation, Custom Applications, Design capability, Insulation Systems, New Technology, radiant heat protection

Cool-Skin Elbows and Tees

January 25, 2016 Ryan

In response to a growing demand from our customers, Worbo is excited to announce the release of a new product line of easy to install elbow and tee insulation sleeves for high temperature applications. Introducing Cool-Skin elbows and tee sleeves by Worbo.

These products offer a fantastic complement to our extremely popular line of Cool-Skin^TM sleeves. They are a perfect solution for insulating hoses and process lines that contain a tight bend radius or for lines that have tee intersections. Traditionally it has been a challenge for plant engineers and insulation contractors to provide a satisfactory and effective thermal barrier in these areas. Worbo’s wonderfully simple solution enables our customers to quickly and easily install these removable Cool-Skin^TM insulation components around elbows (from 45’s to 90’s) and at tee junctions. They offer a very precise fit around a wide variety of diameters to maximize insulation coverage to minimize heat loss and to prevent burn injuries at these tricky locations.

Cool-Skin 90 elbow	Cool-Skin 90 elbow
Cool-Skin Tee	Cool-Skin 45 elbow

Cool-Skin^TM elbows and tees are fabricated from the same tried and tested materials that make up our existing Cool-Skin^TM sleeve products. They are equipped with a durable abrasion resistant jacketing system that encapsulates a clean non-fibrous insulation medium exhibiting an extremely low thermal conductivity to provide a very efficient thermal barrier. As with many of our Cool-Skin^TM products our elbows and tees are supplied with a hook and loop closure for easy installation and removal.

For applications where radiant heat is a concern our Eko-Therm^TM jacketing system may be supplied as an alternative to the standard yellow jacket. The combination of our shiny aluminized Eko-Therm^TM material coupled with our non-fibrous insulation medium offers an effective barrier from conductive heat sources as well as from radiant heat sources. Up to 90% of radiant heat will be reflected away from the low emissivity and shiny surface of the insulation component. This doubly effective technology will ensure that the process temperatures can be accurately maintained with a minimal insulation wall thickness.

This new exciting line of products is yet another example of the how the Worbo research and product development team has demonstrated out of the box thinking to create cost effective and innovative thermal protection solutions.

Custom Applications, New Technology, Worbo Improvements

Cheap Gas Leads to a Hot Problem

February 10, 2015 Ryan

New developments in deep shale extraction technologies have lead to an increase in the availability of natural gas in the USA with production up over 25% within the past 10 years. The abundance of inexpensive natural gas has created exciting alternatives for steel producers. Specifically direct reduced iron (DRI) fueled by natural gas is being produced on an increasingly larger. Now more than ever DRI is a cost competitive alternative to traditional coal fired blast furnaces. And perhaps even more important is that natural gas powered DRI plants potentially have a much smaller environmental footprint.

However, a DRI plant does present a few unique problems. One such problem occurs in the process gas heater, a key component of a DRI plant that feeds the reduction reactor with makeup gas. Within the process gas heater, radiant coils are situated on the outlet side of the manifold and they are exposed to temperatures up to 1900^oF. These elevated temperatures have created some difficulty in the welded U-joints connections of the radiant coils. In some cased the welding has softened to the point where failures have occurred. Extreme temperature insulation cover

Worbo has worked closely with a DRI plant in the USA to develop an extremely high temperate resistant insulation cover to protect the radiant coil U-joints connections from weld failures. These covers have been specially designed to be removable for ease of installation and to minimize shut down time. And they can handle the heat. These covers are capable of withstanding continuous operating temperatures of 2100^oF!

With nearly a full year in service and no weld failures we are proud that we have been able to contribute in a positive way to the development of this fiscally and environmentally responsible steel production technology.

Custom Applications, New Technology, Uncategorized

Reaching the Stars!

August 5, 2014 Ryan

The engineering team at Worbo has played an integral part in the design of extreme temperature insulation systems for a leading aerospace company. Designed to protect essential components from intense exhaust blast, the Worbo insulation systems performed very well in a recent successful launch. We continue to work closely with the aerospace industry as new technologies develop. Next stop….who knows!

Custom Applications, New Technology

Gearing Up with Heavy Equipment Manufacturers

July 31, 2014 Ryan

Worbo Inc. continues to fulfill the high temperature insulation needs for many of the world’s leading heavy equipment manufacturers. Engine and equipment manufacturers are facing strict emissions standards. Worbo is well equipped to design and meet growing demand for critical insulation components required in these challenging high temperature applications.