Why is oven baking time such a hot issue?
Time is money...is the short answer.
“In your kitchen, turning up oven temperature will not bake a cake faster, it will just burn the exterior leaving the inside raw. So too, is the effect in commutator construction.”
Do you expect to season your commutator while it is operating? Probably not.
That’s our job. Thorough baking cycles are imperative to stability in operation. Mica v-rings aren’t completely cured until a comm is fully at temperature (350° F) for a minimum of 4 hours. But, there’s more. Copper and steel expand and contract at different rates and by different amounts.
Full thermal cycling ensures that none of this has to happen when your production is on the line.
Shortening the baking time also shortens a delivery time, but leads to major issues with the commutator in operation. Since bake cycle duration can easily be one of the biggest chunks of time in scheduling a project, it seems to be the perfect candidate for cutting.
However, there are technical reasons to keep temperatures relatively low and cycle times in place. Baking is used not only to cure materials (like mica v-rings), but is also used to create an environment which replicates that found in operation. Controlling both the temperature and duration of the bake cycle is important to avoid overheating.
During bake-off, for example, overheating can result in a reduction in motor efficiency. In your kitchen, turning up oven temperature will not bake a cake faster, it will just burn the exterior leaving the inside raw. So too, is the effect in commutator construction. Although today's insulation products can withstand higher temperatures, the resin compound requirements for curing must still be met. Further, the modulus of any given material will only allow it to accept a specific amount of thermal soaking. Raising the temperature unfortunately cannot speed up this process. Fortunately in today’s world, with manufacturing software, creative scheduling of overlapping processes, process improvements and expedited shipping options, deliveries can still be improved, when needed. The best emergency service deliveries put all of these to good use, ensuring the fastest deliveries with no sacrifice in quality, putting more of your time (and money) to the bottom line.
