The latest process gas burner technology supplied by Nuneaton-based Lanemark Combustion Engineering Ltd is now helping a leading manufacturer of construction equipment to benefit from optimised energy usage and minimised emissions.

Leamington Spa-based Thwaites Ltd, which provide a wide range of dumper truck designs, particularly to the construction industry, has replaced two well-proven existing Lanemark FD5EP-3 burner installations with Lanemark’s latest force-draught gas and air FD5GAP-3 models. The result is a combination of excellent heat control and an anticipated, significant saving in gas usage.

Jeff Foster, Lanemark’s sale director, said: “The two new burners have been fixed to two separate drying ovens, both of which receive products via an overhead conveyor – one for an epoxy primer pre-heat facility and the other for a polyurethane top coat drying installation. Up to 60 different components for 1- to 10-tonne machines are handled each day.

“In both cases the burners, which here operate with a Propane gas source, fire through the wall of the oven into a combustion chamber with a recirculating fan then distributing the heat evenly around the oven chamber.”

The replacement of the two existing Lanemark burners – both ‘hi/lo’ units which have delivered reliable performance since 1998 – have allowed Thwaites to gain from the latest designs and technology.

Lanemark’s FDGA burners use the latest ‘air pressure lead’ mono-bloc gas valve technology which is central to ensuring safe and efficient gas/air ratios are always maintained even under variable plant operating conditions.

These offer significant benefits compared with alternative fixed gas/air valve linkage control arrangements while the absence of mechanical linkages between the gas and combustion air control valve and dampers means the need for adjustment or the risk of sticking are avoided.

Mr Foster continued: “We have ensured that the mounting flanges have remained unchanged over the period so the removal of the old, and the connection of the new burners, proved to be a very straightforward exercise. He points out that the work was completed in just two days during a shutdown maintenance period.”

Thwaites’ paintshop supervisor said: “Temperature control and stability are vital for the paint adherence process to be optimised and this is fulfilled by the Lanemark burners. Typically, we set the oven temperature to 90°degC but the burners can operate at up to 110degC – a useful factor during winter months when ambient temperature can, of course, be somewhat lower.”

Thwaites decision to install the two new Lanemark burners was partly based on the company’s long-term association with the burner manufacturer. Apart from the burners that were replaced meeting operational requirements for more than 20 years, Thwaites had also, more recently, benefitted from a further FDGA unit installed on a new stand-alone oven.

The supervisor added: “The performance here meant we had no hesitation in opting for the two additional Lanemark burners for the paint drying facility.”

With the ongoing support of the Lanemark BurnerCare service package – which offers a range of benefits from installation, commissioning and service plans to spare parts supply and rapid engineer call-out, if needed – the new installations at Thwaites are set to deliver reliable, long term process heating efficiency for many years to come.

Central to such an important element of the production process, this translates into significant, ongoing peace of mind for the dumper truck manufacturer.