Thermal curing oven and thermal curing process

A process for manufacturing a multiplicity of items, said items being moved one item at a time substantially simultaneously through a plurality of respective work stations at which respective manufacturing steps are effected on each said item, said process including at least one work station through which a plurality of said items moves together as a group, said process comprising the steps of:

• moving a plurality of said items to said one work station one item at a time;
• accumulating said plurality of items at said one work station to form a group comprising said plurality of items;
• admitting said group to said one work station;
• performing a manufacturing step on said items of said group at said one work station;
• discharging said group from said one work station;
• and
• moving said plurality of items comprising said group one item at a time to another of said stations.

A method of heating pluralities of items while maintaining a surface of said items substantially contaminant free, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an oven having an oven chamber adapted to receive said pluralities of said items, said oven chamber having a closeable entrance and a closeable exit;
• (b) providing a conveyor located within said oven chamber and capable of transporting said pluralities of items between said entrance and said exit, and through an intermediate position between said entrance and said exit within said oven chamber;
• (c) heating the air within said oven chamber;
• (d) forcing ambient air into said oven chamber under pressure at a first rate;
• (e) filtering the ambient air forced into said oven chamber;
• (f) exhausting air from said oven chamber at a second rate lower than said first rate, thereby maintaining the air pressure within said oven chamber at a relatively higher pressure than the ambient air;
• (g) opening said entrance;
• (h) placing a first plurality of said items onto said conveyor at said first position;
• (i) closing said entrance;
• (j) transporting said first plurality to said intermediate position on said conveyor;
• (k) repeating steps (g) though (j) for a second plurality of said items;
• (l) transporting said first plurality of items to said second position and said second plurality of items to said intermediate position;
• (m) repeating steps (g) through (j) for a third plurality of said items;
• (n) opening said exit;
• (o) removing said first plurality of items from said oven chamber;
• (p) closing said exit;
• and
• steps (c) through (f) being performed simultaneously with one another and with steps (g) through (p).