Wooddryer System specification sheet

Industrial kiln doors.

Kiln doors are a primary component of any kiln. They must be structurally sound, provide a tight seal, open and close with reasonable ease, easily maintainable, and financially affordable. The more complicated a door, the better the chance something will go wrong.

For instance, a two piece door is prone to bleed more energy than a one piece door. Gravity based latch systems provide greater certainty of seal than those which depend upon manual latch systems. Doors with thermal conductors loose energy at a higher rate than doors manufactured without. With respect to purchasing a expensive piece of equipment, the importance of the basics cannot be over stressed.

As the capacity of kilns increase, so also do the risks. With large volumes of high grade lumber on the line, every aspect of kiln construction plays a vital role in the overall drying process. Wooddryer System has successfully meet the challenge of manufacturing a kiln door which addresses the needs of the larger kiln chamber (35 mbf. and larger).

While the majority of manufacturers still cling to the use of metals such as aluminum, Wooddryer System long ago realized the use of aluminum is no longer efficient with regard to the construction of kiln doors.

As a soft metal, aluminum lacks durability. First, soft metals suffer from high energy transfer. In short, it bleeds energy/heat quickly. Second, it's instability in relation to excessive heat expansion translates into a shorter service life. In response, Wooddryer System manufactures kiln doors with a durable stainless steel shell, an insulted 4" foam core (R-32) free from thermal conductors, and fastened to the frame using 16 gauge stainless steel. Surrounding the entire circumference of frame is a gasket configuration proven to provide both optimum seal and service. The union of these of proven materials into a kiln door offers solid utility, proven energy savings, and exceptional long term reliability.

Picture above is Wooddryer Kiln Door in use. Hydraulic operated even a 20'x40' kiln door can be opened with relative ease.

As with any door, kiln doors must open and close to allow loading and unloading. Wooddryer System has designs and manufactures a door carrier which allows one man operation of the kiln door. The door carrier itself is manufactured with mild steel and coated 2X with epoxy. With the use of a standard 12 ton hydraulic lifters, raising and lowering a door with ease is the norm, not the exception. The carrier is attached to a standard I-beam that it installed above the door frame. This method of maneuvering a door is know as "lift and slide". The benefit of our "lift and slide" system is the it has been designed to simultaneously raise the door off of the v-holders while separating the door from the frame 6"-8". The advantage of increased separation from door and frame is decreased damage to the door resulting from the all to common collisions with surrounding structures. Such design precautions minimize costly repairs and increase overall door longevity.

Below: Pin fitting in raised and lowered position onto the V-holder.
The third picture is the wheel system in use, notice the excellent between
the doors. By providing ample clearance, door damage is avoided.

As the equipment to secure the door in place is no less important than the door itself, we manufacture our v-holders and pin fittings out of 100% stainless steel to insure the upmost strength in seal, long term reliability, and overall durability of our fittings. By designing our hinges as gravity based, the integrity of the door seal is furthered by simple physics. In addition, we have integrated into our v-holders the added security of a guide wheel. This modification of the basic v-holder not only assist the movement of the doors itself, prevents the commonplace damage done to the inside of kiln doors by inspection doors or brackets.

Wooddryer System's line offers full size inspection doors. Doors are manufactured with a stainless steel shell, 3" foam core (R-24), gasket sealed, and secured by a safety latch which is fully accessible from both sides. The value of inspection doors is that they offer the operator the opportunity to physically inspect the kiln while in operation, hence, providing an additional margin of safety during the drying process. Consistent with Wooddryer System design philosophy, inspection doors are assembled minimum thermal conductors.

In short, Wooddryer System offers a kiln door which is designed to provide the kiln operator with a solid door structure, stead fast seal, ease of operation, and minimal maintenance at the best dollar for dollar value in the market.