The last number anyone has heard that I am aware of is 1 or 2 first generation old style ovens with a 3 day cycle time. 10 or 11 second generation old style ovens with a 3 day cycle time. And 4 third generation new style ovens with a 1 day cycle time.
All we know about the first and second generation ovens is that they are approximately 5 feet across, have more than one shelf, and each shelf is capable of holding at least a 40" substrate. It is assumed that since each shelf can hold at least a 40" substrate, then it can also hold at least nine 12" substrates (since 3 times 12" is only 36") Each oven is running 24/7, and takes 3 days to complete a sintering cycle. Assuming that includes loading, unloading and cool down time, each oven can sinter 121 batches of substrates per year.
All we know about the third generation ovens is that they are approximately 7'-8' across. But they are cylindrical. They are too tall to fit in the Commerce Street building, so they had to actually dig a pit into the floor to set the base of the ovens in so that they would clear the ceiling. They have cooling coils around the exterior to facilitate cooling. It is unclear whether they have more than one shelf. But it is assumed that they do. Since they are one-thrid again as big as the original ovens, it is assumed that they can sinter larger substrates, perhaps up to 60" (a figure that has been mentioned by FH in the past). Like the other ovenss, the ovens are running 24/7. And they have a have a one day cycle. Assuming that includes loading, unloading and cool down time, each oven can sinter 364 batches of substrates per year. (we have been told that all of the ovens are shut down at least one day per year for maintenance.
All of this information has been gleened by me and several others from conversations we have had with Jim Stock and Fayiz Hilal.
Unfortunately we all missed a chance to see the new generation ovens, when FH mistakenly included a picture of one on the web site for about two weeks. We did not know what we were looking at.
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