The Lanly Company of Cleveland, Ohio, designed, built and commissioned an aluminum-tube annealing oven for a metals processing company in Columbiana, Ohio. The oven can process aluminum tubes up to 20 feet in length. A high-volume cross-flow airflow design ensures even heat distribution throughout the oven and temperature regulation of +/-5°F at stabilized conditions. The oven has a maximum air temperature of 800°F and includes a temperature-profile controller with nine-point thermocouple feedback. A balanced, motorized vertical-lift door with a clamping mechanism for positive sealing is featured. Loading and unloading of the tubes is accomplished with a powered rail-car bottom that also doubles as the oven floor.

The primary end use of the oven is for annealed aluminum used in the manufacture of collegiate and high school baseball bats. Demand for baseball bats is expected to increase due to recent rule changes made by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS). The changes are being imposed to limit the trampoline effect of the newer thin-walled bat designs to keep them closer to the performance of traditional wooden bats. Player safety has been the driving force behind the new regulations, which are in effect in 2011 for the NCAA and will take effect in 2012 for the NFHS.