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Carbolite, the UK's largest manufacturer of standard laboratory and bespoke industrial ovens, is playing a key role in helping to create some of the future generation's best loved TV and film characters.   

Some of the most popular characters in the world of children's television such as ‘Bob the Builder', ‘Postman Pat' and ‘Pingu' were ‘born' in the state-of-the-art workshops run by Mackinnon & Saunders, a UK-based company which designs and builds high quality animation puppets and models  for use by international film makers, TV entertainment programme companies and producers of TV commercials.   

New additions to Mackinnon & Saunders' well-equipped Altrincham-based workshops are two Carbolite ovens installed during June 2010 to help produce the new generation of foam latex characters the puppet maker is in the process of creating. 

Mackinnon & Saunders is using the ovens to cure foam latex used in the manufacture of its new batch of puppet creations for its show Raa Raa the Noisy Lion. Some of the company's previous projects include a number of Oscar nominated film projects as well as creating several characters for international box office successes like Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr Fox" and Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" and "Corpse Bride." 

The larger of the two new ovens is a 200 litre capacity standard fan convection Peak PF200 oven featuring a 300°C maximum temperature capability.  The oven is fitted with an over-temperature protection option to DIN 12-880 class 2.  The model maker has also installed a smaller fan convection oven, the Apex AX120, which is a 120 litre capacity, 250°C maximum temperature oven.  The new ovens are both compliant with safety standards BS EN 61010-2-010-1995 & BS EN 50014:1993 and meet the ‘Electrically Heated Drying Oven' performance standard BS 2648. 

"The ovens are essentially used to bake foam latex so that it cures," explained Chris Bowden, a producer at Mackinnon & Saunders.  "A lot of our puppets are either made entirely from foam latex or have a foam latex centre to them.  The ovens are an integral part of the process."   

"There are several uses for the ovens.  One of them is for foam latex vulcanization which we do at temperatures ranging from 50°C up to 90°C," explained Lead Foam Technician, Bethan Jones. "We also use the ovens for curing moulds which can be made either from epoxy, polyurethane, silicone, glass fibre or plaster.  Depending on what the material is the curing process can go from 40°C up to 90°C. The ovens are also used for curing specialist paint which we apply to silicone materials."   

Making a puppet at Mackinnon & Saunders typically takes between12 to 20 weeks depending on the complexity.  The puppet maker tends to use the Carbolite ovens to bake the puppets or models at 50°C and generally runs the ovens for 18 hours at that temperature. Those on 90°C bake would usually remain in the ovens for three hours.  Other loads are completed in around 90 minutes. 

About Carbolite www.carbolite.com

Carbolite is the UK's largest manufacturer of electrically heated laboratory ovens and furnaces. Recognised as a world leader Carbolite products are exported to over 100 countries world-wide for use in applications such as aerospace, ceramics, metals, mining, pharmaceuticals, electronics, composites and materials science. 

Recently introduced ranges of standard laboratory products include the CMAT - Microwave Assist Technology furnace, which combines radiant and microwave heating to reach 1600°C. 

Carbolite has a reputation for flexibility, with the capability to solve specific problems from individual customers using high quality engineering solutions and customised designs. Sizes range from 3 litre standard product to 10,000 litre bespoke production plant and temperatures are available up to 1800°C.

For further product information please visit www.carbolite.com