Rapid implementation of customised furnace

A new manufacturing process at its Gloucester production facility meant the abrasives division of a manufacturer of advanced ceramic materials needed to replace large raised hearth furnaces that had reached the end of their useful life.

The application called for a rapid cycling batch furnace capable of de-binding and sintering 100kg of graphite matrix with a ceramic powder inclusion at up to 1000°C, under a reducing atmosphere of nitrogen and hydrogen.

The solution provided by Carbolite did not need an afterburner; a 600 x 1200mm Inconel 601 retort was used to contain the nitrogen/ hydrogen atmosphere.

Inconel-coated catch trays were added to the retort to capture any process material that might fall from the load. The nitrogen/ hydrogen reducing gas was premixed and below the explosive limits for hydrogen.

As uniform heating of the load was critical, a 3-zone control system compatible with NADCAP 2750 D, Class 2, was installed.