Category: Blog

Melting furnaces are used to overheat solid materials until they liquefy. Often, thermal processing equipment is used to alter the surface or internal characteristics of materials by carefully elevating their temperature. In the case of metals, this typically increases ductility at the expense of both hardness and strength. This requires an industrial furnace capable of generating and maintaining temperatures below that of the material’s melting point. A melting furnace, by comparison, generates overhot temperatures that exceed the metal’s melting point and cause decomposition of its physical structure which leads to liquefaction. This phase transition is utterly dependent on both temperature…

Gold (Au) remains one of the most sought-after precious metals in the world for its superficial monetary value, but it also exhibits useful electro- and thermomechanical behavior for engineering and manufacturing applications. With a thermal conductivity of roughly 310 Watts per meter-Kelvin W/(mK) from room temperature up to 225°C (437°F) and outstanding reflectivity to infrared (IR) radiation, it is routinely used to manufacture protective films for satellites and faceplates for space suits. These novel properties are gradually being recognized in a broader range of fields. Most recently, gold has been employed for thermally-efficient heat shieldings in the engine bays of…

Conventional tools and components often do not suit the requirements of original equipment manufacturers (OEM) developing specialist or non-standard products. These may require low tolerances for physical variation, high uniformity with regards to thermodynamic characteristics, or numerous other unique requirements that cannot be assured with standard machinery. Custom industrial furnaces can, therefore, be extremely beneficial for OEM production lines with heat treatment requirements. A custom industrial furnace eliminates elements of uncertainty for specialist thermal processing. They can be engineered with specific controls and capabilities to meet the most demanding of heat treatment challenges. This blog post will explore four types…

Electrical resistance heating is one of the most efficient forms of thermal processing for industrial sectors. It uses thermodynamically stable resistors to convert electricity into heat and high-performance insulation materials to distribute temperatures uniformly throughout a heating chamber. The most efficient high temperature heating elements are subsequently comprised of multiple materials. Precious and rare metals such as tungsten (W), and engineered ceramics like silicon carbide (SiC) are broadly used to fabricate high temperature heating elements of varied geometries to suit a range of furnace architectures. This blog post will explore the high temperature heating element geometries available from Thermcraft in…

High temperature durability testing is used to assess the potential service life of a component engineered for harsh operating conditions. A durability test is typically used to measure the physical integrity of a material in response to one or more forms of thermodynamic stress, from continuous agitation to elevated temperatures. Gaskets for the mating surface areas in heavy machinery must be characterized as a function of their resistance to wearing via abrasion, for example. Products that are subject to multiple forms of stress simultaneously throughout their lifetime must be measured for durability through more dynamic testing. Such dynamic durability testing…

Tensile strength is one of the principal characteristics that defines a material’s mechanical behavior. It determines a product’s resistance to axial tension, or pulling forces, and is quantified as the point at which the material will fail due to strain. This is a useful metric for acquiring measuring numerous material properties including yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and Young’s modulus. However, the tensile strength of finished products may vary due to pressure variations or fluctuating temperatures. Laboratory ovens are often used to facilitate tensile testing under high thermal conditions. This provides accurate information regarding the material’s resistance to thermodynamic stress…

NADCAP furnaces are thermal processing components certified by the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP). It is an industry-driven program designed to certify organizations working in the aerospace and defense sectors. The criteria used to accredit an industrial furnace to NADCAP standards are established by qualified experts in the aerospace sector and are tailored to specific processes. This blog post will explore the purpose of NADCAP certification and the latest specifications for NADCAP furnaces in more detail: The Purpose of NADCAP Accreditation The NADCAP process is organized by the Performance Review Institute (PRI). PRI administrators help suppliers gain…

An industrial curing oven is a piece of thermal processing equipment designed to improve the strength and durability of a material by accelerating a desirable chemical reaction. In its simplest format, a curing oven achieves this by elevating the temperature of a sample material to within or above a specific limit. This may be enough to improve the physiochemical linkages within the material and improve the mechanical characteristics of the product. More often, one or more catalyzing agents are introduced into the curing oven to facilitate the required reaction. Curing ovens are commonly used to engineer raw materials such as…

Industrial drying ovens are unique thermal processing components used to combat the generation of humidity from heat treatment processes. Moisture can escape the surface of a solid sample during high-temperature curing and linger in the atmosphere of the processing chamber. If a furnace is not equipped to exhaust these vapors, the solid sample may reabsorb some of the moisture content and reduce the product yield. This hygroscopic behaviour can result in immediate or eventual product failure. Curing of electronic components, pharmaceutical ingredients, and industrial epoxies must take place in specialized industrial drying ovens that are equipped to ventilate generated vapors…