Category: Blog

A laboratory furnace is an essential part of any lab as it performs many important functions. They are convection appliances, that are widely employed in the manufacturing and science industries. This blog post will provide a brief overview of the operation, types, and applications of laboratory furnaces. Laboratory Furnace Operation Like most other furnaces, laboratory furnaces use a heat source to heat a sample within the furnace chamber. Convective heat transfer is the process used to heat the furnace and works by either gravity or mechanical convection. In gravity convection, warmer air displaces cooler air and directs it towards the…

Thermcraft started operations in January of 1971 and has since earned a reputation as a high-quality industrial oven manufacturer across the globe. Based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, we have consistently expanded our manufacturing capabilities, allowing us to increase our product lines and sales and distribution networks. Our main goal is to meet our customers diverse needs, and our investment in our facilities over the years has enabled us to do so. We now operate in a state-of-the-art facility with 3600 square feet of office space, and 70,000 square feet of manufacturing space, with additional space available for further expansion. Over…

Calcination is a heat treatment process where ores or other solid materials are heated below the melting point in the absence or a limited supply of air. This process is done to induce thermal decomposition, the removal of a volatile fraction, or phase transition. Typically, calcination furnaces are heated to process temperatures of 800oC to 1300oC, depending on the application. Other calcination process parameters can include tight thermal profiles with strict tolerances. Calcination furnaces can vary in their configuration, but typically they are either muffle, reverberatory, or shaft furnaces or kilns. When a sample is being calcinated it is often…

Industrial ovens are complex pieces of machinery, and ensuring they are running efficiently is critical for companies to keep energy usage and running costs down. This blog post will look at how companies can ensure that their industrial oven is running at the optimal efficiency. Heat Sources in Industrial Ovens Gas-fired industrial ovens are traditionally the most common type of oven, due to their low running costs compared to other heat sources. They work by heating the entire oven quickly and the heat is generally able to reach every part of the sample. These industrial ovens often lose a large…

A semiconductor is a material that partially conducts electricity in an electronic circuit. Most semiconductors are crystals and they are often made of silicon. They exhibit a conductivity level between that of a conductor and an insulator. The fabrication of a semiconductor is often achieved using an industrial furnace; this blog post will outline how this process works. Semiconductor Device Fabrication Semiconductor fabrication is a multi-step sequence of chemical processing and photo lithographic steps, where the electronic circuit is created on a wafer. Fabrication of semiconductors consists of four processing categories; deposition, removal, patterning, and modification of electrical properties. It…

While there are two main configurations of industrial ovens – batch and continuous – there are a variety of capabilities and classifications that need to be considered when choosing the optimal oven for your application. This blog post will outline some of the key considerations when choosing an industrial oven. Temperature Temperature considerations are arguably the most crucial when choosing an appropriate industrial oven. Before even investigating potential industrial ovens, you need to ensure you know the absolute minimum and maximum temperature requirements of your application. The smaller the range between the minimum and maximum, the more likely you are…

A crystal is a material with a highly ordered microscopic structure of its constituents that form a crystal lattice. The process in which crystals are formed is called crystallization. Crystal growth is an important stage in the crystallization process and there are a lot of methods used to encourage this process. Industrial furnaces can be used for crystal growth using a range of different methods. This blog post will outline some of the methods where an industrial furnace is used for crystal growth. Bridgman-Stockbarger Method This is a dual method approach, and the two techniques involved are similar yet have…

An industrial oven is a heated chamber that is used for a range of different heat treatment processes. They operate at extremely high temperatures and can be used for both small or large volume applications. Types of Industrial Oven There are two main configurations of industrial ovens, batch and continuous. A batch oven is also known as a ‘walk-in’ oven. These ovens work by inserting batches of materials that all need to undergo the same heat treatment process at different times. Batch ovens are also useful if the material to be heat-treated needs to be changed in different batches. The…

Gas fired industrial furnaces convert a heat source into thermal energy with the aim of achieving a higher temperature than what can be achieved with other systems. They perform a range of different functions, including materials testing, sintering, and tempering. While industrial furnaces can be used for different applications, the general components remain the same. This blog post will break down the components within an industrial furnace and explain their purpose. Radiant Section The radiant section is where the heating element is found, which is often a flame. The tubes or coils (often known as the radiant coil) in this…

Industrial furnaces are used globally for a wide range of applications. As the selection of applications grew, different types of furnaces were developed to keep up with demands. This blog post will look at a selection of industrial furnaces and their applications. Ashing Furnaces Ashing furnaces are used to determine the amount of ash that forms after a sample is burned. Typical materials used as samples in ashing furnaces are petroleum products, lubricating oils, and coal. This process is often used to determine any contaminants in the sample, which is sometimes only present if ash is produced. Ashing is used…