One of the first considerations that need to be addressed before going out for bids is the desired operating temperature that will be used most often. “Most often” because many new lab and industrial furnace purchasers often assume that one furnace can operate through a very broad temperature range. For instance, a common inquiry would be, “I need a furnace that can be used from 1000°C to 1800°C”. While this request is certainly possible, the requested temperature range crosses all three temperature boundaries and price ranges that will be covered next. This is a common mistake that leads to sticker shock which can be discouraging to new furnace purchasers. Upon further discussion, the user may elude to the fact that 95% of their processes only require a maximum temperature of 1100°C, which would be more realistic and certainly more cost effective at purchase time.
Users can visually check how their process is reacting at operating temperatures through the use of a transparent tube furnace. In the fall of 2001, Thermcraft acquired technology enabling the development of a transparent tube furnace that allows users to visually check how their process is reacting while at operating temperatures. From initial limited sizes, Thermcraft has developed this technology into the TransTemp product line, with sizes ranging up to 8 in. (inside diameter) by 40 in. (long) heated lengths.
Since our establishment in 1971, Thermcraft has supplied high quality, reliable, electric resistance type heaters, for various applications, around the world. Our expertise allows us to provide products which exceed our customers expectations. From start to finish we coordinate with our customers to produce the ideal product for their applications. This is our way of providing you with the products that will meet your needs at a price based on that value. Although the use of electrical resistance type heating elements have been around for many years, with new applications occurring daily, there still exists some misunderstood aspects of use and quite frequently mis-use of the elements, due to assumptions or lack of readily available information.
In mid 2006, Perryman Company (a Western PA metals producer) issued an order to Thermcraft Inc to produce a series of drying ovens for processing metal scraps as part of a proprietary process developed by Perryman. Based on the specifications developed during the initial discussions, Thermcraft supplied units that employed its standard PH-C series heavy-duty cast plate heaters mounted under the client supplied process unit.
In the field of electrical resistance heating, a variety of materials are available for use as heating elements. They include METALLIC ALLOYS (Nickel-chrome, Iron-ChromeAluminum,
Tungsten, Molybdenum, and Tantalum), CERAMIC MATERIALS (Silicon Carbide, and at one time Zirconium Oxide), CERAMIC METALS (Molybdenum Disilicide, Lanthanum Chromite), PRECIOUS METALS (Platinum and Platinum Rhodium Alloys), and GRAPHITE/CARBON based materials. These materials may be divided into two separate groups; those that can operate at elevated temperatures in the presence of oxygen and those that must be protected from oxygen.
For many years we offered our products to a potential customer, Innovative Test Solutions, with little success. Each time that we approached them, we proposed a standard creep or tensile test unit or ceramic refractory heating elements we were informed that our competitor’s price was cheaper. We were not able to match the pricing and the customer was focused on keeping costs as low as possible. What the customer did not realize was how much the cheaper products were actually costing them.