We Understand the Science of High-Temperature Thermal Dynamics.

Warping or distortion of metal parts inside an enamel furnace is typically caused by two things: uneven heating or an inadequate support system. If one part of the component heats up much faster than another, the resulting thermal stress can cause it to bend. This is prevented by a furnace with excellent temperature uniformity. The second cause is the conveyor or tooling. As the metal approaches its critical temperature, it loses some of its structural integrity. If it is not supported properly on its journey through the enamel furnace, it can sag under its own weight. At TIMS, we design both the furnace for uniform heating and the custom conveyor tooling to provide robust support, eliminating warping and distortion issues.

There are several ways to classify an enamel furnace. The first is by heating method: electric furnaces use resistive heating elements for clean, precise heat, while gas-fired furnaces use burners (often in radiant tubes) for powerful and efficient heating. The second classification is by process flow: continuous furnaces use a conveyor for high-volume production, while batch furnaces (or box furnaces) are loaded and fired one cycle at a time for lower volumes or unique parts. They can also be classified by the firing atmosphere they create. At TIMS, we design and build all types of enamel furnace, consulting with our clients to engineer the perfect system for their specific product and production needs.

The "firing curve" is a graph that represents the temperature a part experiences over time as it travels through an enamel furnace. It has three main phases: 1. The ramp-up, where the part is brought from ambient to peak temperature. 2. The soak, where the part is held at the peak temperature for a specific duration to allow the enamel to mature and fuse. 3. The cool-down, where the part is cooled in a controlled manner. The exact shape of this curve is critical for the final quality of the finish. A well-designed enamel furnace from TIMS gives the operator precise control over all three phases, allowing them to perfect the firing curve for their specific product.

This is a dangerous oversimplification. While an enamel furnace must reach high temperatures, "hotter" is not better. The key to a perfect finish is not maximum temperature, but precise control of the entire temperature profile or "firing curve." Every enamel formulation has an ideal maturation point. If the furnace is too hot (over-firing), the enamel can become brittle, colors can burn out, and defects like blisters can form. If it's not hot enough (under-firing), the glass won't fully fuse, leading to poor adhesion and a porous surface. The goal is to have an enamel furnace that can hold the perfect temperature with absolute stability, not just achieve extreme heat.