Custom-Engineered for Your Specific Firing Curve.

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.

Firing enamel on cast iron requires a specialized enamel furnace due to the material's high thermal mass. Cast iron absorbs and releases heat much more slowly than steel. Therefore, the furnace needs a longer "soak" zone to ensure the entire heavy casting reaches a uniform temperature for a proper cure. It also requires a more gradual and controlled cooling zone to prevent thermal shock, which could cause the enamel to crack. At TIMS, we engineer the length, power output, and zone control of our enamel furnace systems specifically to handle the unique thermal profile of heavy materials like cast iron, ensuring a perfect, durable finish.

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.

The enamel furnace used for large architectural panels is a highly specialized piece of equipment. Due to the large surface area and relative thinness of the steel, temperature uniformity is paramount to prevent warping. These furnaces are often very long to allow for a gradual and gentle ramp-up and cool-down. The conveyor system is a critical component, typically using a precisely aligned, flat mesh belt or a specialized "pin-type" conveyor to hold the panels perfectly flat as they are fired. At TIMS, we have the expertise to engineer these massive, high-precision enamel furnace systems required for producing world-class architectural enameled steel.