Your Partner in High-Performance Enameling.

The furnace is the most critical piece of enamel equipment, and there are key features to look for. First, demand exceptional temperature uniformity. Ask for proof of a temperature variance of no more than ±5°C throughout the firing zone. Second, evaluate the insulation and energy efficiency; a well-designed furnace will save you significant operational costs. Third, consider the conveyor system; it must be made of high-temperature alloys and designed to remain straight and stable after thousands of heating and cooling cycles. Finally, the control system should be a modern PLC that allows for precise, programmable firing curves. A high-quality furnace from TIMS is an investment in quality and reliability.

The porcelain enameling process, which requires highly specialized enamel equipment, involves several key stages. First, the metal part undergoes a rigorous multi-stage pretreatment to be cleaned and etched. Second, the enamel coating is applied. This can be done by dipping the part, by spraying a water-based "slip," or by electrostatically applying a dry glass powder. Third, the part is moved to a drying oven to remove any moisture. The final and most critical stage is firing. The part is conveyed through a high-temperature furnace at 750-850°C (1400-1560°F), which melts the glass particles, fuses them to the metal substrate, and creates the hard, durable, vitreous surface that defines porcelain enamel.

Defects like pinholes (small holes in the finish) or crazing (fine cracking) are typically caused by failures in process control that can be eliminated with high-quality enamel equipment. Pinholes are often caused by gases escaping from the steel during firing. A proper ground coat and a precisely controlled, multi-stage firing curve, managed by a TIMS furnace, allows these gases to escape before the glass fully fuses. Crazing is caused by a mismatch in the thermal expansion between the enamel and the metal substrate. This is prevented by using the correct enamel formulation for the specific metal and by ensuring a perfect, strong bond, which is a direct result of meticulous pretreatment and firing—core strengths of our enamel equipment.

A "Two-Coat, Two-Fire" (2C2F) process is the gold standard for high-quality enameling and requires a complete enamel equipment line. It involves: 1. First Coat: Applying the dark, cobalt-rich ground coat, which is designed for maximum adhesion to the steel. 2. First Fire: Firing the part in a furnace to fuse the ground coat. 3. Second Coat: After cooling, applying the colored cover coat, which is designed for aesthetics and surface properties. 4. Second Fire: Firing the part again at a slightly lower temperature to fuse the cover coat. This multi-stage process, automated by a continuous TIMS enamel equipment line, creates a far more durable and flexible finish than a single-coat system.