Case study · New furnace

A new bell-type annealing furnace for cast iron

A new 60 kW bell-type annealing furnace for cast iron: a Fibrothal heating system, two heating zones and a PLC control panel with SCADA, running at 950 °C.

Furnace:: Bell furnace

Results

What the project delivered.

Capacity: 2 MT
Rated power: 60 kW
Operating temperature: 950 °C
Independently controlled heating zones: 2

A Fibrothal heating system with back-up insulation lines the bell, and a thyristor power panel feeds its two heating zones.

A PLC control panel with SCADA runs each charge from a recipe, with set and actual temperatures, heating and soaking times, and temperature trends for both zones on screen.

Overview

The project.

Case study · New furnace

What we did

A cast iron components manufacturer needed a new electrically heated bell furnace for annealing: a 2-tonne charge at 950 °C.

We engineered the furnace and its lining to our drawings, supplied the Fibrothal heating system with its back-up insulation, and built the controls: a PLC panel with SCADA and a thyristor power panel.

Why Fibrothal in a bell

A bell is lifted on and off its charge, so the weight of its lining matters. Fibrothal panels carry the heating elements inside a light insulating hot face, so the bell needs far less insulation and support weight than a brick lining, and the panels go in quickly.

CustomerCast iron components manufacturer
EquipmentBell-type annealing furnace (new)
ProcessAnnealing of cast iron
Capacity2 metric tonnes
Rated power60 kW
Operating temperature950 °C
Working chamber2000 × 1600 × 1500 mm (L × W × H)
Heating systemFibrothal panels with back-up insulation
ControlPLC panel with SCADA, thyristor power panel
OrderedJuly 2021

Scope of work

How it was done.

01
Designed to the charge
A working chamber of 2000 × 1600 × 1500 mm, sized for a 2-tonne charge, with the casing, hearth and lining detailed in our drawings.
Casing
Casing
02
Fibrothal heating system
24 Fibrothal panels, with the wire elements already embedded, form the hot face, with back-up insulation behind. Every panel was inspected for surface defects, pin tightness and cracks before dispatch.
Fibrothal
03
Control and power panels
A PLC control panel with meters and a temperature controller per zone, a thyristor power panel, and a PC cabinet for the SCADA.
Panels
PLC panel
04
SCADA
Each charge runs from a recipe. The SCADA shows set and actual temperature and heating output for both zones, and heating and soaking time.
SCADA
05
Installation and commissioning
Installed at the customer's plant and run up to temperature, with temperature trends logged for both zones.
Installed
Trends