What factors will affect the service life of a tubular sintering furnace?

The main factors affecting the service life of tubular sintering furnaces are as follows:

Use and replacement of heating elements:
Material and Quality: Heating elements made of different materials (such as resistance wires, silicon carbon rods, silicon molybdenum rods, etc.) have different lifespans, and heating elements with better quality usually have longer lifespans. For example, high-quality resistance wire heating elements may last for 1000-2000 hours, while silicon carbide rods may last for hundreds to thousands of hours under normal usage conditions.
Working temperature: Long term exposure to high temperatures can accelerate the aging and damage of heating elements. If it frequently exceeds its rated operating temperature, its service life will be significantly shortened.
Work environment: including atmosphere (oxidizing, reducing, inert, etc.), presence of corrosive substances, etc. In harsh working environments, heating elements are more susceptible to damage.
Usage frequency: Frequent use will increase the loss of heating elements.
Maintenance: Regular cleaning, inspection, and proper use can extend its lifespan.

Protection of furnace and furnace tubes:
Avoid direct heating: When using a tube furnace to heat workpieces, a heating plate should be added to avoid placing it directly on the ceramic fiber board at the bottom of the furnace, which may cause uneven local stress or high local temperature on the fiber board and damage the bottom of the furnace.
Cooling operation: The insulation effect of the tube furnace is very good, and the temperature drops slowly after the power supply is stopped. It should be avoided to open the furnace door at high temperatures to achieve a high cooling rate. One cold and one hot can easily cause the furnace to crack, and the heating elements cannot withstand such cold and hot shocks. It is generally recommended to carefully open the furnace door only when the temperature of the tube furnace drops to 600 ℃.
Oven drying operation: The furnace needs to be dried during the first use, and after a long shutdown, it also needs to be dried again to effectively remove impurities such as water vapor from the pores.
Furnace tube cleaning: The furnace tube should be kept clean and free of substances that react with SiO ₂. When burning materials, in order to prolong the service life of the furnace tube, do not directly place the materials on the furnace tube. High temperature resistant tools or containers such as quartz boats can be equipped.

Usage environment and operating standards:
Control external temperature: Excessive or insufficient temperature in the external environment can affect the thermal efficiency and service life of the furnace body. It is advisable to choose a relatively constant temperature environment for operation.
Reduce dust and chemical corrosion: The operating area inside the furnace should be kept clean and regularly cleaned of dust and debris to avoid damage caused by corrosion.
Good ventilation: Good ventilation can effectively reduce the load on equipment and avoid mechanical aging caused by high temperatures.
Prevent overload: Overloading not only reduces heating efficiency, but may even cause equipment damage in the short term due to overload. Equipment load specifications should be strictly followed, and items placed in the furnace should be allocated reasonably.
Uniform weight distribution: When placing items in a high-temperature tube furnace, pay attention to the even distribution of weight to avoid uneven heating of the equipment due to unstable center of gravity.
Operating standards: Regularly train operators to understand the working principle, operating standards, and precautions of high-temperature tube furnaces, reducing the risk of misoperation.

Maintenance and upkeep:
Regular inspection: Regularly check the sealing condition of the furnace body and furnace tube to ensure that there is no air leakage or other abnormalities, and to avoid safety accidents.
Replace vulnerable parts: According to the manufacturer’s recommendations, timely replace vulnerable parts in the furnace, such as insulation materials, electric heating elements, etc., to ensure the normal operation of the equipment.
System cleaning: Regular deep cleaning of equipment, especially dust and dirt accumulated in the furnace, to ensure efficient operation of the equipment.
Selection of materials and coatings:
Furnace tube material: High temperature tube furnaces should use materials that are resistant to high temperatures and corrosion, such as high chromium alloys, silicon carbide materials, etc.
Coating: The use of high-temperature resistant coatings can reduce the oxidation rate on the surface of furnace tubes and extend their service life.