There are certain precautions and recommendations when working with industrial kilns and furnaces that only experience can teach us.
That is why in this article we want to share with you some best practices that we have adopted over the years and that we usually recommend to our customers to help them obtain the best possible performance from their furnaces.
Best operating practices in ceramic kilns and metals furnaces
Here are some tips that will help you operate more efficiently and keep your equipment in optimum condition:
• Check the air outlet in the burners to ensure that heat does not flow back there and heat the combustion equipment.
• Ideally, the burners and/or the furnace should have sight glasses to enable a quick review of the state of the burner flame by the operating personnel.
• In the case of furnaces with PLC, HMI and/or SCADA, it is advisable to periodically back up their programming.
• Always have a diagram of the furnace’s electrical engineering on hand in order to identify any possible problems quickly.
• Regularly review the condition of the most critical furnace components, be aware of their lifespan and have the appropriate spare parts to hand.
• Check that the PLC battery still has charge, since if it runs out of power it will turn off and the PLC programming may be lost.
• Periodically check the internal insulation of the furnace to verify that there are no cracks or mechanical wear.
• Inspect the cold sides of the furnace for any color change that indicates the presence of hot spots or heat leaks.
• Periodically check the status of the thermocouples with the help of a thermocouple simulator.
• Make sure reference gauges or static pressure gauges are installed and operating. These gauges are extremely useful for furnace operators, since they allow them to identify if there is a problem or irregularity in the flow supply pressure (gas or air).
• Make sure you have the necessary instruments to perform furnace equipment measurements and diagnostics: differential manometers for pressure measurement, multimeters, ammeters, etc.
• Carry out a survey or run a furnace heating profile (bi-annually or annually) to see if the combustion system is continuing to operate at its original capacity, or if there is a fall-off in performance.
• Perform planned maintenance tasks promptly in order to extend or maintain the useful life of your furnace.
• Keep up to date regarding current safety/emissions regulations to ensure compliance with them and to maintain a safe operation.
At Nutec Bickley we are specialists in industrial furnaces and their various components. Contact our expert advisors to learn more about all the solutions we have available for you.
