In the ceramics, refractory, and other high-temperature firing industries, kiln furniture plays a critical role in supporting and protecting products during firing. Its performance directly impacts production efficiency and product quality. With advancements in industrial technology, new kiln furniture has gradually replaced traditional designs, becoming a vital tool for improving firing efficiency and reducing energy consumption. This article explores the key differences between new and traditional kiln furniture, focusing on energy efficiency, load capacity, high-temperature performance, and service life.
1. Energy Efficiency: Reducing Energy Consumption and Increasing Benefits
Traditional Kiln Furniture:
- Often features solid designs with significant weight, resulting in a high overall thermal mass in the kiln.
- Made from materials with poor thermal conductivity, leading to low thermal efficiency and long firing cycles, causing significant energy waste.
- Experiences high heat loss during heating and cooling cycles, making it difficult to meet modern energy-saving requirements.
New Kiln Furniture:
- Uses lightweight designs, such as extruded batts, honeycomb structures, and hollow beams, significantly reducing the weight of the kiln furniture.
- Made from materials with better thermal conductivity, such as silicon carbide and cordierite-mullite, to enhance heat transfer efficiency.
- Optimized designs (e.g., vent holes or grid structures) reduce the heat required for firing and shorten firing cycles.
Advantage:
New kiln furniture can reduce energy consumption by 20-40%, significantly cutting operational costs while meeting green and environmental standards.
2. Load Capacity: Enhancing Production Efficiency
Traditional Kiln Furniture:
- Typically uses solid plates or thick-walled structures, which have limited load-bearing capacity for their weight.
- Prone to deformation or bending at high temperatures, limiting stacking height and loading capacity.
New Kiln Furniture:
- Features optimized designs with reinforced structures (e.g., ribbed or hollow beams) to improve mechanical strength while remaining lightweight.
- Constructed from materials with high flexural strength, capable of supporting heavier product loads even at high temperatures.
- Allows for greater stacking heights, increasing the volume of products fired in a single cycle.
Advantage:
New kiln furniture increases loading capacity by over 30%, significantly boosting production efficiency, making it ideal for high-output requirements.
3. High-Temperature Performance: Adapting to More Demanding Firing Environments
Traditional Kiln Furniture:
- Made from conventional ceramics or low-grade refractory materials, with a maximum temperature tolerance typically below 1200°C.
- Has a high thermal expansion coefficient, making it prone to thermal shock cracks or damage.
- Ages or deteriorates quickly under prolonged high-temperature use, leading to shorter service life.
New Kiln Furniture:
- Made from high-performance refractory materials, such as silicon carbide (SiSiC, SSiC, NSiC, RSiC) withstanding temperatures up to 1350-1650°C.
- Features low thermal expansion and excellent thermal shock resistance, tolerating rapid heating and cooling cycles.
- Especially suitable for modern high-performance materials, such as lithium battery cathode material, during firing.
Advantage:
New kiln furniture can adapt to higher temperatures and more complex firing processes, ensuring consistent product quality.
4. Service Life: Reducing Maintenance Costs
Traditional Kiln Furniture:
- Offers poor wear resistance and chemical corrosion resistance, making it prone to damage from long-term use or chemical exposure.
- Requires frequent replacement, increasing maintenance costs and downtime.
- Deforms or fails under external loads after extended high-temperature use.
New Kiln Furniture:
- Uses high-strength materials and optimized designs to enhance wear and chemical corrosion resistance.
- Delivers stable thermal-mechanical performance, making it less prone to deformation and extending its service life.
- Lasts more than 50% longer than traditional kiln furniture, reducing the frequency of replacement and maintenance expenses.
Advantage:
New kiln furniture has a longer service life and lower maintenance frequency, making it more cost-effective in the long term.
5. Practical Operational Benefits
Traditional Kiln Furniture:
- Heavier and more challenging to handle, making loading and unloading time-consuming and labor-intensive.
- Bulky designs are less suited to modern high-precision firing requirements.
New Kiln Furniture:
- Lightweight design reduces handling difficulty and improves loading and unloading efficiency.
- Modernized designs are better suited to smart kilns, meeting the needs of automated production.
- Versatile structures allow for customization based on different firing products.
Advantage:
New kiln furniture enhances operational efficiency and adaptability, aligning with the trends of modern industrial automation.
Conclusion: Comprehensive Advantages of New Kiln Furniture
New kiln furniture surpasses traditional kiln furniture in terms of energy efficiency, load capacity, high-temperature performance, service life, and operational convenience, becoming an indispensable core component in modern industrial production.
For enterprises, investing in new kiln furniture is not only a choice for technological upgrades but also an essential step toward enhancing competitiveness and economic benefits.
