Top hat furnace models are employed when the stability of the product is vital to the process. The furnace body moves up and down over the fixed load platform or kiln car in the “top hat” furnace design, keeping the product load completely undisturbed.
This is best suited for gradient glass manufacturing or when multiple layers of kiln furniture are present. These furnaces are obtainable in benchtop and production scale sizes, with operating temperatures ranging from 800 °C to 1800 °C.
Top hat furnaces. Image Credit: Deltech, Inc
Features
- Deltech top hat furnaces provide superior temperature uniformity. The heating elements are spaced evenly on all four sides.
- The unique pin-and-washer anchoring system in production-size top hats sustains structural integrity via high fires and rapid cycling.
- Furnace linings of the highest quality board and blanket allow rapid heating and cooling.
- Pneumatic (100 psi facility air required) or electric actuation systems are available. The pneumatic system has varying travel speeds, whereas the electric system has a fixed rate of about 88 cm per minute.
- Durable fiberboard exterior panels are offset from the furnace shell to allow for convection cooling, which keeps the furnace skin temperatures safe without cooling fans.
- Forced air and vent flap options are available to help with binder burnout and to increase cooling rates as needed. Designs for “vortex” air flow.
- Multi-car systems that can be programmed.
- Atmosphere envelope furnaces for inert gas and up to 5% hydrogen mixture processing.
- The 1500, 1600, 1700, and 1800 °C models continuously operate at the maximum rated temperature.
- Would an accelerated ramp rate benefit the process? Consider the “fast fire” option, which can achieve temperatures up to 1000 °C based on furnace capacity. Both laboratory scale and production size furnaces are available.
- Deltech designs and manufactures furnaces to the process specifications, ranging from modified standard models to custom systems.
Deltech Top Hat Furnaces at a Glance
Source: Deltech, Inc
| Model |
Workplace Size |
Furnace Dimensions |
Power Requirements for 1700°/1800° |
Weight |
| DT-TH-6 |
6” cubed
152 mm cubed |
35” x 25” x 42”
89 cm x 64 cm x 107 cm |
3 kW / 3 kW |
170 LB / 77 KG |
| DT-TH-8 |
8” cubed
203 mm cubed |
36.5” x 25.5” x 44”
93 cm” x 65 cm x 112 cm |
6 kW / 7.5 kW |
270 LB / 123 KG |
| DT-TH-10 |
10 “ cubed
254 mm cubed |
38.5” x 27.5” x 49”
98 cm x 70 cm x 124 cm |
6 kW / 10 kW |
710 LB / 323 KG |
| DT-TH-12 |
12” cubed
305 mm cubed |
42.5” x 37” x 51”
108 cm x 94 cm x 130 cm |
15 kW / 15 kW |
850 LB / 386 KG |
| DT-TH-14 |
14” cubed
356 mm cub |
45.5” x 39” x 53”
116 cm x 99 cm x 135 cm |
15 kW / 15 kW |
1095 LB / 498 KG |
| DT-TH-16 |
16” cubed
406 mm cubed |
48.5” x 41” x55”
123 cm x 104 cm x 140 cm |
20 kW / 20 kW |
1350 LB / 614 KG |
| DT-TH-20 |
20” cubed
508 mm cubed |
69” x 71.5” x 100.5”
175 cm x 182 cm x 255 cm |
36 kW / 36 kW |
2600 LB / 1182 KG |
| DT-TH-24 |
24” cubed
610 mm cubed |
74” x 76” x 109”
188 cm x 193 cm x 277 cm |
50 kW / 50 kW |
3250 LB / 1477 KG |
| DT-TH-36 |
36” cubed
914 mm cubed |
85” x 84” x 121”
216 cm x 213 cm x 307 cm |
75 kW / 90 kW |
4260 LB / 1936 KG |
| DT-TH-48 |
48” cubed
1219 mm cubed |
90” x 94” x 162”
229 cm x 239 cm x 411 cm |
115 kW / 140 kW |
5500 LB / 2500 KG |
Atmosphere Envelope (AE)*
| Model |
Workplace Size |
Furnace Dimensions |
Power Requirements for 1700°/1800° |
Weight |
| DT-TH-AE-6 |
6” cubed
152 mm cubed |
34.5” x 20.5” x 38.5”
88 cm x 52 cm x 98 cm |
3 kW / 3 kW |
170 LB / 77 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-8 |
8” cubed
203 mm cubed |
36.5” x 22.5” x 40.5”
93 cm” x 57 cm x 103 cm |
6 kW / 7.5kW |
270 LB / 123 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-10 |
10 “ cubed
254 mm cubed |
38.5” x 27.5” x 49”
98 cm x 70 cm x 124 cm |
6 kW / 10 kW |
710 LB / 323 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-12 |
12” cubed
305 mm cubed |
45” x 38” x 54.5”
114 cm x 97 cm x 138 cm |
15 kW / 15 kW |
850 LB / 386 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-14 |
14” cubed
356mm cub |
47” x 40” x 70”
119 cm x 102 cm x 178 cm |
15 kW / 15 kW |
1095 LB / 498 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-16 |
16” cubed
406 mm cubed |
49” x 42” x72”
124 cm x 107 cm x 183 cm |
20 kW / 20 kW |
1350 LB / 614 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-20 |
20” cubed
508 mm cubed |
65.5” x 66.5” x 86.5”
166 cm x 169 cm x 220 cm |
36 kW / 36 kW |
2600 LB / 1182 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-24 |
24” cubed
610 mm cubed |
69” x 70.5” x 90.5”
175 cm x 179 cm x 230 cm |
50 kW / 50 kW |
3250 LB / 1477 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-36 |
36” cubed
914 mm cubed |
81” x 82.5” x 102.5”
206 cm x 210 cm x 260 cm |
75 kW / 90 kW |
4260 LB / 1936 KG |
| DT-TH-AE-48 |
48” cubed
1219 mm cubed |
108” x 161” x 165”
274 cm x 409 cm x 419 cm |
115 kW / 140 kW |
5500 LB / 2500 KG |
* Maximum operating temp in inert gases is 100 °C lower than rated furnace temperature due to element limitations.