For 35+ years INEX Inc. has supplied Composite Radiant Tubes (CRTs) to heat-treaters, burner companies, and original equipment-builders for indirectly-heated, atmosphere-controlled industrial furnaces all over the world. About half of INEX users are commercial heat-treaters who do contract processing of everything from fasteners to sophisticated aerospace components. The balance are captive manufacturers who heat-treat their own products.
INEX tubes last indefinitely, depending on care taken in avoiding mechanical problems such as refractory rebuilds, load crashes, part accumulation, excessive fan vibration and tool impact. Many INEX tubes are still in service after 20 years and will likely outlast the furnace's life. This contrasts to radiant tubes made of Nickel-Chrome alloys which have poor life performance, typically failing in just two years in Carburizing service.
INEX radiant tubes are manufactured using a patented melt-infiltration process, which produces tubes directly from the raw materials in just two steps. Standard tube sizes range from 1" to 6" inches in Outer Diameter with single-piece lengths up to 96" inches; multiple tubes can also be joined to 200” overall length by Silicon-brazing.
Over the years INEX has continually broadened its product line to better serve the heat-treating industry. U-Tubes, Single-Ended Recuperative (SER & EGR) tube sets, Internally-Finned & Externally-Finned, Straight-Wall tubes, and custom configurations are now available to meet customer needs. These products offer atmosphere furnace users the opportunity to dramatically improve their operations, reduce downtime and repair costs, and save energy.