Vacuum Sintering Furnace Routine Maintenance Guide
Release time:
2025-04-30
Author:
Source:
Abstract
1. Daily inspection and basic maintenance
Vacuum system check: daily monitoring of mechanical pumps, diffusion pumps or molecular pumps, confirm the oil level, oil quality is normal, no leakage; check the vacuum pipeline valve sealing, to avoid air infiltration leading to vacuum degradation.
Heating element maintenance: observe the heat generator (e.g. graphite, molybdenum wire, etc.) for oxidation, fracture or deformation, and clean the surface deposits in time to prevent short circuit or uneven heat field.
Cooling system confirmation: Ensure that the water cooler has normal flow and pressure, and the heat exchanger is not blocked to avoid overheating of the equipment due to insufficient cooling.
2. Standardised operation and process monitoring
Strictly follow the sintering curve: avoid over-temperature and over-pressure operation to prevent thermal shock damage to the furnace chamber; the rate of temperature rise/fall should be set according to the material characteristics to reduce the risk of thermal stress cracking.
Gas atmosphere control: If inert gases (such as argon, nitrogen) are used, the purity needs to be tested regularly to prevent impurities from contaminating the sintered parts; flammable gases, such as hydrogen, need to be strictly leak-tested.
Real-time data recording: monitor parameters such as temperature, vacuum, current, etc. through PLC or SCADA system, and immediately stop the machine for investigation when abnormal fluctuation is found.
3. Vacuum high-temperature sintering furnace regular in-depth maintenance
Furnace chamber cleaning: every 100-200 hours of operation to clean up the furnace residual powder or volatiles, to prevent carbon build-up affecting heat conduction or contamination of the product.
Seal replacement: regular inspection of flange seals (such as Viton, metal seals), high-temperature aging or deformation of timely replacement to ensure vacuum sealing.
Pump set maintenance: mechanical pumps replace oil every 3-6 months, diffusion pumps clean and replace diffusion pump oil every year; molecular pumps need to check the status of bearings regularly.
4. Failure prevention and spare parts management
Spare parts reserve for key components: such as heating elements, thermocouples, vacuum gauges and other wearing parts should be stocked in advance to shorten the maintenance cycle.
Periodic performance calibration: calibrate temperature sensors and vacuum gauges every half a year to avoid process deviation caused by measurement error.
Operator training: Regular safety and operation training should be carried out to avoid equipment damage caused by human misoperation (e.g. sudden power failure, forced opening of furnace).
5.Conclusion
The stable operation of vacuum sintering furnace depends on the strategy of ‘prevention first, maintenance priority’. Through standardised inspection, refined operation and periodic maintenance, the failure rate can be significantly reduced to ensure that the equipment is in an efficient and safe state for a long period of time, and at the same time, the consistency of the quality of the sintered products can be improved.
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2022-07-28
Zhuzhou Chi Carbon Automation Equipment Co., Ltd
1
Email:13077017815@163.com
chitanauto@163.com
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Room 201-2, 2nd Floor, Jixiang Complex Building, Liyu Industrial Park, Tianyuan District, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province
Mr. Gong +86 13975355803
