heating elements

D

digir

New Member
Hello fellow blade makers,
I just purchased a used heat treat oven that is in decent condition however, there is a break in the element which pretty much renders it useless. the elements were not visible in the chamber, they were embedded in the refractory cement. I am in the process of ordering the new element and I plan on replacing it the way I found it, embedded within the cement. Other than the obvious reason that they would be easier to replace if in the future should the element burn up, can anyone tell me the benefits to leaving the element exposed and stapled within a groove as opposed to covering them?

Thanks All, I appreciate the input.
 
Not sure why they were embedded but I would think they will function better with the element exposed and stapled within a groove. That is the way the factory does it. Buried sounds like a source for constant problem, and may cause the element to overheat and cause premature burnout! IMO
 
The elements are embedded to help with radiant heat from the coils. They act like a baffle. I use stainless sheet in my setup for the same purpose, and it works just as well.


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There are several reasons to embed the elements in the wall: safety (the operator cannot touch them), to protect them from harsh atmospheres (we normally have an Oxidising atmosphere, which is pretty aggressive. Some of the things the pottery guys do with glazes are even nastier), to reduce direct radiative heating, etc.

"We" don't usually need to do any of them (except maybe reduce the direct radiative heating and, as James says, there are simpler ways of doing that).

Visible elements, sufficiently well-stapled to keep them in place (both to keep them within the groove and to stop the coils moving together) should be fine.
 
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