Welcome

Welcome to brief
presentation on
modification of existing
muffle furnaces
 Outline
• Simulation Heat Treatment
• Revival of Furnace & Modifications
• Techno economics and Benefits
 Simulation Heat Treatment
• Simulation heat treatment (SHT) is a part of heat
treatment process where a replication of heat treatment
conditions of post weld heat treatment (PWHTs) is
performed.
• Performed for Boiler Quality plates used for manufacture
of pressure vessels, cryogenic containers, heat
exchangers
• The test coupons representing the material shall be
thermally treated to simulate a post-weld heat
treatment.
 Simulation Heat Treatment
• SHT cycle parameters are specified in the purchase
order/ TDC requirements agreed at the time of ordering/
specification
• The test coupons may be subjected to different number
of heat treatment cycles like 1N+2SR, 1N +1SR, 1SR,
2N +2SR
 Process Variables for SHT
• Stage-1 Heating:
• Loading temperature
• Rate of heating
• Heating Temperature
• Stage-2 Soaking: Soaking is holding the material at a
particular temperature for particular time to get
homogeneous structure throughout the material.
• Soaking Temperature
• Soaking Time
• Stage-3 Cooling:
• Unloading temperature
• Rate of cooling
• Cooling medium
 SHT Cycle
• RE-NORMALISING CYCLE :
Loading Temp. : 200 °C and under
Heating Rate : 200 °C per hour max.
Normalizing Temp. : 900 °C to 920 °C
Soaking Time : 2 Hours. & cooled in still air.
• STRESS RELIEVING CYCLE :
Loading Temp. : 300 °C max.
Heating Rate : 80 to 100 °C per hour max.
Soaking Temp. : 610 °C +/-10 °C
Soaking Time : 2 Hours.
Cooling Rate : Furnace cooling till 300°C and cooling below
300°C: in still air.
Un-Loading Temp.: 300 °C max.
Revival of Furnace & Modifications

• Revival of unused Muffle Furnace No-8

• New refractory lining is done
• Coiling of Ni-chrome wires using Lathe
• Assembling of Heating coils inside the furnace
• Power supply, electrical connections and Earthing done
• In house fabrication of outer frame for control panel
• 1 no. ‘K’ type thermocouple range (0-1200 o C) length 100mm inserted
in the Furnace chamber to measure the furnace temperature
Revival of Furnace & Modifications

Before After
Revival of Furnace & Modifications

In house fabrication of frame for control panel

Revival of Furnace & Modifications

Before After
Revival of Furnace & Modifications
Modifications for Furnace-7 and 8:
• Automatic control on rate of heating and rate of
cooling
• Chartless Recorder is installed to record and display
the heat treatment cycle
• Microprocessor based digital controller & indicator
mounted in operative panel
• Auto Temperature control along with heating rate
program developed and download in to the controller
Revival of Furnace & Modifications
• Modifications for Furnace-7 and 8:
• IP address based monitoring and recording of heat
treatment cycles, display and printing option of graph
• Alarm by hooter & lamp both near furnace and at test
house area for heating, loading, cycle complete,
unloading etc.
Revival of Furnace & Modifications
 Revival of Furnace & Modifications

Chartless Recording and Alarm system for monitoring

Revival of Furnace & Modifications
TECHNO ECONOMICS AND BENEFITS

• Intangible Benefits
• Enhance capability of Simulated heat treatment of test
coupon by accurate controlling of heating and cooling
rate.
• Enhance customer satisfaction by giving accurate, fast
and timely results.
• Increased testing facility with help of internal
resources.
• Save time and manpower as all function is
automatically control.
• Build up confidence for accepting the order of plates
with more stringent TDC (SHT cycles) requirements
which will increase our customer base and customer
satisfaction.
TECHNO ECONOMICS AND
BENEFITS
• Tangible Benefits
• Cost of modification and Program developed by in-
house installation (Similar job offloaded to other
agency for commissioning or outsourced) = Rs. 5.00
lakhs (approx.)
• New Heat treatment furnace with automatic
controller will cost around =Rs. 25.00 lakhs
 Thanks for the support &
Cooperation
The entire revival and modification of the muffle furnace
was carried out by utilization of internal resources with
collective efforts of
Research and control Laboratory (RCL)
Instrumentation & Automation(I&A)
Refractory Engineering Department (RED)
Civil Engineering department (CED)