Any industrial production relies upon the use of heat generated by burning of fuel. In certain industrial productions, electrical energy is converted into heat for heating device to the work-piece or material, which is known as industrial furnace. There are many different types of industrial furnaces, which include crucible furnace, induction furnace, welding machines, boilers, etc.
Why is it Important to Maintain Industrial Furnaces?
- Better quality of products:Industrial furnaces play a vital role in the progress of industrial development. The structure of furnace, thermal control and furnace atmosphere have a direct impact on the quality of products after being processed. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to maintain industrial furnaces.
- Increase longevity of furnaces: Proper maintenance of industrial furnaces helps ensure longevity of these furnaces. You would not need to buy new furnaces over and over again, if you maintain them properly now. Maintenance of these systems can also help you evade expensive repairs in future.
- Prevent accidents: It is not uncommon for most industrial furnaces to cause blasts and accidents in industries due to lack of proper maintenance. If you maintain your furnaces from time to time, you can easily avert major accidents. Maintenance of industrial furnaces is easy and cheap. Taking certain steps on a regular basis can help in ensuring proper maintenance of your industrial furnaces.
Some ways to Maintain your Industrial Furnaces are:
- Keep your furnaces clean: Dirt is easily the biggest enemy of your furnace. It can cause wastage of fuel, and drastically lower its efficiency. Sometimes, dirt accumulated over a period of time can also cause your furnace to overheat. In the combustion chamber, carbon soot builds up due to frequent generation of fire. This built up carbon soot can corrode your chamber wall, so make sure you have your chamber wall cleaned regularly. In order to avoid problems caused by accumulation of dirt or carbon soot, you need to clean the three basic parts of the furnace- the filter system, blower and motor. It is advisable to clean or replace your furnace filter at the beginning of the heating season. When cleaning the blower, remove the panel so that you can access the inside of your furnace blower.
- Trouble shooting Gas furnaces: Most gas furnaces present fewer operational complexities than most oil burners. Most gas furnaces and heaters have control shutoffs to prevent gas leaks, but they are not always fail-safe. Most welding safety equipment manuals direct you to examine your welding machine for gas leaks. Gas leaks can increase likelihood of incidents such as gas explosions, not only in welding machines but all industrial furnaces. If you suspect leaks around the furnace unit, stir up a mixture of liquid detergent and water. You can later paint this mixture on gas supply line along its connections and valves. The soapy water shall bubble at the point where there is a leak. If you find a leak, consider tightening the leaking connection with a pipe wrench. Make sure you do not over-tighten the connection.
- Replace defective parts: It is essential to inspect your industrial furnaces from time to time. Any defect in oil filters can lead to clogging of oil-burner nozzle that can cause your oil-burner nozzle to clog. This can also lead to misfire, which shuts down the system. In case of electric furnace, check the heating system for defects, and replace it when necessary.
Before you perform any maintenance, make sure you electrical power and fuel supply. Following these simple steps for maintenance of industrial furnaces can go a long way in evading major accidents and reduce their likelihood altogether.
