Corporate Buyers Guide

Laboratory furnaces are usually bench top or reach in design. The maximum capacity is in the 30 cu ft range with a maximum temperature in the 2000 F range.

The term “laboratory furnace” includes many furnace types for specific applications. The most common laboratory furnace is the box furnace. As the name implies, this furnace has the shape of a box. The door may be hinged for sideways motion or may move vertically up and down. It may also have the door on the top.

The heat source usually is electricity. The heating elements are fastened to the inside walls. The elements may be buried in a cement like material. If a separate chamber (muffle) keeps the heating elements away from the work volume, the furnace is called a muffle furnace.

Ashing furnaces are box furnaces that have special vents to let moisture and vapors escape..

Tube furnaces have the inside of a graphite or ceramic tube as the working chamber. The tube may be whole of split lengthwise. The tube furnace heats small amounts of product to very high temperatures. A tube furnace can operate as a continuous heat source with the product being passed through the tube in a timed, continuous motion.

Bench ovens are needed in the laboratory and in manufacturing. These ovens are no more than 30 cu ft in capacity and don’t go much above 600 F in temperature. The biggest difference between the lab and industry is in the finish.

Laboratory ovens have a stainless steel interior and a finished metal outside that looks good and can be easily cleaned. The insulation is such that the outside does not get hot to the touch. These bench ovens come with multiple shelves. The smaller capacity models are available through laboratory supply houses. Larger models are better obtained from manufacturers or their distributors.

Industrial bench ovens do not have the stainless inside in all models. The outside is painted, but usually in an industrial grey or green. Door hinges and handles are more rugged. The whole unit is designed for rougher handling. Many bench top ovens come in larger sizes for floor mounting. They are commonly called “reach in ovens”

Both types of ovens have modified versions for special applications, such as vacuum ovens or inert atmosphere ovens.