What are Ceramics?
Ceramics are widely-used, engineered materials designed to fit an application’s needs, whether hardness, thermal stability, rigidity, electrical insulation, thermal insulation, or other features are key considerations.
Technical industries use ceramics in bearings, circuits, sensors, transducers, heat sinks, and even as dielectrics in capacitors. Ceramics are also used medically to reduce friction and increase longevity in joint replacements. Dental ceramics likewise provide hard, stain-resistant dental crowns, veneers, and more.
Ceramics are usually extremely hard for wear-resistance, chemically inert and anti-corrosive at high temperatures, and offer varying electrical conductivity, including insulation, semi-conductivity, or super-conductivity. Ceramics may be engineered to provide thermal stability in extreme environments sometimes exceeding 1500°C. Examples of ceramics include silicon nitride, tungsten carbide, and many more.
Ceramics start as fine grains and are molded with binders into “green bodies,” initial shapes that are easy to mold. Next, the green bodies are baked at a lower temperature to eliminate moisture before the firing process. During firing, the ceramics are held in a high-temperature (up to 3000°C) kiln for hours or even days as sintering takes place. After sintering is complete, the finished ceramic may be milled to correct any shrinkage.
Sintering
The process in which ceramic grains partially melt and fuse together into a solid structure while driving out any binder materials.
During sintering, even small temperature inconsistencies can cause cracking and affect density, strength, surface quality, and final product performance. Additionally, kilns often run for extended, possibly days-long cycles in which temperature stability must remain consistent without placing unnecessary stress on heating elements or transformers.
As a result, modern kilns and thermal systems depend on the precise power regulation offered by SCR power controllers.
Control Concepts SCR power controllers help manufacturers maintain accurate thermal profiles across demanding high-temperature processes, enabling the creation of advanced ceramics for a wide range of applications.
Unlike mechanical contactors that repeatedly switch heaters fully ON and OFF, SCR controllers regulate power proportionally. This creates smoother thermal behavior and tighter process control inside kilns and furnaces.
Supported Applications
Ceramics kilns often operate at extremely high temperatures while requiring carefully controlled ramp and soak profiles. Many systems also involve sensitive materials that react quickly to thermal fluctuation. Control Concepts SCR controllers support applications such as:
- Industrial ceramic kilns
- Technical ceramics manufacturing
- Refractory production
- Calcining systems
- Ceramic matrix composite production
- Research furnaces
- Autoclave de-waxing and core-leaching
SCR Power Controllers for Kilns and Advanced Thermal Systems
High-temperature kiln systems often involve transformer-coupled loads, multi-zone heating, silicon carbide elements, molybdenum disilicide heaters, and specialized resistance heating systems. Control Concepts recommends the following SCR power controllers for demanding thermal processing environments.
Features such as soft-start capability, current limiting, advanced diagnostics, and precise firing control help improve long-term furnace reliability while protecting thermal equipment from electrical stress.
| Model | Firing Mode | Voltage | Current Range | Digital Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATOM single phase | Phase Angle Zero Cross | 24-600 VAC | 16-65A AC | EtherNet/IP Modbus TCP PROFINET |
| ATOM three phase | Phase Angle Zero Cross | 24–600 VAC | 16–80A AC | EtherNet/IP Modbus TCP PROFINET |
| MicroFUSION single phase | Phase Angle Zero Cross | 24–690 VAC | 8–400A AC | EtherNet/IP Modbus TCP PROFINET |
| MicroFUSION three phase | Phase Angle Zero Cross | 24–690 VAC | 8–400A AC | EtherNet/IP Modbus TCP PROFINET |
| FUSION Single Phase AC | Phase Angle Zero Cross | 24–600 VAC | 500–1200A AC | EtherNet/IP Modbus TCP PROFINET |
Engineering Support for Thermal Systems
Advanced ceramic and specialty metal production continues to grow across aerospace, electronics, medical, semiconductor, and energy industries. Many of these applications require increasingly tighter thermal tolerances and more advanced process control capabilities.
Control Concepts works directly with OEMs and kiln manufacturers to optimize SCR power control solutions for ceramics kilns. Our team of engineering experts can size your SCR, support multi-zone heating, optimize your firing profile, evaluate transformer loads, troubleshoot, and more. Contact us to learn how we can power your process.