Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research

Vol. 66, February 2007, pp. 135-140

Design and construction of an electrical furnace to fire ceramic product

Ramazan Bayindir*
Gazi University, Faculty of Technical Education, Department of Electrical Education, 06500, Besevler Ankara/Turkey
Received 17 November 2005; revised 21 September 2006; accepted 26 September 2006

An electrical furnace firing the ceramic products has been designed and its automatic control has been implemented.
Furnace (100x50x50 cm) may be used to fire even small ceramic products such as trinkets. PLC has been used for the
automation of the system. The heat from the furnace has been measured by means of thermocouples and has been
transferred to the PLC by analog module and the heat of furnace has been controlled according to the obtained heat values.
Besides, required heat degree and the heat in the furnace have been traced on the screen of the control panel. The sample
products fired in the furnace proved that the system operated successfully without problem.

Keywords: Automation, Ceramic, Electrical furnace, Industrial automation, PLC

Introduction button, can directly be connected to the input, driver

Firing is the most important process in ceramic
production. Primary factors1-6 that affect firing time
are: i) Type of the ceramic; ii) Frequency of loading
the furnace; iii) Thickness of material; iv)
Homogeneity of heat in the furnace; and v) Furnace
capacity. Precise control of process temperature has
become increasingly important in today’s
semiconductor industry7-9. Moon & Lee10 proposed a
hybrid algorithm with fuzzy system and conventional
PI control for the temperature control of TV glass
furnace. Radakovic et al11 presented an application
result of a fuzzy controller of temperature and its rate
of change in resistance chamber furnaces. Banerjee et
al12 proposed a control strategy to simultaneously
reduce the fuel consumption and minimize the
deviations of the instantaneous load temperature from
prescribed values during a heat treatment process.
Different control algorithms (PI, PID, Fuzzy, Neural
controller) have been used for temperature control in
furnaces1,13-16. Most widely used applications area of
programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are the control
circuits of industrial automation systems, which
includes elements such as auxiliary relay, contactor,
and time relay and counter17. Control system with
PLC supersedes these kinds of circuits18,19. PLCs are
equipped with special input output units appropriate
to direct usage in industrial automation systems. The
elements, which carry to valuable logic information
such as pressure, level, temperature sensors and
____________
*E-mail: bayinder@gazi.edu.tr
elements of control circuit such as contactor and
solenoid valve can be directly connected to the
output19.
In this study, an electrically fired furnace, controlled
by PLC, has been developed to fire ceramic giftware.
Materials and Methods
Control of System Equipment
PLC based programmable electric furnace control
unit application hardware contains: i) PLC module; ii)
Analog module; and iii) K-type thermocouple.
Siemens PLC S7-200 module, which has 14 digital
input/10 digital output addresses with CPU 224
sample (14*DI 24 V DC/10*DO 24 V DC) is
preferred because it is economical and easy in use.
STEP 7 –Micro/Win 32 programmer was used as
software. Statement List Editor (STL) and Ladder
Diagram (LAD) were used as language of
programming (memory, 4096 words). Software,
which is required to work PLC, was prepared on
computer and was loaded on PLC by RS 232-RS 485
PC/PPI cable. While the prepared program is loading
on PLC from computer, the most important point is
that the baud rate between PLC and the computer
must be appropriate to switch setup on the RS 232-RS
485 PC/PPI cable. PLC output (24 V DC) terminal
was connected to the relay output. The control of
resistances was ensured by the connection between
contactor and relay contacts (Fig. 1).
Each part of input output modules of PLC express
136 J SCI IND RES VOL 66 FEBRUARY 2007
Fig. 1 PLC connection circuit
Fig. 2 Designed furnace
a digital data. The addresses in the part of input
determine style of working and address in output
control the working of furnace. The digital data in
these steps are used for PLC software. In this study,
12-bit system was used for analog modules (A-D).
EM 235 module works with 12-bit system and four
analog sensors can be connected to its input. Analog
data are processed, then transformed into digital data,
and are assigned to PLC as digital data. The analog
signals cannot directly be read by PLC, which senses
only logic signals. Analog module is required to sense
analog signals by PLC. Thermocouple produces
voltage related to the heat changes. As a result,
voltage obtained according to the increase in heat is
transferred to the PLC. When welded point is heated,
the voltage occurs. The magnitude of this measured
voltage in milivolts20.
K-type thermocouple, used in the study, produces
voltages (0 - 50 mV) according to temperature. For
this reason, the configuration on the analog module
was carefully adjusted to read exact and correct
temperature values. Each 0.04 mV meet 1°C
temperature. Ladder diagram belonged to the
program, in which the process occurs.
Design of Furnace
Elements used in furnace (Fig. 2) are: i) 6 unit
60x105x5 cm insulated brick (800°C); ii) 6 unit
60x105x5 cm insulated brick (1100°C); iii) 5 unit
60x105x5 cm insulated brick (1260°C); iv) Adhesive
material that resists the heat; v) Ceramic fibers;
vi) 3-unit Kanthal DSD resistance (1 mm diam, 26 m
long, 213 g); vii) 3x1000 W resistance; viii) 3
porcelain (3.4 diam, 80 cm long); ix) 1 K-typed
Nickel chrome-Nickel thermocouple; and x) sheet
iron (0.2 mm) and iron profile (4x4 cm) required for
furnace case. Insulation in furnace was performed
insulated bricks at 800°C, 1000°C, and 1260°C. The
surface, in which the body and cover combine, was
isolated by insulation of ceramic fibers (15 cm width).
Thus, a furnace, which works with 3000 W, 380 volt
and has the capacity to raise heat of furnace to 800°C,
was proposed.
Determination of Furnace Power
To determine power of furnaces (Fig. 3), Curve 1
presents values of power for middle and high
temperatures, which can be used for round and
continue furnaces at the same time. Curve 2 shows
values of power of ceramic furnaces whose heat
reaches to 1000°C. Curves 3, 4 and 5 show values of
 BAYINDIR: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ELECTRIC FURNACE TO FIRE CERAMIC PRODUCT 137

power of blotting furnaces whose heat reach to 300°C. of furnace intersect, gives power of furnace. For
Point, at which value of heat of furnace and capacity
138 J SCI IND RES VOL 66 FEBRUARY 2007

proposed furnace (capacity, 70x20x20 cm or 28 dm3),

Fig. 3 Determination of furnace power
value of heat of furnace is 800°C. Power21 of furnace
comes approx 3 kW.
Calculation of Resistance
Power (W/cm2) consumed on the surface of unit
directly depends on the following points: a) Diam and
length of the resistant element (as W/cm2 increases,
diam of wire and length decreases); b) As W/cm2
grows, heat of wire increases, but for each size of
W/cm2, the calorie that was given to the environment
is fixed; and c) As the size of W/cm2 increases,
durability of wire decreases. Power that is loaded on
the surface of unit in a furnace with 800°C for
Kanthal DSD wire must become approx 3.3 W/cm2
(Fig. 4).
The calculation of used wire is as follows: The
power for a phase = 1000 Watt; When looked at Ct
for DSD-typed of wire in 800°C, it is 1.06 (Table 1);
Total resistance (Rt)= V2/P = 3802/3000 = 48.1Ω; and
resistance at 20°C (R20) is

R20 = Rt/Ct = 45.2Ω.

where cm 2 /Ω = P/p* R20 = 20.1, resistance =

1.72 Ω/m, weight = 8.20 g/m by using Kanthal
handbook22, required length of wire for 3 phase (L) =
3*R20/1.72 = 78.4 m, required weight of wire (G) =
78.4 * 8.20 = 639 g, and required weight of wire for
one phase is 213 g.
Operation of Furnace
In control of furnace, maximum value of heat
reaches in three steps: i) Gradual highness in the
furnace; ii) Increase in time of desired value of heat;
and iii) Processing time of waiting in the program.
For 100°C, required highness time is 30 min.

For 1 °C , X = 3 * 1/100 = 0.3 min =18 sec.

After that, 0.3 min is multiplied by 600 in order to

make PLC perceive this value in correct way. There is
no counter of time for seconds in PLC. For this reason
the equivalence type of 1 minute is the number of
600.
The PT value of counter of time used in the
program is written 0 for minimum and 32767 for
maximum, which is equal to 54.6 min. In other words,
the values, which are equal to 1°C, increase in
Fig. 4 Surface loads suggested in accordance with correlation of
54.6 min, can be entered. Thus, for an increase of
the heat of furnace
 BAYINDIR: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ELECTRIC FURNACE TO FIRE CERAMIC PRODUCT 139

100°C, 5460 min (91 h or 3.8 days) can be written as The PLC program runs and the furnace operate with
maximum. Range of time increase or decrease related entered values. If the demanded and actual values are
to each increment or decrement of temperature value. equal, the furnace operates and then stops when
When the operation starts, the PLC and TDA200 required. If the demanded values and actual values are

Fig. 5 Flow chart of PLC program

operator panel automatically set as demanded not equal, the program returns to operate the furnace
configuration (Fig. 5). Then user enters temperature, up to meet the demanded values.
increasing time and waiting time values in three steps.
140 J SCI IND RES VOL 66 FEBRUARY 2007

Table 1 Ct coefficient for Kanthal DSD-typed of wire

°C 20 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200

Kanthal DSD Ct 1.00 1.00 1.01 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.07 1.07 1.08
Kanthal A-1 Ct 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.02 1.03 1.03 1.04 1.04 1.04

Fig. 6 Ladder diagram of main program

The value of PT, which is calculated in accordance
with entered values, is written in the section of PT of
T101 time counter (Fig. 6). Thus the time counter of
T101 produces pals in determined time. The value,
whose increase was required, is written in the section
of PV of C1 counter and when C1 counter reaches to
this value, it works the situation of waiting. The time
of waiting is written in the section of PT of T102 time
counter. T102 time counter activates M1.1 relay at the
end of determined time and the secondly entered
values are taken into consideration and the new values
are calculated. These values are transformed into
required places of the program. The program
gradually continues to work in this way. After the
values are entered from the control panel in order to
start the program, either press F1 button
(F2 in emergency) in the panel or the signal is given
to I0.0 input of PLC.
Results and Discussion
An experiment consisting three steps temperature
and time values has been implemented. The first
required value of heat is entered by the help of TD
200 display and the value is entered in minute about
in how much it gets to this value of heat. If waiting is
necessary in this heat, the time of waiting is entered as
second time. Secondly, the value of heat is entered
and the desired time to make it reach to this value is
entered. As it occurs in the first step, the time of
waiting is entered if it is required. Finally, the
processes are repeated for 780 °C in third step.
The furnace has been tested under no load and
loaded conditions. The reach time to the demanded
temperature has been measured for each condition
(Fig. 7). The reach time for no load condition has
been found 20 min where the reach time for loaded
condition is 30 min. The reach time in loaded
condition takes more time because of physico-
chemical reactions23 (dehydration, decomposition,
combustion and reaction during the fired state).
Efficiency of furnace (power, 3000 watts; heating
time, 30 min) has been calculated as:
Q in =0,24* P * t
 BAYINDIR: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ELECTRIC FURNACE TO FIRE CERAMIC PRODUCT
Fig. 7 No load and load characteristics of furnace
Qin =0.24*3000*30*60= 1296 kcal
where, Q= heat in resistance (cal), P= Power of
furnace (watt), and t= time (second).
In the operating conditions, applied voltage of
furnace is 220 V and current is 10.5 A. Heat in
furnace is calculated as:
Qout =0.24* P * t
Qout =0.24*220*10.5*30*60= 997.92 kcal
The efficiency (η ) of furnace can be found as
Q out 997.92
η= = = %77
Q in 1296
Conclusions
PLC based temperature control of an electrical
furnace was designed and implemented successfully.
Using a PLC controller for the temperature control
provided effective, efficient, reliable and robust
results. The achieved approximate computation time
is about 0.37 µs and the computation temperature is
1 °C . The automation of the furnace was realized by
evaluation of the obtained information that was taken
by the thermocouple in the furnace. Efficiency of the
furnace has been found to be 77 %.
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