Application of customized rotary tube furnace with multiple temperature zones in powder metallurgy industry

The application of customized rotary tube furnaces with multiple temperature zones in the powder metallurgy industry has significantly improved the consistency of material properties, process flexibility, and production efficiency. At the same time, it meets the industry’s demand for high-quality and low-cost manufacturing through anti-oxidation, energy-saving, and intelligent design. The following is a specific analysis:

1. Temperature uniformity optimization: improving material performance consistency
Rotation function eliminates local temperature differences
Powder metallurgy materials are prone to local overheating or underheating due to accumulation during static heating, while rotary tube furnaces ensure that all parts are fully exposed to heat by continuously rolling powder particles inside the furnace. For example, in the sintering process of metal powder, the rotation function can evenly heat the powder particles, avoiding abnormal grain growth or uneven pore distribution caused by uneven temperature, thereby improving the consistency of indicators such as density, hardness, and wear resistance of the sintered body.
Multi temperature gradient control
The multi zone design allows for independent temperature control in different areas within the same furnace, meeting the processing requirements of powder metallurgy materials at different temperature stages. For example, in the preparation of composite materials, gradient temperature control can be achieved through preheating in the low temperature zone of the front section, sintering in the medium temperature zone of the middle section, and annealing in the high temperature zone of the rear section to optimize the material structure, reduce internal stress, and improve the comprehensive performance of the product.

2. Enhanced process flexibility: adapting to diverse material requirements
Complex process implementation
The powder metallurgy industry often needs to process high melting point metals (such as tungsten and molybdenum) or special ceramic materials. The multi zone rotating tube furnace can provide a high temperature environment of up to 1600 ℃ and ensure uniform heating of materials at high temperatures through its rotating function. For example, in the manufacturing of hard alloy cutting tools, the combination of multi zone temperature control and rotation can achieve uniform distribution of cobalt phase, improve tool hardness and toughness.
Accurate atmosphere control
Powder metallurgy materials are sensitive to oxidation, and rotary tube furnaces can be evacuated or filled with inert gases (such as argon) to create an oxygen free environment and prevent material oxidation at high temperatures. For example, in the sintering of titanium alloy powder, a vacuum environment can prevent the reaction between titanium and oxygen to generate TiO ₂, ensuring the purity of the material; At the same time, the rotation function is used to evenly distribute the atmosphere gas, accelerate the reaction rate, and shorten the processing time.

3. Production efficiency improvement: shortening cycles and reducing costs
Rapid temperature rise and fall and energy-saving design
The multi temperature zone rotary tube furnace adopts a double-layer shell structure, air cooling system, and high-quality insulation materials (such as ceramic fibers), which can achieve rapid temperature rise and fall and shorten the process cycle. For example, in the metal powder injection molding (MIM) debinding sintering process, rapid heating can reduce debinding time and improve production efficiency; At the same time, efficient insulation design reduces heat loss, lowers energy consumption, and meets the energy-saving and emission reduction needs of the powder metallurgy industry.
Automated operations and data recording
The equipment is equipped with an intelligent control system that supports preset heating curves, automatic heating/insulation/cooling, and remote monitoring, reducing manual intervention and improving operational repeatability. For example, in the mass production of powder metallurgy gears, automation control can ensure that each batch of products undergoes the same heat treatment process, reducing the scrap rate; At the same time, the data recording function facilitates the traceability of process parameters and optimizes the production process.

4. Typical application scenarios
Metal powder sintering
In the manufacturing of iron-based and copper based powder metallurgy parts, the rotary tube furnace improves the density and mechanical properties of the parts through uniform heating and atmosphere control. For example, after rotary sintering, the tensile strength of powder metallurgy parts used for automotive connecting rods can be increased by 15% -20%, meeting the requirements of high load conditions.
Preparation of Ceramic Materials
In the sintering of ceramic powders such as alumina and silicon nitride, multi temperature zone design can achieve gradient temperature control for low-temperature degreasing, medium temperature gel removal, and high-temperature sintering, avoiding ceramic cracking; The rotation function ensures uniform shrinkage of ceramic particles and increases the density of the sintered body.
Composite material synthesis
In the preparation of metal ceramic composite materials, a rotary tube furnace combines multi zone temperature control with rotation to achieve uniform distribution of metal and ceramic phases. For example, in aluminum based silicon carbide composite materials, multi temperature zone design can optimize the dispersion of silicon carbide particles in the aluminum matrix, improve the thermal conductivity and wear resistance of the material.