Box-type atmosphere furnace for copper-based powder sintering

Customer background

The customer is a small R&D and pilot-production team based in India, focused on copper-based powder metallurgy components used in industrial automation drive parts. Though not a large operation, the team has solid hands-on experience with sintering processes and came to us with fairly clear technical expectations.

Requirements

They needed a sintering furnace capable of operating under a mixed hydrogen and nitrogen atmosphere, with a maximum temperature of at least 1100°C and a chamber size suitable for lab-scale and small-batch production. Two things were non-negotiable: stable atmosphere control with real-time gas flow monitoring, and adequate safety measures for hydrogen use — including exhaust treatment and safety interlocks. Budget was also a consideration, so they wanted the best-fit solution rather than over-specified equipment.

During our early conversations, the customer mentioned that a furnace they had purchased previously suffered from poor atmosphere uniformity, causing inconsistent product quality across batches. Solving that problem was their main priority this time around.

Our solution

Based on their application and budget, we supplied a 1200°C box-type atmosphere furnace with an effective chamber size of 300×300×300 mm, paired with a standalone atmosphere control cabinet. The control cabinet is fitted with a pressure gauge, three independently operated valves, and a glass rotameter — allowing two gas lines to be connected simultaneously so the H₂/N₂ ratio can be adjusted on the fly with clearly readable flow data.

The furnace body uses a high-density ceramic fiber insulation structure for even heat distribution, with a temperature uniformity of ±5°C across the working zone. The control panel integrates a programmable temperature controller, ammeter, and indicator lights — straightforward enough for lab personnel to operate without much training. An ignition burner is installed at the exhaust outlet to safely combust excess hydrogen.

We kept the configuration focused on what the customer actually needed. Before finalizing the order, we also confirmed the gas inlet specifications with them in advance to avoid any fitment issues on arrival.

Shipping & delivery

The furnace body and atmosphere control cabinet were packed separately in wooden crates with internal shock-absorbing material. The shipment left from a domestic port by sea freight and arrived in India in approximately 25 days. The customer confirmed the packaging was intact on arrival. We included a detailed installation guide and wiring diagram with the shipment, and the customer completed local installation and commissioning — the first firing ran without issue.

Conclusion

From the initial inquiry to shipment, the whole project took about three weeks. After running several sintering trials, the customer reported stable atmosphere control and a noticeable improvement in batch-to-batch consistency — addressing exactly the problem they had come to us with.

If you have similar sintering or thermal processing requirements, feel free to reach out to Brother Furnace — we're happy to work out the right setup for your process.