Glass Furnaces for Melting and Fritting
Modern glass formulations are often complex and varied, combining powders with raw materials to achieve very specific glass properties. Producing these specialty glasses requires a glass furnace with accurate temperature capability above 1500C.
What is Glass Fritting?
Glass “fritting” refers to the process of making powdered glass or ceramic “frit”. In this process, particulates like the ones below are created in the fritting process that can later be added to glass formulations for use in creation of specialty glass or glass with certain colors or properties.
CM Glass Furnaces for melting and fritting are widely used in glass manufacturing due to their excellent temperature range, flexible configurations, and ease of access. As these are predominately batch furnaces in a box furnace configuration they can be specified as either bottom loading or front loading, but in the process of glass melting, access is highly facilitated by the use of bottom loading models.
CM Glass Furnace Models and Capabilities
The following batch melting furnaces are made by CM and see widespread use in glass melting and glass fritting processes. Box furnace configurations are by far the most common owing to their excellent uniformity.
CM-1600 Series for Glass Melting – With a temperature range to 1600C (2900F) the CM-1600 represents our Rapid Temp Glass Furnace line and is available in both front and bottom loading box furnace configurations. All our bottom loader furnaces can be elevator raised for easy unloading with doors that open to provide 3 sided access to the chamber, making crucible manipulation much safer and faster. Stock chamber sizes available from 6 to 16 cubic inches or custom sizes.
CM-1700 Rapid Temp Series – As a glass melting furnace the 1700 series extends temperature range to 1700C (3100F) through use of a graded insulation package that uses high purity alumina fiber. Options available for top and bottom loaders, as well as gas sealing, thermal cycling and specialized control systems
CM-1800 Rapid Temp Series – The 1800 series of Glass melting furnaces extends temperature range to 1800C (3100F) through use of the Super 1900 molydisilicide heating element, offering fast heat up rates and long life in oxidizing atmospheres. These elements are not subject to normal watt loading limitations and are not affected by thermal shock, therefore heat-up rates are only limited by the capability of the power supply. The electrical resistivity of these elements remains constant over long periods without aging so that individual elements can be replaced without having to match resistance values.
Standard Features
Batch processing of glass in a furnace is facilitated when the furnaces used provide a number of important options for your particular glass melting process. All of our glass melting furnaces above can optionally provide the features below.
- All CM glass melting furnaces are available in front and bottom loader configurations.
- High purity Alumina Fiber is used in all Glass Furnaces for improved insulation and longer life.
- Options for gas sealing and injection of common atmospheric variants are available in all furnace models.
- Control upgrades for thermal cycling or completely specialized control systems.
- Addition of chimney, often used to let vapors out or to allow stirring for mixing particulates during melting or debinding processes.
- Bottom loader design provides the smoothest platform raising/lowering in the industry.
- Bottom loader door opening allows 3 side access to chamber for best ergonomics when accessing the crucible.
- Window ports available in all models.
Why Glass Furnaces by CM Furnaces
For over 70 years, CM Furnaces has been known for being the premier brand in the design and manufacturing of all types of air, hydrogen and inert atmosphere electric furnaces. Though many of our furnaces are of standard design and construction, CM has specialized in furnaces for a variety of applications and our engineering team makes updates of standard equipment to meet all customer needs.
What Is Glass Fritting?
Glass “fritting” refers to the process of making powdered glass or ceramic “frit”. In this process, particulates like the ones below are created in the fritting process that can later be added to glass formulations for use in creation of specialty glass or glass with certain colors or properties.
At CM furnaces the emphasis has been, and continues to be on quality. Almost all our parts are made and sourced in the USA and final assembly and testing of your furnace occurs at our headquarters facility in Bloomfield New Jersey. Over the long term, the construction quality of our furnace means lower lifetime costs to maintain and use than competing furnaces whose only appeal is a low initial price, but end up costing far more in the mid to long run.
For the lowest lifetime cost, highest quality, and longest lasting Glass Furnace in the industry, contact CM furnaces today.
