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MIM FURNACES
Hightlights
Of Elnik's MIM 3000 Furnaces
Elnik’s MIM 3000 furnaces process any metal with
any binder in a "one step debinding and sintering
cycle" without having to move the parts. This is
accomplished through a gas tight refractory metal retort
with a gas management system. This system allows
Laminar gas flow
to occur which guarantees consistent parts run after
process run. The gas management system consists of mass
flow controllers for the retort and hot zone and a partial
pressure valve at the specially designed and modified
dry vacuum pump. Different flows of gasses into the
hot zone and retort and a slight partial pressure inside
the retort guarantee that no binder materials stick
to the cold walls of the furnace. The retort has gas
plenums on each side with a hole pattern to ensure that
heated gas flows evenly across each shelf in the retort.
Additionally, six zone temperature control is provided
for the front, middle, and rear, and for the top and
bottom around the retort. The laminar gas flow across
the shelves guarantees very close temperature control
resulting in excellent temperature uniformity throughout
the usable work zone of the furnace.
This construction
guarantees that the parts are fully debound through
the laminar gas flow during the debind cycle and sintered
to full density through the close temperature uniformity during
the sinter cycle. The MIM 3000 utilizes a PLC system
with a computer as the interface and includes a data
acquisition system. The user programs each individual
segment freely on a spreadsheet and the furnace is programmed
with all safety systems so that different gasses such
as hydrogen, nitrogen, and argon can be used during
debinding and sintering.
All controls for flow ,
temperature, and partial pressure are fully computerized
and automatic. A leak check mode for the vacuum integrity
is built in. All operating data such as temperature,
gas flows, pressure, total power and gas consumption,
is logged for each run.
A maintenance screen
reminds the user to service the pumps, change the thermocouples,
etc. All of this is installed in a unitized frame keeping
floor space at a minimum.
To summarize, consider
the advantages when debinding and sintering in Elnik's
MIM 3000 furnace:
- Process any metal with any binder
- Process in nitrogen or hydrogen or argon
- Process from atmospheric pressure to partial pressure
Laminar gas flow to high vacuum
- Program any control
parameter in any segment during debinding or sintering
- Use less process
gas, electricity, handling time and floor space
All of this results in maximum furnace flexibility
and cost effective part production.

All MIM furnaces have the following
common features:
- Fully unitized
frame construction with all components internal.
- Double walled
304 Stainless Steel chamber construction with front
and rear doors.
- Easily removable
Hot Zone with 8 Molybdenum/Stainless steel heat shields
with 1/8" (3mm) moly spacers every 6" (150mm)
for long life and durability.
- Double walled TZM Molybdenum
retort with easily removable shelves and a gas management
system with preheated tubes.
- Easy to clean
water cooled debinder trap .
- 100% oil free
debinding pump operating from atmospheric pressure
to 0.100 torr (0.133 mBar).
- All necessary
safety features and interlocks for full and partial
pressure Hydrogen operation
- 6 zone temperature
control (front, middle and rear for top and bottom
heaters) for better than 5ºC
temperature uniformity.
- Adjustable center
survey thermocouple Type C, with fixed molybdenum
sheath with digital indicator and computer integration,
readout and data acquisition usable to 1,650ºC
(3,000ºF).
- 4 mass flow
controllers ( 2 for hotzone, 2 for retort) to control
H2, N2, Ar.
- 1 computerized
throttle valve for partial pressure control between
10 to 760 Torr (13 to 1013 mBar)
- Capacitance
manometers for gas independent readings, easily cleaned
cold cathode gauges for high vacuum operation
- Fully computerized
with Windows XP software, Pentium computer, 17"
(432mm) TFT color screen and a Hewlett Packard printer
for data acquisition
- Software program
has Spreadsheet for set point profiler, historian
data logger, maintenance usage screen with quantity
of gas and KW consumed etc.
- Leak check function
for system vacuum integrity.
- Built in modem
for remote electrical troubleshooting of PLC &
HMI

Furnace Models
Note: All models have tungsten heating elements
for operation to 1650ºC (3000ºF)
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MODELS
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USABLE RETORT SIZE, NUMBER OF SHELVES
AND TOTAL LOAD AREA
(All shelf spacing is 1 1/2" (38mm) apart)
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.9
Cu.ft. (11x12x12 with
20 CFM debinder pump)
(25L) (280x305x305mm) (85m3/Hr)
7 Shelves 924sqin. (0.6sqm.)
load area |
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1.8
Cu.ft. (11x12x24 with
50 CFM debinder pump)
(51L) (280x305x610mm) (85m3/Hr)
14 Shelves 1,848sqin. (1.19sqm.)
load area |
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4.1
Cu.ft. (16.5x18x24
with 50 CFM debinder pump)
(116L) (420x460x610mm) (85m3/Hr)
44 Shelves 4.231sqin. (2.73sqm.)
load area |
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6.2
Cu.ft. (16.5x18x36
with 115 CFM debinder pump)
(176L) (420x460x915mm) (195m3/Hr)
66 Shelves 6.340sqin. (4.09sqm.)
load area |
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8.25 Cu.ft. (16.5x18x48
with 115 CFM debinder pump)
(234L) (420x460x1,220mm) (195m3/Hr)
88 Shelves 8.448sqin. (5.45sqm.)
load area
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11 Cu.ft. (16.5x24x48
with 180 CFM debinder pump)
(312L) (420x610x1,220mm) (305m3/Hr)
112 Shelves 10,752sq in.
(6.9sqm.) load area
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- Diffusion pumps
with rotary vane forepumps, water flow switch, water
cooled baffles to reduce back streaming, appropriate
high vacuum valve, 2 cold cathode gauges, (1 in chamber,
1 at diffusion pump), 1 capacitance manometer in foreline
and valve sequencing via computer control:
HIVAC 2,400L....Recommended for MIM 3001
HIVAC 5,300L....Recommended for MIM 3002
HIVAC 8,000L....Recommended for MIM 3045 and 3675
HIVAC 10,000L....Recommended for MIM 3009 and 3012
- Heat exchanger
with 3000 CFM blower, magnetically sealed rotary feed
through, external motor and internal shutters, with
computer adjustable pressure and temperature set point
to activate blower.
HX-B 123 Recommended for MIM 3001, 3002,
HX-B 456 Recommended for MIM 3045, 3675, 3009, 3012
- TZM Molybdenum
shelves with 1/4" (6mm) lip and center supports,
with perforation holes for hydrogen flow through &
spacer block.
Sizes: 8 1/8" W x 12" D x 1/16" T
Maximum load capacity:
Maximum load area:
part #16S-110 (206 x 306 x 1.6 mm)
15 lbs. (6.8 kg)
96 sq in (0.0619m2) (used for MIM 3045, 3675, 3009,
3012)
11 1/8" W x 12" D x 1/16" T1
Maximum load capacity:
Maximum load area:
part #16S-111 (283 x 305 x 1.6 mm)
15 lbs. (6.8 kg)
132 sq in (0.0854m2) (used for MIM 3001, 3002)
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Set of four (4)
plug-in flexible survey thermocouples, type K, with
Inconel sheath with computer integration, readout,
and data acquisition usable to 1250ºC (2282ºF).
Must be removed for clean-up runs or furnace temperatures
in excess of 1250ºC (2282ºF).
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Gas fired after
burner with integrated hydrogen igniters mounted on
top of the furnace.

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