Ceramic Setters

Ceramic Setters

Ceramic setters, also known as kiln setters, are devices used in the manufacture of powders, ceramic and metal parts within a kiln during the firing process. Typically, they are made of ceramic materials that can endure high temperatures and thermal cycles within the kiln. They are engineered to hold and arrange objects being fired in a way that they can be heated effectively and evenly while also preventing them from contacting and adhering together owing to melting or softening during firing.

The ceramic fire process depends heavily on ceramic setters, sometimes referred to as kiln setters or setter plates. In order to avoid deformation, provide uniform heat distribution, and make it easier to remove binders and other contaminants during sintering, they are made to support and separate ceramic pieces inside the kiln. Our setters combine endurance, thermal stability, and accuracy to satisfy the strictest requirements of the ceramics sector.

Due to their overall performance of little contamination, high-temperature resistance, chemical inertness, low thermal expansion, and good mechanical stability, alumina ceramics are frequently utilized as setter plates. Alumina setter plates come in two forms: non-porous and porous.

Non-Porous Alumina Ceramic Setters

In the processes of ceramic injection molding (CIM), metal injection molding (MIM), and low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC), 99% high purity alumina plates are frequently used as setters.

High Thermal Resistance

Ceramic setters can be employed in vacuum at temperatures up to 1600°C. Furthermore, the excellent thermal stability results in reduced thickness of the setters, which increases energy efficiency due to less thermal ballast.

Avoid Contamination

Alumina ceramics can be used in place of releasing agents or protective layers because they won't react chemically with metals. They don't need to be reconditioned and can be used repeatedly without breaking or deforming. Alumina plates with high purity can be employed in both protective gas atmosphere and reduction atmosphere. Additionally, they are also stable in hydrogen and reactive atmospheres.

Excellent Thermal Conductivity

Because of its high thermal conductivity, alumina enables efficient heat transfer throughout the sintering and debinding processes. This aids in the removal of the binder and the uniform heating of the components.

Dimensional Stability

Under high temperatures, alumina retains its shape and size. In addition to having a poor thermal expansion capacity, it can lower weight through smaller setter plate thickness and retain very little residual heat when it cools. This is critical to make sure that the parts stay in the right positions throughout firing.

Smooth Surface

The surface of the setter plate is flat, smooth, and delicate after double-sided grinding, allowing it to shrink evenly during the firing process and not affect the forming of the sintered parts. The smooth, particle-free surface also safeguards the component from being contaminated from the setters.

 

Porous Alumina Ceramic Setters

Setters, saggers, and other high-temperature kiln furniture made of high-purity porous alumina possess excellent high-temperature resistance, good thermal shock resistance, low thermal expansion coefficient, and outstanding creep resistance, etc. In continuous furnaces, vacuum furnaces, batch furnaces, hydrogen furnaces, etc., our high alumina sintering plate (corundum mullite setter plate) exhibits exceptional sintering performance.

 

Excessive impurities of the kiln furniture, such as sintered plates, will cause chemical adhesion and prevent metal parts from going through thermal expansion and contraction smoothly, thereby causing metal parts to deform and seriously affecting the appearance gloss of them during the high-temperature sintering process of pressed powder metallurgy. The phenomena of siliconization and decarburization will cause rusty effects on stainless steel components.

 

UNIPRETEC provides ceramic setters with high-purity inert chemical composition to ensure that chemical reactions such as carburization, decarburization, and dechromation will not occur during the sintering of metal parts. Additionally, effective porosity guarantees that the sintered plate has a very low storage energy, and it won't crack even after repeated cold and heat cycles. The surface is delicate and smooth, and it will not deform during high-temperature sintering.

Principal Elements and Details

Materials: Our Ceramic Setters offer the ideal combination of mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance for a range of applications. They are constructed of Mullite, Alumina, and Alumina-Zirconia.

Precision Engineering: Our setters are made to exact specifications using cutting edge production techniques such as vacuum forming, casting, pressing, and CNC machining, guaranteeing a flawless fit and reliable performance each and every time.

Thermal Characteristics: Suitable for high-temperature sintering processes, our setters have low heat capacity and outstanding thermal shock resistance, allowing them to survive abrupt temperature fluctuations without warping or breaking.

Outstanding permeability is essential for the effective removal of binders during the sintering process, and our setters are made to be easily cleaned and maintained.

Customizable Solutions: We provide adaptable solutions in terms of size, shape, and material composition to satisfy particular needs because we are aware of the special demands of different applications.

Lightweight Design: Our lightweight, easily handled setters lessen operator physical strain and increase overall kiln loading and unloading process efficiency.

Chemical Stability: Our setters offer a chemically stable platform that does not react with the materials being sintered, guaranteeing the purity and quality of the final product, with very little contaminants such silica, iron oxide, and sodium oxide.

High Temperature Durability: Depending on the material composition, our setters may endure temperatures as high as 1650ºC, making them appropriate for a variety of sintering uses.

Safety and Reliability: Our setters are built to guarantee dependable operation in every firing cycle and are compliant with international safety requirements.

Application of non-porous and porous alumina ceramics

Industrial Ceramics

For burning lightweight ceramic goods where gas release is essential to preserving the integrity of the product.

Glass Industry

In glass product annealing and tempering procedures.

Hot Processing

For operations, including firing certain refractory goods, where gas permeability and thermal insulation are essential.

Compare and Choose

The particular needs of the application determine which of the two alumina kiln stands—non-porous or porous—to use.

Product Capacity

Stronger mechanically than porous alumina kiln supports, they are the best option for big loads.

Uniformity in Temperature

Processes where temperature consistency and gas release are crucial are made easier by porous alumina kiln supports, which also provide improved thermal insulation.

Installation and Handling

Because they weigh less, porous kiln stands are simpler to move and erect.

Cost Factors

Although porous alumina kiln stands are often less expensive, non-porous alumina may be worth the greater outlay for applications requiring greatest durability and least contamination.

Alumina kiln stands with porous and non-porous surfaces provide special benefits designed for certain industrial operations. It is easier to make wise choices to guarantee best performance and efficiency in high temperature conditions when one is aware of their features and applications.

More than simply instruments, our Ceramic Setters are the cornerstone of producing superior ceramic goods. Selecting our setters is like to working with a business that respects accuracy, dependability, and creativity. We are dedicated to provide you the best solutions available to assist your ceramic production processes.
Please contact us with any questions you may have, technical details, or to talk about how our Ceramic Setters might improve your production capacity. Working with you and helping your ceramic manufacturing projects succeed excites us.

Applications of Non-Porous Alumina Ceramic Setters

In numerous high-temperature procedures, non-porous alumina ceramic setter plates and saggers are frequently employed. They are particularly well-suited to vacuum furnace sintering.

Firing and Sintering

They are utilized extensively in the metallurgical industry for firing and sintering electronic component materials. They create a high-temperature, chemically inert environment in which materials can go through regulated heat treatment without reacting with the container.

Powder Metallurgy

Alumina setters are used in the production of metal powders and powder compacts to hold the powder during sintering. This facilitates uniform heating and minimizes contamination.

Thermal Analysis

In laboratories, alumina setters are used in thermal analysis technologies like differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to study the thermal behaviour of materials under controlled circumstances.

Heat Treatment

They are used for annealing, brazing, and heat treatment of metal products that need accurate temperature management and a non-reactive environment.

Laboratory Furnaces

Alumina setters are utilised inside laboratory furnaces as supports or containers for a variety of heat treatment and sample preparation processes.

 

Applications of Porous Alumina Ceramic Setters

With the adoption of an advanced production formula, our porous alumina setters can be used in a variety of continuous furnaces, batch furnaces, vacuum furnaces, atmosphere furnaces, and other furnace types. They can fit the sintering requirements of various materials, including:

  • Tungsten alloy
  • Titanium alloy
  • Piezoelectric ceramics
  • Ferrite Sintering
  • Powder metallurgy
  • Electronic magnetic materials,
  • Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Components

In many different sectors and research fields involving high-temperature procedures, alumina ceramic setters are essential. Because of their exceptional properties like high melting point, chemical inertness, and thermal stability, alumina setters are useful instruments for maintaining controlled conditions during heat treatment and material processing processes.

Despite ceramic setters provide many advantages for high-temperature applications, there are also some precautions and considerations to keep in mind when using them. Following are some key considerations:

Thermal Shock

If rapid cooling and heating cycles are present in the operational environment and excellent thermal shock resistance is required, you must select setters with porosity. For dense alumina setters, it's essential to progressively heat and cool, so as to avoid cracking or fracturing that result from thermal stress.

Stacking

High-purity dense alumina setter plates are not appropriate for multi-layer stacking because high temperature conditions will degrade their strength to some extent. For furnaces like batch furnaces, stacking can improve space utilization and increase sintering efficiency. It is advised in this circumstance to use sintering plates with porosity for stacking, because this kind of plate has greater creep resistance under high temperatures. If the surface of the sintering plate is required to be smooth and delicate, dense alumina thin plates can also be employed on the setter.

Material Compatibility

Different ceramic materials may exhibit varying degrees of compatibility with particular substances. To avoid interactions that could impair the process or material quality, it's crucial to try a few samples or a small batch of setters to make sure the ceramic setter is appropriate for the particular materials you're dealing with.

Loading Configuration

The method used to load materials onto the ceramic setter can have an impact on the overall heat distribution inside the furnace or kiln. Uneven temperature distribution brought on by improper loading can cause unfavourable changes in the end product.

Size and Shape

We have a multitude of molds for the fabrication of setters. If you tell us the approximate size you require, we will check to see if a close size is available for you, or we can cut the plate to the size you require to save mold costs for you. Custom molds are an option if you need large amount. Slotting, drilling and grinding are also available.

Ceramic Setters
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