A muffle furnace is a type of box furnace that generally has ceramic fiber-wool insulation instead of refractory material or brick lining. You can use muffle furnaces for glass working, drying enamel coats and heating ceramic products. Muffle furnaces are useful in industries such as glassware, ceramics and medical.

You can also use muffle furnaces for other operations such as preheating, stress relieving, normalizing, aging, hardening and tempering. Like other furnaces, muffle furnaces also come in different configurations such as bench-top, cabinet and continuous muffle furnaces. Furthermore, you can choose a gas fired muffle furnace, an electric muffle furnace or an oil fired muffle furnace, depending on the preferred power source.

Some important parameters you must consider before purchasing a muffle furnace are:

1. Details of required heat treatment operation such as temperature ranges and holding time
2. Material and dimensions of the components placed in the muffle furnace
3. Space capacity of the muffle furnace
4. Requirement of specific furnace atmosphere
5. Power consumption of the muffle furnace

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy a muffle furnace from reputable muffle furnace manufacturers

Once you identify your requirements, check out industrial muffle furnaces available with reputable furnace manufacturers.

I recommend: You can buy a benchtop muffle furnace at Thermo Fisher Scientific, a reputable manufacturer of heating equipment. Thermcraft is another furnace manufacturer that supplies muffle furnaces. If you need a laboratory muffle furnace, check out the muffle furnaces offered by Keison. Dentsply Ceramco offers dental lab furnaces under the brand name Neytech.

Buy a specialty or customized muffle furnace

If standard muffle furnaces do not meet your heat-treating requirements, opt for specialty or customized muffle furnaces.

I recommend: MTI Corp., a reputable furnace manufacturer, supplies customized muffle furnaces for high temperature applications. You can buy a programmable muffle furnace at So-Low Environmental Equipment, another heating equipment manufacturer. If you need a muffle furnace with high operating temperatures and inert atmosphere, check out industrial equipment offered by Harper International.

Buy a muffle furnace from reputable furnace distributors and retailers

Compare different muffle furnaces based on features and prices at distributors and retailers' websites. As a furnace is an expensive investment, you can opt for a used muffle furnace for a cost-effective solution.

I recommend: Cole-Parmer, a reputable distributor of furnaces, supplies muffle furnaces from well-known furnace manufacturers such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Dentsply Ceramco and Keison. You can buy a scientific muffle furnace at Colonial Scientific, a reputable laboratory equipment supplier. For used muffle furnaces, check out the furnaces offered by distributors such as S & S Furnace Sales and Furnace Finders.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use standard muffle furnace parts and accessories for efficient operation of your muffle furnace.
• •  Refer to safety measures and instructions provided by muffle furnace manufacturers.