Desktop electric kiln

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Revision as of 18:36, 22 September 2018 by John Cummings (talk | contribs) (Design ethos)
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An electric desktop kiln is a kiln that can be used on a desktop in a makerspace, workshop or other environment that is heated using an electric heating element. Kilns provide many opportunities to expand and compliment 3D printing.

Desktop kilns exist but are expensive for the components used and are proprietary designs. The only open source designs and free but restrictive license designs are all large kilns for outdoor use. RepRap printers have sophisticated heating, timing and safety features which could be useful.

There is potential for an open source kiln to be able to create its own refactory brick, allowing it to be partly self replicating.


Uses

There are many uses for kilns in relation to the RepRap project 3D printers which rely on different temperatures, meaning even a relatively low temperature kiln would be useful.

  • Lost PLA casting, could be used to simply create the moulds and used in combination with pouring aluminium from a furnace. Or by creating custom aluminium parts using moulds that have a reservoir for aluminium included
  • Firing cermaics, very useful in combination with 3d printing paste extrusion.
  • Sintering parts that are created using an metal powder and an adhesive e.g HP Metaljet
  • Annealing PLA prints
  • Dehumidifing nylon filament

Temperatures

  • 50℃ drying plaster for lost PLA moulds
  • 55℃ annealing PLA
  • 70℃ dehumidifing nylon filament
  • 250℃ melting the filament out of lost PLA moulds
  • 660℃ melting aluminium for lost PLA casting
  • 950℃ - 1100℃ firing earthwnware pottery
  • 1162℃-1240℃ firing industrial cermamics
  • 1263℃ to 1326℃ firing high fire stoneware
  • 1305℃ and 1346℃ firing porcelain
  • 1300-1500℃ Melting glass
  •  ? Sintering parts that are created using an metal powder and an adhesive e.g HP Metaljet


Design ethos

  • As safe as possible including construction, operation and materials used (e.g biosoluble ceramic fiber blanket)
  • Simple to construct with realistic minimal tools
  • Cheap to construct to improve accessibility
  • Scalable size to allow different uses
  • To be useful to both the 3D printing community and the ceramics community
  • Partially self replicating if possible

Parts

The main components of a kiln are readily available and inexpensive:

Controller

Could we bring across functionality from 3D printers to have things like programmed heating routines, timers, controller logs safety features like case temperature detection, open door heater shutoff etc?

Temperature display

Heating element

Heat sensor

Insulation

Possible materials

  • Refactory bricks, there is potential for an open source kiln to be able to create its own refactory brick, allowing it to be partly self replicating.
  • Biosoluble ceramic fiber insulation
  • Perlite
  • Vermiculite pebbles: So much cheaper than the board

Structure

Existing related projects