Disclosed is a heating element for a dental furnace including a tube element for accommodating a heating coil inside the tube element. At least one closing element may be connected to at least one open end of the tube element, wherein electrical connectors may be led through the closing element and fused with the element. The tube element may be made from a ceramic material, such as oxide ceramics, that may be connected to the connector via a plurality of intermediate glasses/transition glasses and glass solder to compensate for different heat expansion coefficients such that up to 500° C. gas escaping from the tube element may not enter due to a thermal action, providing that operational safety of the heating element is ensured. Further, disclosed is a dental furnace including such a heating element.

An apparatus for treating a disc-shaped article comprises a spin chuck and at least three individually controllable infrared heating elements. The infrared heating elements are mounted in a stationary manner with respect to rotation of said spin chuck. The infrared heating elements are arranged in a nested configuration so as to define individually controllable inner, middle and outer heating zones adjacent a disc-shaped article when positioned on the spin chuck.

A heating element for use in a system for melting materials during the production of a glass or ceramic material is disclosed. A method for melting materials during the production of a glass or ceramic material is also disclosed. The heating element comprises a first coupling member configured to couple to a first side of the interior of a melt tank; a second coupling member configured to couple to a second side of the interior of the melt tank; and at least one elongate strip extending between the first coupling member and the second coupling member. The at least one elongate strip is integral with the first coupling member and the second coupling member. The heating element is configured such that during a heating operation, current flows between the first coupling member and the second coupling member of the heating element, along the at least one elongate strip to thereby radiate heat to materials located within the interior of the melt tank.

A system for melting materials during the production of a glass or ceramic material is disclosed. A method for melting materials during the production of a glass or ceramic material is also disclosed. The system comprises a melt tank having an interior with a width and a length; and an electrode array comprising a plurality of elongate electrodes each extending at least partially across the width of the interior of the melt tank in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the interior of the melt tank. Each electrode within the electrode array is spaced apart from an adjacent electrode within the electrode array by from about 5 mm to 100 mm. The electrode array is configured such that during a heating operation, current flows between adjacent electrodes within the electrode array, such that heat is radiated from the electrodes to materials located within the interior of the melt tank.

The invention relates to a sintering furnace for components made of a sintered material, in particular for dental components, comprising a furnace chamber having a chamber volume (VK) and a chamber inner surface (OK), wherein a heat-up device, a receiving space having a gross volume (VB) located in the chamber volume (VK) and delimited by the heat-up device, and a useful region having a useful volume (VN) located in the gross volume (VB), are disposed in the furnace chamber. The furnace chamber has an outer wall consisting of a plurality of walls having a wall portion to be opened for introduction into the receiving space of a component to be sintered and having an object volume (VO). In the furnace chamber the heat-up device has a thermal radiator having a radiation field which radiator is disposed on at least one side of the receiving space. Said thermal radiator has a specific resistance of 0.1 mm.sup.2/m to 1,000,000 mm.sup.2/m and has a total surface, the maximum of which is three times the chamber inner surface (OK). With this sintering furnace a heat-up temperature of at least 1100 C. can be achieved within 5 minutes at a maximum power input of 1.5 kW.

A heating device with an oven into which a semi-finished product to be heated can be moved in and out, with a wire support formed from several wires spaced apart from one another, and on which the semi-finished product is able to be positioned, and with structure for moving the wire support into the oven and out therefrom. In order to both enable a method with high speeds of travel and at the same time able to use one and the same wire support for differently shaped semi-finished products. The wires can be electrically conductive and the selected wires can be acted upon with a voltage and thereby be heated, wherein the voltage is able to be set and/or controlled in such a way that the wires can adopt a predefinable temperature. Through suitable heating of the wires, the semi-finished product can be fixed on the wire support by fusing.

Provided is a multi-chamber type heating unit which occupies a small installation space and can effectively perform a heating process of a blank. The multi-chamber type heating unit to heat a blank comprises: a lower housing unit; an intermediate housing unit installed in an upper portion of the lower housing unit; and an upper housing unit installed in an upper portion of the intermediate housing unit. A plurality of intermediate housings are stacked to form the intermediate housing unit, and a heating unit to heat a blank is installed in each of the intermediate housings. Moreover, the intermediate housings are formed in the shape in which upper and lower portions thereof are opened, and an opening is formed in the front for a door to be inserted thereinto.

Disclosed is a heating element for a dental furnace including a tube element for accommodating a heating coil inside the tube element. At least one closing element may be connected to at least one open end of the tube element, wherein electrical connectors may be led through the closing element and fused with the element. The tube element may be made from a ceramic material, such as oxide ceramics, that may be connected to the connector via a plurality of intermediate glasses/transition glasses and glass solder to compensate for different heat expansion coefficients such that up to 500 C. gas escaping from the tube element may not enter due to a thermal action, providing that operational safety of the heating element is ensured. Further, disclosed is a dental furnace including such a heating element.

The present invention provides an electrically heated apparatus (1) at least comprising: an electrically heated furnace (2) having walls (2A, 2B) defining a space (3); a first row (4) of tubes (10) running through the space (3), wherein the tubes (10) have an inlet (11) and outlet (12) outside of the space (3); a second row (14) of tubes (10) running through the space (3), wherein the tubes (10) have an inlet (11) and outlet (12) outside of the space (3); a first set (5) of electrical radiative heating elements (20) located in the space (3), wherein the first set (5) comprises electrical radiative heating elements (20) located between the first (4) and second rows (14) of tubes (10).

A sintering furnace can have a housing, one or more heating elements, and a conveying assembly. Each heating element can be disposed within the housing and can subject a heating zone to a thermal shock temperature profile. A substrate with one or more precursors thereon can be moved by the conveying assembly through an inlet of the housing to the heating zone, where it is subjected to a first temperature of at least 500? C. for a first time period. The conveying assembly can then move the substrate with one or more sintered materials thereon from the heating zone and through an outlet of the housing.