BTU INTERNATIONAL

For manufacturing thick film circuits, passive components, precision resistors, component termination and many other applications, BTU offers the Fast Fire radiant heat furnace system.
Fast Fire furnaces provide reduced power usage by allowing for rapid heating and cooling between use. These systems provide excellent atmosphere flow for binder removal in thick film sintering, along with precision temperature control. In addition to the standard air atmosphere configuration, Fast Fire is also available for nitrogen processing with an option that allows for inert atmosphere operation. For cost-effective high temperature processing in air, Fast Fire is the choice.

1050 degree C Maximum Temperature
Fast Fire incorporates materials and components that provide reliable high temperature operation, with +/-  2°C uniformity.
Independent Over Temperature Control
Over Temperature control shuts down the furnace down if setpoints are exceeded, ensuring protection of furnace components and product.
Closed Loop Belt Speed Control
Allows for +/- 0.01% accuracy to guarantee proper times at temperature for demanding processes requiring tight profile control.
WINCON Control Software
Windows-based operating software provides user-friendly control, advanced profiling and data collection.
Voltage
208-240 VAC Standard. Additional voltage configurations available upon request.

9 INCH

14 INCH

25 INCH

Maximum Temperature

1050 °C

Temperature Uniformity

Standard +/- 2 °C 

Optional +/- 1 °C 

Atmosphere

Air

Conveyer Speed

1- 6 inches per minute

Conveyer Width

9 in. (23 cm)

14 in. (36 cm)

25 in. (64 cm)

Heated Length

90 in. (229 cm)

126 in. (320 cm)

126 in. (320 cm)

Heated Zones

8

7

7

Cooling Length

12 in. (61 cm)

48 in. (122 cm)

48 in. (122 cm)

Overall System Width

36 in. (91 cm)

36 in. (91 cm)

48 in. (122 cm)

Overall System Length

17 ft (5.2 m)

24.5 ft (7.5 m)

24.5 ft (7.5 m)

Overall System Height

60 inches (152.4 cm)

(click on picture to enlarge)

Thick Film sintering of Silver, Silver Palladium, or Gold metal traces is typically performed in an air atmosphere at 850 °C using a 30 or 60 minute profile. Organic residues in the process atmosphere can cause incomplete sintering, resulting in poor bond strength and reduced performance so binder burnout during the initial temperature ramp is critical for removing binder materials prior to achieving peak temperature.
Proper sintering also requires well-defined separation between sintering and binder burnout atmospheres to prevent binder-laden gas from entering the sintering atmosphere, which can impact conductivity and plating ability.