Main features

Furnace control unit including transformer

The EPA furnace control unit acts as the interface between the furnace, the cooling system and the measuring station computer running the EMI III heating microscope software. As the robust control and monitoring unit of the heating microscope, it performs three basic functions:

1. Controlling the furnace: The installed furnace controller requires no manual operation and operates independently based on the heating programme that the user entered in the heating microscope software prior to measurement. The design of our tube furnaces, combined with the positioning of the furnace thermocouple close to the heating element, allows accurate regulation and boosts operating reliability.
2. Monitoring and safety: An over-temperature protection system monitors compliance with the maximum permissible furnace temperature based on data from an additional, separate furnace thermocouple. In addition, a water detector checks the operational status of the heating microscope’s cooling system. This increases the operating safety of the heating microscope and prevents destruction of the furnace by automatically switching off the furnace load in the event of a fault.
3. Central display: In addition to the EMI III software, the user can obtain all relevant data regarding the furnace and cooling system via the built-in displays and LEDs. These simplify individual operations and allow action to be taken quickly in the event of errors or breakdowns. The furnace transformer converts the supplied mains voltage for use in the furnace. To prevent the influence of vibrations, and therefore to improve the quality of the measurement results, it is mounted in a robust housing and can be positioned anywhere in the vicinity of the heating microscope.