All about glass furnaces and front loading kilns

The process of glassmaking goes back many centuries. The earliest glass was made through the glassblowing procedure. The first glass furnace were kilns that were built for making pottery.  Glass is a very important material that is extensively used in our daily lives. Glass is used for both domestic as well as industrial purposes. It is transparent and resistant to chemicals. These properties make glass a popular material that can be applied in many places. Front loading kilns are quite in demand for ceramic studios as well as production facilities. The doors of the front-loading kiln are made of heavy steel. 

Glass Furnace

A glass furnace is a special furnace that is used for the process of glass production.  The heating of chemicals is done in the furnace till their melting point, which is when they will get combined into molten glass. The liquid can be made into any shape which will be retained when it gets cooled and then solidified. The glass furnace enables the control of the glass temperature; therefore, it will break and even lose its shape during the cooling process.  There are two kinds of furnaces used for the process of glass melting – Pot and tank furnaces. Pot Furnaces are made of refractory materials where there is no contact between the furnace and glass. Glass will be melted in pots that are resistant to glass attack at very high temperatures. On the other hand, tank furnaces are used where a continuous flow of glass is required for the feeding of automatic glass forming machines. They use much less fuel and are used for the production of containers, electric bulbs, tableware, etc.

Front Loading Kilns

Kilns have a lot of variety in chamber shapes and sizes. There can be top or front loading kilns. Kilns play an important role in the ceramic process. Most potters are now using electric pottery kilns.  Electric kilns are much more available compared to gas kilns or wood kilns. The front-loading kiln comes with a huge door that is supported by an extensive hinge structure that is placed on the front wall of the kiln. The loading process has to be done through the front of the kiln.  A top-loading kiln is not much comfortable.  Front loading is much easier and more efficient to load.

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