For over 30 years INEX Inc. has supplied Composite Radiant Tubes (CRTs) to heat-treaters, burner companies, and original equipment-builders for indirectly-heated, atmosphere-controlled industrial furnaces all over the world. About half of INEX users are commercial heat-treaters who do contract processing of everything from fasteners to sophisticated aerospace components. The balance are captive manufacturers who heat-treat their own products.
INEX composites do NOT fail due to:
| Creep | = | NO deformation, NO distortion, NO rupture |
| Carburization | = | NO embrittlement, NO corrosion |
| Thermal Shock | = | NO ramp-up delays to avoid fracture |
| Melt-Through | = | NO thermal or other failures below 2450°F (1340°C) |
| Weld Failure | = | NO welds to fail |
| Oxidation | = | NO scaling, NO rust, NO shorting of heating elements |
INEX tubes last indefinitely, usually 10 years or more, depending on care taken in avoiding mechanical problems such asrefractory rebuilds, load crashes, part accumulation, excessive fan vibration and tool impact. Many INEX tubes are still in service after 20 years and will likely outlast their furnaces. This contrasts to radiant tubes made of Nickel-Chrome alloys which have poor life performance, typically failing in just two years in Carburizing service.
INEX radiant tubes are manufactured using a patented melt-infiltration process, which produces tubes directly from the raw materials in just two steps. Standard tube sizes range from 1″ to 6″ inches in Outer Diameter with single-piece lengths up to 96″ inches; multiple tubes can also be joined to 200” overall length by Silicon-brazing.
Over the years INEX has continually broadened its product line to better serve the heat-treating industry. U-tubes, Single-Ended Recuperative (SER & EGR) tube sets, Internally-Finned & Straights-Wall tubes, and many custom configurations are now available to meet customer needs. These products offer atmosphere furnace users the opportunity to dramatically improve their operations, reduce downtime and repair costs, and save energy.
Mike Kasprzyk, President of INEX, Inc., provides more information to better serve customers and end users. He talks latest trends when it comes to challenges faced by many in the heat-treating industry. Many inquired on how they can move it up a notch in terms of improving their operations. Others were seeking ways to reduce cost. How to better better serve customers in terms of reliability and responsivness, is a problem that continues to grow for many in the heat-treating industry.
INEX specializes in the manufacture of Composite Radiant Tubes (CRTs) for use in the various heat treating processes. INEX tubes consist of silicon carbide in a silicon matrix, specifically engineered for radiant tubes, and are made using our patented fabrication process. A technical session was held at the show to help educate those in the heat-treating industry on the advantages of materials used by INEX as well as what competitors have to offer.
