Isotech 414 Operating instructions

Page 1 of 32
Dual Furnace Models M17705, M17706, M17707: 11–05/17
ANNEALING FURNACE
MODEL 414
User Maintenance Manual/Handbook
Isothermal Technology Limited, Pine Grove, Southport, PR9 9AG, England
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Internet: www.isotech.co.uk E-mail: [email protected]
The company is always willing to give technical advice and assistance where appropriate. Equally, because of the programme of continual
development and improvement we reserve the right to amend or alter characteristics and design without prior notice. This publication is for
information only.

Page 2 of 32
Dual Furnace Models M17705 & M17706: 10–01/17
GUARANTEE
ⓒIsothermal Technology Limited
This instrument has been manufactured to exacting standards and is guaranteed for twelve months against electrical
break-down or mechanical failure caused through defective material or workmanship, provided the failure is not the
result of misuse.
In the event of failure covered by this guarantee, the instrument must be returned, carriage paid, to the supplier for
examination and will be replaced or repaired at our option.
FRAGILE CERAMIC AND/OR GLASS PARTS ARE NOT COVERED BY THIS GUARANTEE INTERFERENCE WITH
OR FAILURE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THIS INSTRUMENT MAY INVALIDATE THIS GUARANTEE
The company is always willing to give technical advice and assistance where appropriate. Equally, because of the
programme of continual development and improvement we reserve the right to amend or alter characteristics and
design without prior notice. This publication is for information only.
This handbook contains information that has been reproduced with the kind permission of Eurotherm. Such data is
subject to the following notice.
Isothermal Technology Limited
Pine Grove, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9AG, England
Telephone: [phone]/544611 / Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]o.uk / Website: www.isotech.co.uk

Page 3 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
CONTENTS
EMC INFORMATION................................................................................................................................................................ 4
ELECTRICAL SAFETY ............................................................................................................................................................... 4
HEALTH AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ................................................................................................................................5
CAUTIONARY NOTE .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
UNPACKING AND INITIAL INSPECTION ...................................................................................................................................... 7
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY....................................................................................................................................................................... 7
SPECIFICATION ................................................................................................................................................................................8
INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................................................................9
GENERAL LAYOUT ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
USING THE OVERTEMPERATURE CONTROLLER ...................................................................................................................... 11
QUICK START.................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
USING THE CONTROLLER............................................................................................................................................................ 13
How to log in as the SUPERVISOR ........................................................................................................................................... 14
How to log in as the ENGINEER .............................................................................................................................................. 14
THE ISOTECH SPLASHSCREEN AND CONTROLS...................................................................................................................... 15
Changing the Set Point .............................................................................................................................................................. 16
To change the Setpoint of the equipment ................................................................................................................................. 16
How to globally change from °C to °F or Kelvin ....................................................................................................................... 16
Process to apply a User linearization to either Heatpipe furnace or Annealing furnace ........................................................... 17
Heatpipe furnace ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Enabling the AUTOTUNE feature ............................................................................................................................................ 18
How to change the DATE and TIME or the LANGUAGE of the equipment ........................................................................... 18
The NETWORK INTERFACE: ................................................................................................................................................. 19
To access the NETWORK INTERFACE: .................................................................................................................................. 19
DATA LOGGING: .................................................................................................................................................................... 20
FTP SERVER ARCHIVING ........................................................................................................................................................ 20
PROGRAMMER FUNCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 21
To create, install and run a PROGRAM via the controller interface please follow the instructions below ............................... 22
How to create a simple PROGRAM using the controller interface .......................................................................................... 23
COMMISSIONING ........................................................................................................................................................................... 26
ELIMINATING CONTAMINATION DURING THE CALIBRATION OF HIGH TEMPERATURE THERMOMETERS.................. 27
IMPORTANT NOTE ........................................................................................................................................................................ 28
STANDARD PLATINUM RESISTANCE THERMOMETER (SPRT) - ANNEALING........................................................................ 29
MAINTENANCE .............................................................................................................................................................................. 30
ISOTECH I-CAL EASY...................................................................................................................................................................... 31
PROGRAM EDITOR ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31
REVIEW......................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Page 4 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
EMC INFORMATION
This product meets the requirements of the European Directive on Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
89/336/EEC as amended by EC Directive 92/31/EEC and the European Low Voltage Directive 73/25/EEC, amended
by 93/68/EEC. To ensure emission compliance please ensure that any serial communications connecting leads are
fully screened.
The product meets the susceptibility requirements of EN 50082-1, criterion B.
Symbol Identification
Publication
Description
ISO3864
Caution (refer to manual)
IEC 417
Caution, Hot Surface
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
This equipment must be correctly earthed.
This equipment is a Class 1 Appliance. A protective earth is used to ensure the conductive parts can not become live
in the event of a failure of the insulation.
The protective conductor of the flexible mains cable which is coloured green/yellow MUST be connected to a suitable
earth.
The blue conductor should be connected to Neutral and the Brown conductor to Live (Line).
Warning: Internal mains voltage hazard. Do not remove the panels.
There are no user serviceable parts inside. Contact your nearest Isotech agent for repair.
Voltage transients on the supply must not exceed 2.5kV.
Conductive pollution, e.g. Carbon dust, must be excluded from the apparatus. EN61010 pollution degrees 2.

Page 5 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
HEALTH AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read this entire manual before use.
2. Wear appropriate protective clothing.
3. Operators of this equipment should be adequately trained in the handling of hot and cold items and liquids.
4. Do not use the apparatus for jobs other than those for which it was designed, i.e. the calibration of
thermometers.
5. Do not handle the apparatus when it is hot (or cold), unless wearing the appropriate protective clothing and
having the necessary training.
6. Do not drill, modify or otherwise change the shape of the apparatus.
7. Do not dismantle the apparatus.
8. Do not use the apparatus outside its recommended temperature range.
9. If cased, do not return the apparatus to its carrying case until the unit has cooled.
10. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Contact your nearest Isotech agent for repair.
11. Ensure materials, especially flammable materials are kept away from hot parts of the apparatus, to prevent
fire risk.

Page 6 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
CAUTIONARY NOTE
ISOTECH PRODUCTS ARE INTENDED FOR USE BY TECHNICALLY TRAINED AND COMPETENT
PERSONNEL FAMILIAR WITH GOOD MEASUREMENT PRACTICES.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT PERSONNEL USING THIS EQUIPMENT WILL BE COMPETENT WITH THE
MANAGEMENT OF APPARATUS WHICH MAY BE POWERED OR UNDER EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURE, AND
ARE ABLE TO APPRECIATE THE HAZARDS WHICH MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH, AND THE PRECAUTIONS
TO BE TAKEN WITH, SUCH EQUIPMENT.

Page 7 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
UNPACKING AND INITIAL INSPECTION
Our packing department uses custom designed packaging to send out your unit, but as accidents can still happen in
transit, you are advised, after unpacking the unit, to inspect it for any sign of shipping damage, and confirm that your
delivery is in accordance with the packing note. If you find any damage or that part of the delivery is missing notify us
or our agent, and the carrier immediately. If the unit is damaged you should keep the packing for possible insurance
assessment.
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
Before connecting to the electricity supply please familiarise yourself with the parts of the handbook relevant to your
model.
Your unit's supply voltage requirement is specified on a plate on the instrument along with the serial number. All
instruments will work on an electricity supply frequency of 50Hz or 60Hz.
The apparatus is provided with an approved power cord. If the plug is not suitable for your location then the plug
should be removed and replaced with an appropriate plug.
Take care to ensure the old plug is disposed safely.
The cable is colour coded as follows:
COLOUR
FUNCTION
Green/yellow
Earth (Ground)
Brown
Live (line)
Blue
Neutral
Please ensure that your unit is correctly connected to the electricity supply.

Page 8 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
SPECIFICATION
Voltage
220/240 V
Power
1000 W
Supply Frequency
50/60Hz
Maximum Operating Temperature
1000°C
Working Volume
450mm x 50mm diameter approx.
Dimensions
Height 880mm
Width 400mm
Depth 620mm
Weight (nett)
40kg

Page 9 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
INTRODUCTION
The Annealing Furnace, model 414, is designed to heat, anneal and cool Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometers
(SPRTs) prior to calibration. The temperature range of the furnace, from ambient to 1000°C, enables all types of
SPRTs to be annealed.
One of the duties of a calibration laboratory manager is to ensure that the SPRTs used in the Laboratory are fully
annealed and still within specification.
Just using the thermometers within the laboratory will cause work-hardening to take place within the platinum coil of
the SPRT, therefore regular annealing is required to ensure the SPRTs are in ideal condition.
Designed to pre-warm and anneal Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometers
Maintenance Free Use
Automatic Temperature Cycling
In 1990 the then new temperature scale ITS-90 specified the use of SPRTs up to the Silver point (961.78°C). At these
temperatures quartz is very porous and in reducing atmospheres the SPRTs can quickly become contaminated. The
Isotech Annealing Furnace offers a safe solution for those who wish to anneal SPRTs up to 1000°C.
To prevent contamination at high temperatures a constant flux of pre-heated air passes over the SPRTs being
annealed.
The furnace has been upgraded to benefit from the latest technology. Fitted with a crystal clear colour display the
furnace is now fully programmable. Programs can be created for the cycling of SPRTs - with the ability to set the
dwell time at the annealing temperature and heat up and cool down rates along with the number of temperature
cycles. Multiple programs can be stored - each with up to 25 segments. The furnace heat up cool down history is
logged and can be exported to a USB drive. The PID control parameters are now dynamically optimised at different
temperatures optimizing furnace stability.
This Furnace is installed easily and requires no maintenance.

Page 10 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
GENERAL LAYOUT
Front View
1. Main controller
2. Ethernet socket
3. USB socket
4. Overtemperature controller
5. Air flow sight glass
6. Air flow adjustment knob
7. Power switch
Rear View
1. Power entry socket (plug in place)

Page 11 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
USING THE OVERTEMPERATURE CONTROLLER
The furnace uses an alarm value on the controller to disable the heaters if the furnace goes into the alarm condition.
If the furnace goes into the alarm condition, it will power down the Main controller and circuitry.
Adjusting the Overtemperature value on the controller:
1. Press the Scroll button to display A1 HI
2. Use the up/down buttons to scroll to the desired alarm setting. This would normally be 10-20°C above the
target temperature
3. To enter the value you will need to press the PAGE and SCROLL buttons simultaneously
4. To re-set the controller from an alarm condition you will need to press the buttons again simultaneously
5. If the controller is in the alarm condition and the complete furnace is powered down, the controller will
“remember” the condition and will still need to be manually reset when powered up again

Page 12 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
QUICK START
Locate the furnace in a suitable, level location. Leave a minimum of 150mm of space around and 500mm above the
furnace for air circulation. Ensure there is a suitable power supply nearby.
Assemble the furnace as page 27, connect the furnace to the electrical supply and power it up.
The Overtemperature controllers will power up and display the current temperature of the annealing furnace.
To power up the Heatpipe furnace you will need to enable the main controller. To do this, press the SCROLL button
on the Overtemperature controller until Hi Alarm is displayed, using the up/down buttons enter a new temperature
for the overtemperature protection. Initially this can be quite a low value, say 200°C, for test purposes. Now press
the SCROLL and PAGE buttons together, once to enter the new value and a second time to reset the controller. On
the second press the furnace will make a noise as the main control circuit powers up.
The furnace is now active and ready for use. On the main controller, press the SCROLL button to highlight the
Setpoint box. Press again to adjust the value and select a suitable value, a value 20°C below the overtemperature is
suitable, using the up/down buttons. Enter the value by pressing the Scroll button. The furnace will now rise in
temperature to the selected value.
If the furnace has been in transit or not been used for several days then there may be an ingress of moisture into the
insulation and other ceramics, the furnace may need to be “dried out” by running at a low value such as 100°C for a
period of several hours.

Page 13 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
USING THE CONTROLLER
The controller installed on this equipment uses an advanced three loop controller with a multi-channel sensor input.
Other features of the controller are:
Built in data logging
Ethernet connection
USB host for controller updates and data export
Bright colour display
Dynamic optimisation of the control PID parameters
Eight point zone linearization for Main and Annealing furnace
Built in Programmer, supports 100 programs, each of 25 segments
Before using the controller, please read this manual thoroughly to get the best performance from the equipment.
Certain features used in this controller require different levels of access. The Operator access requires no passcode
to use. These functions include:
Changing the setpoint
Changing any values using the USER ACCESS PAGE
Other features will require the user to log in as “Supervisor” to carry out these functions. These include:
Adjusting the PID settings
Using the Programmer function
Changing the linearity settings
Extracting data from the recorder function
Configuration changes to the controller require you log in as “Engineer” to perform these functions. These include:
Change language selection
Change °C to °F or K
Change equipment clock and time zone

Page 14 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
How to log in as the SUPERVISOR
1. Press the Page button to display the Home menu
2. Scroll to LOG IN
3. Press the SCROLL button
4. Press up to scroll to SUPERVISOR in dialogue box
5. Press the SCROLL button to prompt for a passcode
6. Select code 15 from the soft keyboard
7. Press PAGE button to prompt to accept the changes
8. Select Yes and enter with SCROLL button to display the SUPERVISOR screen
9. When logged in as the SUPERVISOR the equipment will control in the normal way
How to log in as the ENGINEER
1. Press the Page button to display the Home menu
2. Scroll to LOG IN
3. Press the SCROLL button
4. Press up to scroll to ENGINEER in dialogue box
5. Press the SCROLL button to prompt for a passcode
6. Select code 17 from the soft keyboard
7. Press PAGE button to prompt to accept the changes
8. Select Yes and enter with SCROLL button to display the ENGINEER screen
9. When logged in as the ENGINEER, the equipment will not control the temperature of the heat source

Page 15 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
The Isotech splashscreen and controls
The USER INTERFACE start up screen and controls:
1. ISOTECH splashscreen
2. PAGE button
3. SCROLL button
4. DOWN button
5. UP button
The HOME page:
1. Furnace temperature
2. Furnace setpoint
3. Furnace setpoint box
4. Data record symbol
5. PAGE button
6. SCROLL button
7. Down button
8. Up button

Page 16 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
The USER ACCESS page:
1. Proportional band
2. Integral time
3. Derivative time
4. Autotune enable
5. Display units
6. Fixed offset
7. Network IP type
8. Setpoint Ramp Rate °C/min
Changing the Set Point
The main controller will control temperature of the furnace. The setpoint is accessible from the Home page of the
controller. The controller is only active when enabled by the overtemperature controller.
To compensate for any errors in the linearity of the display temperature, the user can adjust the linearity using the 8
point adjustment curve for each furnace. See section below for details on how to do this.
To change the Setpoint of the equipment
1. From the ISOTECH homepage, press the SCROLL button once, this will highlight the SETPOINT ADJUST
box.
2. Press the SCROLL button once more and this will allow adjustment of the setpoint via the UP/DOWN
buttons.
3. Scroll to the desired set point as described above.
4. When the temperature is set, press the SCROLL button again to enter and save the setting.
5. The equipment will now raise or lower the furnace temperature as required.
How to globally change from °C to °F or Kelvin
1. Log in as the Engineer
2. Scroll to INSTRUMENT
3. Scroll to DISPLAY
4. Scroll to UNITS
5. Select by pressing the Scroll button
6. Use up/down to select from °C, °F or Kelvin
7. Press the Page button to exit and save the selection

Page 17 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
Process to apply a User linearization to either Heatpipe furnace or Annealing furnace
From time to time the control sensors inside the furnace will need to be adjusted as the sensor drifts with time and
use at high temperature. The controller has the capability to compensate for these errors using an eight point
correction curve. This will need to be regularly checked for errors and can easily be corrected within the controller
using the following procedure.
The image below illustrates a simplified graphical view of the process.
Isotech standard offset values are set at the following temperatures:
Heatpipe furnace
This is listed as Channel 1 on the controller
1. 150°C
2. 440°C
3. 660°C
4. 980°C
Points 6, 7 and 8 are unused as standard.
Please follow the procedure below to linearise the controller display value:
1. Set the furnace up as it will be used
2. Place a reference thermometer inside the Annealing furnace, place the thermometer in the heated volume,
near to the side but not touching it
3. Set the furnace to the lowest useable temperature (recommendation would be to use the temperatures listed
above)
4. Allow the system the thermally stabilise
5. Press the PAGE button to enter the SUPERVISOR menu
6. Scroll to the CHANNELS tab and enter with the SCROLL button
7. Scroll to the ISOTECH tab and enter with the SCROLL button
8. Scroll to CAL STATUS and enter with the SCROLL button
9. Scroll to POINT 1 and enter the value from the reference thermometer

Page 18 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
The controller is now ready to accept a value. Ensure the equipment is thermally stable, you will now need to use the
temperature value displayed by the reference thermometer.
10. Record the value on the reference thermometer and scroll to DISPLAY VALUE tab and press enter
11. This will bring up a soft keyboard, use this keyboard to enter the exact temperature displayed by the
calibrated reference standard
12. Press the PAGE button to enter the value, the controller will ask you to confirm the settings. Select YES and
enter the value
13. The controller will now accept the value and move to POINT 2 on the display
14. Exit back to the homepage and check the value on the relevant display window
15. When confirmed, move to the next temperature and repeat the process for point 2 and so on
Important Note: Ensure that Point 1 is always used as the lowest temperature and offsets are entered in ascending
order. If the values are place out of order then the controller will disregard them.
Enabling the AUTOTUNE feature
The equipment has the ability to AUTOTUNE the control parameters to hone the temperature stability at a specific
temperature. When enabled it will allow the controller to cycle the temperature and calculate the best values for this
temperature. After two cycles it will install the calculated values and use these for the control loop.
You are not required to log in to access this feature.
To enable the AUTOTUNE feature:
1. Scroll to the USER ACCESS page
2. Press the Scroll button and then select the AUTOTUNE feature using the down button
3. Press the Scroll button again to highlight the feature
4. Use the up/down button to select ON
5. Press the Scroll button again to enter the value.
6. The controller will now begin the tuning process
During the tuning process, AT can now be seen to the left of the clock on the ISOTECH homepage.
To disable the tuning feature during a tune, repeat the process above and select OFF. This will now disable the tune
and install the previous values.
How to change the DATE and TIME or the LANGUAGE of the equipment
The Date and time of the equipment can be changed to suit local time. This can also incorporate the any daylight
saving time in the time zone of your country or region. The display language of some of the display screens can also
be change to suit the local language.
The options for this are:
English
French
German
Italian
Spanish
Note: Only the Supervisor and Engineer menus will read in the alternative language. The Isotech Home screen will
still read in English when this feature is used.

Page 19 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
To change the DATE and TIME or LANGUAGE:
To access these features you will need to log in as the Engineer.
When logged in, scroll to the INSTRUMENT tab on the Engineer homepage
Press the SCROLL button to enter
Scroll to CLOCK and enter by pressing SCROLL button
Alternatively scroll to LOCALE and enter by pressing SCROLL button
Adjust as necessary and exit engineer mode
The NETWORK INTERFACE:
Access to the NETWORK interface is available when logged in as the ENGINEER. This will allow adjustment to
various network parameters, should they need to be adjusted.
This menu allows writeable access to:
IP type (FIXED or DYMAMIC)
IP address
Subnet Mask
Gateway
and Read only access to:
MAC address
Client identifier
To access the NETWORK INTERFACE:
1. Log in as the ENGINEER
2. From the ENGINEER page scroll to NETWORK tab and enter with the SCROLL button
3. Scroll to INTERFACE and enter with the scroll button
4. Scroll to and adjust desired parameter using the pop out soft keyboard

Page 20 of 32
Annealing Furnace model 414 Iss.4 –05/17
DATA LOGGING:
The equipment will always record data for all four channels UNLESS the equipment is in ENGINEERING mode. This
is indicated by the green Rin the bottom left had side of the ISOTECH homepage.
The data can either be extracted via the USB socket on the front panel or to a PC by means of the FTP protocol
(Remote Archiving) using REVIEW software, see end of manual for details.
To back up the data via USB stick on the control panel use the following procedure:
1. Log in as the SUPERVISOR
2. Plug a suitable USB memory stick to the socket on the control panel.
3. Ensure the controller has accepted the memory stick by the icon in the lower left of the ISOTECH
homepage.
4. Press the page button to scroll to the SUPERVISOR menu
5. Scroll to DEMAND ARCHIVING
6. Scroll to ARCHIVE TO and enter, select USB from the options and enter
7. Scroll to ARCHIVE and select from:
a. Bring to date
b. All
c. Last month
d. Last week
e. Last day
f. Last hour
g. None
8. When the selection is entered by pressing the SCROLL button, the transfer will begin (this may take several
minutes depending on the selection made)
9. When the transfer is complete, remove the USB stick and exit SUPERVISOR mode
The data will be stored in a folder called HISTORY.
FTP SERVER ARCHIVING
This allows the archiving of recorder files to a remote computer via the RJ45 type connector at the rear of the
recorder, either directly or via a network.
In order to carry out a successful transfer:
1. Details of the remote host must be entered in the Network Archive area of configuration
2. The remote computer must be set up as an FTP server. Help from the user’s IT department may be
necessary in order to achieve this.
3. The remote computer must also be set up to respond to ‘pings’. This is because the instrument pings the
host whilst establishing connection, if it does not receive a response the archive attempt fails.
4. When accessing files using Microsoft® Internet Explorer, the address (URL) field can be in one of two
formats:
5. ftp://<instrument IP address>. This allows a user to log in as the anonymous user (if the recorder has any
account with the user name set to ‘anonymous’ with a blank password.
6. ftp://<user name>:<password>@<instrument IP address> to log in as a specific user.
For IE5 users, Microsoft® Internet Explorer displays, by default, history files only. To quit the history folder, either
uncheck the Tools/Internet Options/Advanced/Browsing/’Enable folder view for FTP sites’ option, or check the
Tools/Internet Options/Advanced/Browsing/’Use Web based FTP’ option.