M-TI GSL-1500X-OTF User manual

GSL-1500X-OTF
1 MTI Corporation | www.mtixtl.com
GSL-1500X-OTF
1500°C TUBE FURNACE
With Vacuum Flanges & Valves: Optional 2”, 3” & 4” Mullite Tubes
OPERATION MANUAL
860 South 19th Street, Richmond, CA 94804, USA
TEL: [phone] FAX: [phone]
Website: www.mtixtl.com Email: [email protected]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
IMPORTANT NOTES ...........................................................................................................................................................3
GENERAL WARNINGS .......................................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................4
SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................5
STRUCTURE ........................................................................................................................................................................5
SYSTEM INSTALLATION ..................................................................................................................................................7
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT: 7
MULLITE TUBES: 7
SETTING UP THE TUBE & VACUUM FLANGES: 8
POWER CONNECTION: 9
SYSTEM OPERATION PROCEDURES .............................................................................................................................9
LOADING/ UNLOADING MATERIALS: 9
VACUUM SYSTEM: 9
GAS FLOW SYSTEM: 9
TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................................................................10
518P TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER:10
TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER SETTING: 10
TEMPERATURE SEGMENT SETTING EXAMPLE: 11
ILLUSTRATION OF TEMPERATURE SEGMENT SETTING: 13
RUNNING THE PROGRAM: 14
PROCEDURE FOR SHUTTING DOWN FURNACE: 14
TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER PARAMETERS ...........................................................................................................14
INTRODUCTION OF MAIN PARAMETERS: 14
FUNCTIONS OF MAIN PARAMETERS: 15
PARAMETER SETTING: 16
AUTO-TUNE: 17
MANUAL-TUNE: 17
PARAMETER SETTING: 16
TROUBLESHOOTING........................................................................................................................................................17
MAINTENANCE AND CAUTIONS ..................................................................................................................................18
KNOWLEDGE ONAC POWER DISTRIBUTION ...........................................................................................................19

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IMPORTANT NOTES
Thank you for purchasing from Materials Technology International Corporation. This manual contains important operation and safety
information prepared for those intending on using the equipment. The prospective user is responsible for carefully reading and
understanding the contents of this manual prior to operating the equipment.
MTI reserves the right to update or upgrade the product without informing customers of the data change(s) in this manual. Please
frequently visit www.mtixtl.com for the latest information and manual.
GENERAL WARNINGS
MTI will not be responsible for equipment damage, accidents leading to minor or fatal injuries, and etc. caused by the user’s
negligence or lack of knowledge. Always read the manual fully beforehand and exercise the best judgment when handling the
equipment.
To avoid electrical shock:
Use a properly grounded electrical outlet of correct voltage and current handling capacity.
Be disconnected from the power supply before servicing.
Always double check the wiring and consult a licensed electrician for installation.
To avoid burns:
Do not touch the exterior or interior surface of the furnace during operation or for a period of time after use.
Tube Replacement or Installation:
Use extreme cautions and be aware of the surroundings when replacing or installing a tube.
Read the installation instructions listed in the dedicated section prior to installing.
To avoid Physical Injuries:
Do not put this equipment in flammable or explosive environments.
This equipment uses a 220V, 32A air circuit breaker & 4A fuses to protect against current overflow. Please cut off the
power first when changing blown fuses.
Power should be cut off when performing external maintenance like cleaning.

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INTRODUCTION
The CE certified GSL-1500X-OTF series furnace provides a split-able furnace body design capable of achieving temperatures up to
1500 ºC with the use of SiC heating elements. The furnace can be equipped with 2”, 3” and 4” O.D. high quality mullite tubes and a
pair of smart stainless steel vacuum sealing flanges. A pressure gauge installed on one of the vacuum sealing flanges to monitor the
pressure inside of the tube chamber. The precision temperature controller provides the user up to 30 segments of heating and cooling
steps with +/- 1 ºC accuracy in a heating program.
SPECIFICATIONS
Options
GSL-1500X-OTF-2
GSL-1500X-OTF-3
GSL-1500X-OTF-4
Mullite Tube Size
O.D: 50 x I.D: 44 x L: 762 mm
O.D: 76 x I.D:70 mm x L: 1000 mm
O.D:101 x I.D: 92 x L: 1000 mm
Furnace Structure
Double layer steel casing with air cooling to keep furnace surface temperature lower than 60°C
High purity fibrous alumina insulation for Max. energy saving
Special refractory coating on inner and heating element to increase furnace life
Two fiberous ceramic tube blocks are included for blocking heat radiation from inside tube (Ceramic
blocks must be fully inserted into the furnace chamber before heating)
Input voltage
208 - 240VAC SINGLE PHASE, 50/60Hz
Power
3.5KW
Heating element
SiC (1500 grade )
Optional Kathal 1650 grade SiC available upon request
Heating temperature
Max. heating temperature: 1500°C (At temperatures > 1400C, N2 or other inert gases must be used
to maintain an atmospheric pressure inside the tube for preventing against deformation)
Continuous heating temperature: 1400°C
Heating rate: 20°C /min Max.
Heating zone
Total heating zone length: 300mm
Constant temperature zone: 120mm (+/-1°C）
Temperature controller
PID automatic control via current limiting phase angle fired the resistor with 30 programmable
segments
Control accuracy +/-1°C
RS232 PC communication part can be installed for PC control
Vacuum sealing
Two stainless steel flanges with vacuum gauge and valves. 1/4" pipe and KF25 adaptersare installed
in two ends respectively
For fast & better vacuum, suggest you use stainless steel pipe , as well as digital vacuum gauge
Vacuum level
10^-2 torr by mechanical vacuum pump
10^-5 torr by molecular pump
Leak rate < 5 mtorr / min
Product dimension
Furnace: 580 L x 490 W x 625 H, mm
Net weight
60 Kg
Shipping dimension
45 x 45 x 35 inch
Shipping weight
200lbs
Warranty
One year limited warranty
Consumable parts such as processing tubes, o-rings and heating elements are not covered by the
warranty
Please order the replacement at related products below
Certificate
CE certified

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STRUCTURE
Controller: Use to set up the heating sequence (heating procedures) and modify the parameters.
PC port: connects to the computer and the furnace can be controlled by computer. (Note: A temperature
control system - EQ-MTS02 must be purchased to enable the PC control function.)
Turn on:Turn on the relay and allow controller work with heating elements
Turn off: Turn off the relay and stop communication between controller and heating element
Main power switch: Control the power supply.
Output indicator: When furnace start heating. Output indicator will blink when the current pass
through the transformer.

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Attention:
It is normal for the refractory lining to incur minor cracks while heating up to 1000C or above because of the
material's thermal properties. However, this will not significantly affect the furnace operations and the user can continue
to operate the furnace without problems.

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SYSTEM INSTALLATION
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
1. Place the furnace on a dry, hard and flat surface
2. The furnace is for indoor use with nice ventilation and avoided direct sunlight
3. Operating temperature: 50°C ~ 350°C
4. Relative humidity (no condensing): 10%～85%
5. Dust-free
WARNING:
Never place the instrument too close to the side wall or the object obstructs the air vents. Keep the instrument at least 1 meter in
distance from the side wall.
ATTENTION:
Please don’t rapidly heat or cool down the tube furnace in the temperature range of 800 – 1500 oC. Doing so may cause crackin
gin the ceramic liner cracking. The suggested heating or cooling rate is 10 oC/ min.
MULLITE TUBES

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Mullite tubes offer excellent thermal shock resistance comparable to that of the quartz tubes while being capable of achieving a
higher maximum temperature (1680°C vs 1200°C). It provides the ideal alternative to customers opting for a maximum
temperature lower than 1680°C without resorting to the use of alumina tubes that are highly susceptible to thermal shock.
Though the mullite tubes (NOT covered by MTI warranty) are capable of being subjected to thermal shocks, please do not
expose the tubes to rapid and sudden changes in temperature where the gradient of change is higher than 200°C. Doing so will
not only cause possible tube deformation or cracking but will also gradually wear out the heating elements. Always follow the
guidelines recommended by MTI below when operating the furnace to ensure maximum efficiency and safety.
SETTING UP THE TUBE AND VACUUM FLANGES
Properly setting up the tube and vacuum flanges prior to heating will ensure the furnace to work under the most ideal conditions.
This will insulate the heat from the flanges while simultaneously preventing the dissipation of heat from the furnace chamber.
The insulation of heat stabilizes the heating zone which in turn expends less energy and places less wear on the heating elements.
Please use the tips below for safe and proper handling of the furnace equipment.
1. Refractory tube blocks should ALWAYS be inserted inside the tube and placed on both ends of the furnace casing (shown
in the picture below).
2. Install the vacuum sealing flanges on each side of the tube using the picture below as reference. Seal the flanges by
tightening the screws to finish the assembly.

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3. Limit the pressure regulator attached to the gas tank to below 1.1 atm before filling the tube with gas. Keep the
vacuum valve(s) open during gas filling to avoid high pressure from building up inside tube.
WARNING:
Tube furnaces are designed to be used under vacuum with low pressure gases. NEVER inject gas into the tube with
pressure higher than 1.2 atm. Pressure build up inside the tube may cause the flange(s) to be catapulted which may
cause injury or death.
Power Connection
The GSL-1500X-OTF series furnaces use single phase AC 220V 50/60Hz. The user is responsible for making sure that the
power source in the lab is sufficient and can meet this power requirement. A licensed electrician should be consulted to
perform the power connection.
The following picture is to show you the three wires: one ground line (G) and two live wires (L1 and L2).
SYSTEM OPERATION PROCEDURES
Loading/unloading materials
1) Place the unprocessed materials in a container such as: alumina crucible, quartz boat or other containers at
http://www.mtixtl.com/ceramiccrucibles.aspx
2) Then push the container to the middle of the quartz tube and heat up the furnace.
3) Once the heating is finished, use a hook to pull out the container with the processed materials.
Vacuumsystem
Connect the pump to any one side of flange with the bellows locked by KF25 quick locking clip.
For medium vacuum pressures (10~10-3 torr) please use either the EQ-2TW-4C-220V or EQ-YTP550vacuum pump.
For a high vacuum (10-3~10-8 torr) please use a turbo molecular pump such as EQ-PV-HVS or EQ-MT-HVS

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Gas flow system
Connect the gas tank to any one side of flange with a venting pipe. Control the air flow byadjusting the value on the gas tank.
If you want to precisely measure or adjust the gas flow rate please attach an extra gas flow meter to any one side of flange. Please
see the details at http://www.mtixtl.com/digitalvacuumgaugesandflowmeters.aspx
TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER INSTRUCTIONS
518PTemperatureController
1. Specification
a. Compatible Thermocouple: K、S、R、E、J、T、N;
b. Measurement Accuracy: 0.3;
c. Power Input: Single phase 220V AC (±10%) / 50~60Hz;
d. Power: ≤5W;
f. 30 Programmable Segments.
2. Structure
TemperatureControllerSetting
Start up state
When starting the device, the meter type and program version will display for a few seconds, and then enter the normal state. Blinking
“stop” indicates the program is in “normal state”.

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Displaying switch
a. In the “normal state” or “program running state”, press “SET” key (Button 2) for 1 second to switch to
“executing program segment”(Set executing segment or display the ongoing temperature segment).
b. Press “SET” key (Button 2) again for 1 second to switch to “running time state”(Display the total running time PV
xxxx min. and the elapsed time SV xxxx min.)
c. Press “SET” key again (Button 2) for 1 second to back to “normal state”.
TemperatureSegmentssettingexample
LTDE programmable smart instrumentation auto-controller allows you to set the temperature profile up to 30 segments. To process
this function, follow these steps:
Power on the furnace, blinking “STOP” on the SV window indicates the Normal State;
Press “←” once to display “C01” on PV window;

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Set initial temperature to 0 oC by using Keystrokes :“←”, “↑” or “↓” ;
Press “Set” to display “t01” on PV window;
Set heat-up time (Usually beyond 30 minutes for this segment in case of temperature overshooting) from initial temperature to
target temperature by using Keystrokes :“←”, “↑” or “↓” ;
Press “Set” to display “C02” on PV window; Set the actual working temperature for the second segment by using Keystrokes
:“←”, “↑” or “↓” ;
Press “Set” to display “t02” on PV window; Set heat-up time from initial temperature to target temperature by using
Keystrokes :“←”, “↑” or “↓”;
By pressing “Set” , you can get into the following segments (C03&t03;C04&t04;C05&t05…) for temperature and time
setting;
Press “Set” to display “Cxx” on PV window (xx could be any values among 01~30);
Press“←”, “↑” or “↓” to set “-121” in the last segment in order to shut down the furnace;

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Attention:
When finish all the segments you need, please end the last segment with -121
Illustrationof TemperatureSegmentSetting
Setting Example: Temperature Control Program with 6-segments
According to figure I above, all segments was recorded in the following:
Prompt
Input Data
Des
cription
Prompt
C01
0
Initial Temperature
C01
T01
40
Heat-up time 40 minutes from 0-300 oC in the first segment
C02
300
Target temperature of the first heat-up stage
T02
20
Keep 20 minutes at 300 oC in the second segment
C03
300
Target temperature of the third stage
T03
50
Heat-up time 50 minutes from 300-800oC in the third segment
C04
800
Target temperature of the fourth stage
T04
25
Keep 25 minutes at 800oC in the fourth segment
C05
800
Target temperature of the fifth cooling stage
T05
20
Cooling time 20 minutes from 800-500oC
C06
500
Beginning temperature of the sixth stage
T06
-121
Program end, Out-put power off. Furnace cooling down naturally.(t06 = -121
is an order to stop running)

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Running the program
When all the data is input into the temperature program, press both “Set” and “←” together, and “STOP” will show on SV
window again as indication of entering “Normal State”. Then press “↓” and hold for two seconds to display “Run” on SV
window;
Furnace will run segment by segment automatically according to the program setting;
PV window displays present temperature inside the chamber;
If you need to hold the furnace at certain temperature when the program is running, press “↓” for 2 sec to hold the program
and again press it to continue.
You can stop the program either from running or hold state by pressing “↑” for 2 seconds.
Attention:
It is not suggested to modify any parameters during the execution if he or she is not familiar with the furnace operation. If
there is a must, please first stop the program.
Procedure for Shutting Down Furnace
Push key “↑” to make sure the controller is at its “STOP “ state
Touch Red “ Turn-Off” butto to shut down furnace power
Turn lock to close position to cut off power to control panel
If possible, close power switch from cable
TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER PARAMETERS
Introductionof Main Parameters
Parameter Name
Parameter Function
Setting Range
Unit
M5
Maintain parameter
1－9999
° C or definable unit
P
Speed
1－9999
t
Delay time
1－2000
second
CtrL
Control type
2，3
LOC
Parameter lock
0 or 808
Note: Whenever you want to change the parameters that referred below, please firstly change the value of parameter “Loc” to “808” in
order to unlock the parameter settings.

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Functionof Main Parameters
Maintain parameter M5:
Like integral time of PID calibration, this parameter is mainly in charge of the integral work during the adjustment process. For
instance, the smaller the M5 is set, the stronger the system integral effect is, vice versa. When M5=0, the system will cancel integral
and intelligent adjustment, leave only proportion and differential (PD) function.
Speed parameter P:
Parameter P has nothing to do with integral function. The bigger the P value is, the stronger the proportion and differential function
are, vice versa.
Delay time t:
It is defined as the time spent when the heating rate reaches to 63.5% of the maximum value with assumption that there is no heat
dissipation. Remember, this parameter affects the three functions such as integral, proportion and differential, the smaller t is, the
stronger proportion and integral function are but weaker differential, after all, the system feedback is promoted, vice versa. If t ≤ 1, the
differential function will be off.

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Control type CtrL:
(Do follow the default setting, or the system may be unable to work)
When CtrL=2, startup auto-tune function, after that, system will go to 3.
When CtrL=3, adopts advanced AI adjustment. After auto-tune, the system goes to this setting mode. Note that in this mode, you
cannot startup auto-tune function from the panel by holding button, for a protection of repeating auto-tune.
Parameters lock LOC:
Please set LOC to “808” in order to unlock the parameter settings. Otherwise, please keep it as
default: “0”.
ParameterSetting
In the “normal state”, press “SET”key for 2 seconds, you will see parameter “M5”pops up and press “←”, “↑” or “↓”
to modify the parameter.
Press “SET”key for 1 second to go to next parameter and press “←” for 2 seconds to back to preceding parameter.
Press “←” and then press “SET”key to back up to “normal state”. Without any operation on the keys for about 30
minutes, the meter will automatically exit from “parameter setting state”.

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Auto-tune
In order to get precise temperature control, customer should pay more attention to the parameters of M5, P and t. Actually, MTI’s
engineers have already made a strict high temperature pre-heating test (rate: 5℃/min) and fine-tuned on these three parameters
according to each furnace’ condition before shipping it out. Therefore, we have a confidence of satisfying over 95% customers.
However, the diversity of environment and the distinction in manufacturing for each customer, may seriously affect the operation, so,
using auto-tune function to decide these parameters for a perfect result when the temperature is not stable and the error is large:
Run the program and wait until the furnace temperature reaches to 80% of your desired temperature. For example, if your desired
target temperature was set to 800C, the Auto-tune should be started when the chamber temperature reaches 640C
Press and hold the “SET” key for 2 seconds to enter the parameter setting menu
Press the “SET” key repeatedly until “CtrL” appears on the PV screen
Set the “CtrL” to 2 and then press “←” and “SET” key simultaneously to switch back to “Running State”
You will see the SV screen flashes with “AT”, which indicates that the controller has entered the “auto-tune state”. Then, system
begins to oscillate 2-3 times and the controller automatically analyzes the furnace’s heating behavior and yields the optimal
parameters of M5, P and t.
Press and hold “←” for 2 seconds to stop Auto-tune at any time you need
Due to different temperature, the time spent for “auto-tune” may vary
Note: the parameter ‘CtrL’ will be set as 3 by the system after “auto-tune”. So, if customer needs more “auto-tune” operation for the
furnace, please reset the ‘CtrL’ to 2.
Manual-Tune
Short oscillating period, you can decrease P (priority), increase M5 and t.
Long oscillating period, you can increase P (priority) as well as M5 and t.
No oscillating but offset is large, decrease M5 (priority), increase P.
Stable controlling but time-consume is too long, decrease t (priority) as well as M5, increase P.
Increase (or decrease) one of the three parameters by 30%-50%, if the controlling becomes better, continue increasing
(or deceasing), otherwise, decrease (or increase) it till get the qualified adjustment. Commonly, M5 posses a priority, if not
enough, try P and t.
Troubleshooting
Problems
Reason
Solution
Open Power Lock, no power
indication
Fuse in control panel is
broken
Check control panel, and replace fuse
Green Power indictor is off, but Red
open circuit indicator
is On
Fuse in main power circuit is
broken
Open furnace front panel and replace
the fuse
No current, no voltage during heating
Heating element broken
Find broken heating element, and replace it

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Controller panel SV show
“OraL”
Thermocouples broken
Replace Thermocouples ( S type )
Controller panel SV show
“HiaL”
Furnace
temperature>1500℃,
Cool furnace down, and find reason why
temperature gets over
Power and heating element are fine,
but the furnace can ‟ t
be controlled by program.
Controller or related circuit may
damaged
Check if controller has problem. If not,
please inform manufacture to check what
real problem is.
Program running, but the furnace can
not be heated, or real temperature is
far behind the setting value
oPL or oPH values are too low
due to local voltage lower or
frequency difference
Incraese “oPL”and ““oPH”value till current
meter show “120A –140
A”, and program running smoothly
During heating below 300 ℃, the
temperature value ( PV) is
not stable, and doesn‟tmatch with
setting program (SV)
It is normal because the furnace
comes with a high temperature
thermocouple, which is not
sensitive at
temperature below 300 ℃
Don‟t worry. Let the furnace heat to
300 ℃, then thermocouple will function
stably with program. If the
PV value at 300 ℃is still less than that of
SV, you may need to
increase OPL value a little.
Maintenance and Cautions
a) When power on, please stop operating if you cannot hear sound from cooling fan.
You must shut down power to check or replace the cooling fan.
b) During furnace running, please do not touch furnace outside body to avoid any high temperature burn.
c) If the furnace is used at first time or reuse it after a long time idle condition, please always preheat the furnace
at 350 oC for at least 2 hrs to remove moisture inside chamber and to avoid chamber cracking.
d) SiC heating element is very brittle. Please be careful during moving and handing.
e) P lease do not rapidly heat or cool down tube furnace in the temperature range from 800 -1000 oC,
which may cause ceramic liner cracking. The suggested heating or cooling rate is 10 oC / min.
Warranty does not include Alumina tube.
f) Please check heating element for every three months to see if they are in good connecting. If connection
gets loose, please open case and tighten them properly.
g) Please always keep inside chamber clean to avoid contamination to your sample.
Furnace must be used in the environment without vibration and conductible dust, explosive, flammable and
corrosive gases

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h) MTI Corporation provides one year limited warranty from date when we shipped out the product. If you find
any defective part, please feel free to contact us for replacement during warranty period. However, MTI
Corp is not responsible for any damage or consequence damage caused by misuse. After warranty, MTI will
continue to provide technical support and spare parts at a reasonable cost.
Knowledge on AC Power Distribution
For power connection, you must follow your local law and let a licensed electrician do it. MTI Corporation is not
responsible for any damage caused by wrong power connection.
Extra power connection knowledge is not only for you to get a better application of the product, but also for your
safety.
If your country uses 220V power, you have no problem.
If your country uses 110V power, you may need a 208~240V single phase AC power line.
Ask your electrician to make single phase 240V power line, similar to you set up a 240V electric washer/dryer in your
home. Please prepare the following knowledge:
Three phases (240V) AC power panel box usually is located in the laboratory and inside wires are shown below.
In order to get single phase 240V, two power lines come from two live wires, Of course, a 240V
switch breaker must be installed.
CAUTION:
1) Please handle the heating element very carefully. SiC heating element is very brittle!
2) When tighten aluminum connecting plates between rod of heating element, please do not over tighten to avoid
breaking of the heating element. However, higher contact resistivity will exist due to the loose connection and
temperature on the top of furnace will go up dramatically.
3) If you find temperature is too high on top of furnace during heating, please shut down the power, re-open the
cover, further tighten the screw between heating element rod and alumina plate.
CAUTION:
MTI never suggest you put any noxious, explosive or flammable gas into the tube. Please remember that
operation at pressure over 0.12Mpa is forbidden when applying quartz tube or corundum tube at high temperature. We
have no responsibility for your safety if you are out of this notice.

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Typical Three Phases AC Power in US