Furnace Temperature Analysis: improving product quality and ESG

Furnace Temperature Analysis: improving product quality and ESG

• Table of contents

Furnace Temperature Analysis: improving product quality and ESG
Types of furnaces for each sector of the manufacturing industry
The importance of temperature analysis
Types of Temperature Analysis in Industrial Furnaces
Temperature control and ESG: what is the connection?

Furnace Temperature Analysis: improving product quality and ESG

Industrial furnaces play a crucial role in many manufacturing sectors, being essential for heating, molding, drying, and material handling processes. The use of this machinery is ancient, dating back to Ancient China, during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.). A little later, in the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), it was capable of reaching temperatures of up to 1200º for the production of cast iron. In Ancient Greece and Rome, they were built with separate chambers for firing and ventilation, which improved temperature control during the process. This technique was developed for the production of ceramics and glass.

Its development continued in the Middle Ages, because, in Medieval Europe, the construction of masonry kilns began to be done using bricks and tiles, which also allowed the control of heat and smoke. At that time, the focus was on the production of metals and glass.

With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, Jordan Mott’s invention of the coal-fired furnace  in 1833 marked a significant breakthrough. These furnace were more efficient and allowed for large-scale production. Also, in 1826, the gas furnace was patented, becoming a common item in homes and industries in the twentieth century.

Following this, the introduction of electric ovens, created in 1882 by Canadian Thomas Ahearn, revolutionized the industry. This new invention allowed for precise temperature control, as well as being safer and more efficient. In gas furnaces, this same process happens by adjusting the amount of gas and air supplied to the burners. Currently, industrial furnaces utilize advanced technologies, such as induction and controlled atmosphere furnaces, for specific processes that require high precision and energetic efficiency.

Types of furnaces for each sector of the manufacturing industry

Each process has a specific need, as each product requires specific temperature and atmosphere conditions for its production. This characteristic justifies the variability of furnaces used in the manufacturing industry, such as:

• Metallurgical industry: in this sector, the most used furnaces are electric arc, induction and resistance furnaces. The first uses electric arcs to reach high temperatures quickly and melt metals in large quantities. Induction furnaces, on the other hand, perform rapid heating without direct contact with the material. This is ideal for melting non-ferrous metals where material purity is important. Lastly, resistance furnaces are common in heat and annealing treatments, where temperature accuracy and heating uniformity are crucial.
• Food industry: industrial tunnel ovens are the most widely used in drying, roasting, and thermal processing of food. They allow for mass production and uniform cooking of foods such as cookies and toast. With long tunnels, products are transported through different temperature zones.
• Chemical industry: furnaces are used in calcination, sintering and thermal decomposition processes for the manufacture of chemical products. Here, rotary kilns use cylinders to heat materials evenly. Fluidized bed types transfer heat through fluidized particles, ensuring thermal efficiency.
• Automotive industry: furnaces are used in the heat treatment of automotive components such as hardening metal parts and curing coatings. Thus, controlled atmosphere ovens are used to avoid unwanted reactions such as oxidation.
• Ceramic and glass industry: furnaces carry out ceramic firing, melting and shaping the glass, and heat treatment for hardening. In this case, melting or tunnel furnaces are the type of equipment used, where precise temperature control in each zone ensures product quality and prevents breakage.

The importance of temperature analysis

The connection between innovation and quality is close. According to IBGE data  (2021), 70.5% of industries with more than 100 employees innovated in 2021. This number is related to the fact that quality is directly related to meeting the individual needs and expectations of customers.  Thus, in the management process, it is necessary to implement innovative mechanisms that attest to the quality of the production process, in order to consequently remain competitive in the market.

To manage processes, ensure quality, and make decisions with greater precision, it is necessary to explore the information generated in the process, such as the temperature of the operation, seeking to interpret it accurately. To do this, technologies and tools are used to collect, process, and allow the visualization of data in a clear way to identify inconsistencies and improve the quality of processes.

In addition, the monitoring of temperature indicators addresses energy efficiency issues, allowing energy savings and reducing operating costs.

The importance of this type of analysis also lies in the greeting to ESG strategies. The temperature of the furnaces is closely related to the emission of greenhouse gases. This control minimizes the release of gases such as Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Carbon Dioxide (CO₂). This contributes to compliance with environmental standards such as ISO 14064 and sustainable development in industrial processes.

Finally, the collection of temperature data contributes to controlling the useful life of the equipment, reducing the need for frequent maintenance and other associated costs. Fewer maintenance requirements result in greater production consistency. During reproducibility, processes that require specific temperatures rely on strict control to ensure that each production batch meets quality standards. Some of them are metal melting, ceramic sintering and food cooking.

Types of Temperature Analysis in Industrial Furnaces

• Food manufacturing industry

The temperature analysis of the ovens is present in processes such as baking of cookies, toast and bread. It is also used during pasteurization, to eliminate pathogens without damaging the food flavor and texture.

This results in a better quality control by correlating temperature variations with defects in the final product. In a tunnel oven, each baking zone has a specific function in the preparation of the recipe. In the preheating zones, the dough expands, so the temperature control directly affects the weighing of the final package.

• Mining and metallurgical industry

During mineral extraction, furnaces are used in calcination, to separate and remove impurities from ores. Subsequently, for the melting of metals, it is used for refining and production of usable metals.

The temperature analysis of the furnaces helps in the prediction of maintenance. For example, patterns of a gradual increase of 5ºC in the average temperature of the equipment precedes failures in the refractory lining.

• Ceramic industry

In this sector, the temperature adjustment during the firing of the ceramic prevents cracks and ensures the uniformity of the products. Additionally, during enameling, this indicator is essential to obtain adhesion and finish.

Besides focusing on quality, process optimization is achieved by analyzing historical data to improve heating and cooling cycles. Adjusting temperature parameters for time reduction increases production without compromising quality.

• Chemical industry

Furnaces are used in distillation, where temperature adjustment is essential to accurately separate chemical components. This control also prevents unwanted chemical reactions.

It is possible to correlate periods of high energy efficiency with operating conditions. For example, operating the furnace at night may consume less energy due to lower thermal losses to the external environment.

Temperature control and ESG: what is the connection?

According to CNN Brasil (2024), ESG-focused investments  — with environmental, social, and governance indicators — represent more than a third of total assets under management. This scenario may grow and reach US$ 53 trillion (approximately R$ 273 trillion) by 2025. Also, according to the same journalistic channel, organizations with poor ESG ratings may encounter barriers when seeking external investment. This is because the reports of the rating agencies are used by investors as a key point for their decisions. This fact connects with another piece of data. According to SAP (2022), in 2022, 69% of large industries in Latin America already had an ESG strategy in place. The control of temperature indicators contributes to this scenario.

On the environmental side, precise temperature control helps reduce energy consumption, which decreases greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, energy efficiency contributes to the conservation of natural resources and the minimization of the environmental impact of industrial operations.

In the social field, maintaining the proper temperature in industrial furnaces improves worker safety by preventing risks of overheating and industrial accidents. In addition, as already mentioned, the quality of the final product is guaranteed, helping to comply with standards such as ISO 9001, which strengthens the company’s reputation.

Finally, in the field of governance, continuous monitoring and transparency of temperature data are essential. Organizations that adopt rigorous monitoring practices demonstrate a commitment to regulatory compliance and corporate responsibility. The disclosure of reliable data through sustainability reports is a recommended practice by international standards. The GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and the SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) are examples of this. Learn more about ESG-focused analyses applied to real scenarios in the chemical industry.