Segmented Dental Firing Table with Harder Support Rods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Firing tables used in kilns for dental ceramics are prone to destruction due to high temperature gradients and shrinkage, exacerbated by the weight of kiln furniture and materials being fired, leading to frequent tearing and reduced mechanical stability.
Innovation Solution
A firing table constructed from multiple parts with support rods made of harder materials, such as densely sintered aluminum oxide, embedded in softer material to absorb weight and reduce temperature stresses, allowing for different mechanical properties and thermal expansion/shrinkage in each part, and featuring a shoulder for improved insulation and thermal decoupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the firing table is made from a single piece of high-temperature-resistant material, then it provides good thermal stability, but it is prone to destruction due to high temperature gradients and shrinkage
Solution Approach 1:
The firing table is divided into multiple parts (first part and second part) that can be manufactured separately and assembled together. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific temperature conditions, reducing overall thermal stress and preventing destruction while maintaining thermal stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the firing table are made from materials with different properties adapted to their specific ambient temperatures. The first part uses material adapted to higher temperatures while the second part uses material adapted to lower temperatures, optimizing both thermal stability and resistance to destruction in each region.
2Temperature
If the firing table is made from softer high-temperature-resistant material, then it provides good thermal resistance, but it lacks mechanical stability and is prone to tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The firing table uses composite construction combining softer high-temperature-resistant material (porous aluminum oxide) with harder material (densely sintered aluminum oxide or calcium oxide) in specific regions. This composite approach provides both thermal resistance and mechanical stability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Harder material inserts are provided in specific regions (such as the underside) where mechanical strength is most needed, while the surrounding softer material provides thermal resistance. This localized application of different material properties optimizes both thermal and mechanical performance.
3Ease of manufacture
If the firing table is made as a single piece, then it is simple to manufacture, but temperature stresses cause frequent tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The firing table is segmented into multiple parts that can be manufactured separately using standard processes and then assembled together. This segmentation reduces temperature stresses and prevents tearing while maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity through standardized connection methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates connection elements and structural features that preemptively accommodate and cushion thermal stresses before they can cause tearing. The segmented structure with proper connection methods provides built-in stress relief mechanisms.
4Productivity
If heavier kiln furniture and materials are placed on the firing table, then more material can be fired simultaneously, but the firing table shrinks due to the weight
Solution Approach 1:
The firing table is divided into multiple parts with independent support structures. This segmentation allows the table to better accommodate heavy kiln furniture and materials without excessive shrinkage, as each part can independently support the load and maintain its shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of harder material inserts and composite construction provides additional structural support to counteract the shrinkage caused by heavy loads. The harder material regions provide rigidity that prevents dimensional changes under heavy weights.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the durability and stability of the firing table by distributing weight and temperature stresses, reducing tearing, and providing effective insulation and thermal decoupling, thereby protecting the softer material from destruction and maintaining structural integrity under high temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
The support rods are advantageously used to support kiln furniture, so that the weight of the kiln furniture and the weight of the material to be burned on the kiln furniture is absorbed by the rods made of harder material
Implementation Method 2
the individual parts are smaller than a one-piece firing table. This gives them the opportunity, independently of one another, to expand or shrink depending on the temperature
Implementation Method 3
the individual parts are smaller than a one-piece firing table. This gives them the opportunity, independently of one another, to expand or shrink depending on the temperature
Implementation Method 4
the firing table preferably has a shoulder which rests against an insulation of the furnace when the furnace is closed. This achieves a particularly good insulation of the interior of the furnace
Implementation Method 5
The height of the ring is preferably greater than the height of the shoulder so that there is clearance between the top of the ring and the firing table. This results in a thermal decoupling between the top of the ring and the firing table
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a combustion table for an oven for dental ceramics made of solid, highly temperature-resistant material, having a base, a top side, and a wall, wherein the combustion table is formed of at least two parts in order to improve the temperature resistance of the combustion table.