Two specially designed furnaces from Lenton Thermal Designs are enabling Stryker Biotech to sinter orthobiologic materials in clean room conditions at closely controlled temperatures up to 1200C
The furnaces are used in the manufacturing process for tricalcium phosphate (TCP) granules, the main ingredient in an absorbable filler developed by Stryker to repair bone defects.
The Lenton furnaces have chambers measuring 460mm wide x 460mm high x 1060mm deep, which allow 28 trays of material to be processed in each one at a time.
A special loading trolley allows the trays to be positioned easily in the chambers, and specially designed doors with gas-tight seals have been fitted to prevent ingress of air.
Each furnace also has an exhaust chimney with a damper valve which is opened to allow fumes to escape and closed at higher temperatures to improve temperature uniformity.
Heating is provided by six resistance wire coils on each side of the chambers, with separate temperature control provided for the lower and upper elements in order to achieve the required temperature uniformity when the equipment is fully loaded.
A 16-segment programmer is supplemented by over-temperature protection, and a sealable port is included in the doors to provide access for survey thermocouples.
