Furnace (22-1005) Manual

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2 Single-Speed/Ramp-Hold

2004, by Paragon Industries, L.P. IM-221/2-06

ContentsGeneral Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Time and Temperature Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Operation Begins from the IdLE Display. . . . . . . . . . . . 3Thermocouple Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3A Rapid Way to Scroll Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Program Review & Repeat Firing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Power Failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4CPLt Message: Firing Completed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Thunder Storms and Power Surges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Canceling a New Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Theory of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Two Firing Modes: Single-Speed and Ramp-Hold. . . . 5Temperature Over-Shoot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Single-Speed Programming Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Ramp-Hold Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Programming a Cooling Segment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Ramp-Hold Programming Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Advanced Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Skip Segment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Add Hold Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Editing the Target Temperature During Firing . . . . . . . 9The Alarm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Lost Wax Burnout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Burnout Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Display Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11bAdP / Bad Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11EtH / Electronics Too Hot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11FAIL / Thermocouple Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11FE Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12FtL / Fired Too Long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12HTdE / High Temperature Deviation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12PF 1 / Power Failure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12PF 2 / Power Failure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12PF 3 / Power Failure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12tC / Thermocouple Failure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12tCL / Thermocouple Lag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12tCr / Thermocouple Reversed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Thermocouple Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Selecting F or C Display . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Trouble Shooter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Controller display is blank. No heat in kiln.. . . . . . . . . 13Controller display turns on. No heat in kiln. . . . . . . . . 14Kiln switch box amp fuses keep blowing.. . . . . . . . 15

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Shorthand Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

IntroductionThe easiest way to learn to operate yourcontroller is to read this manual while

you are sitting in front of your kiln. Pressthe keys as you read the instructions.

Do not worry if you hear a clicking noiseduring operation. Mechanical relays clickas they turn the heating elements on andoff. This is normal.

When you first connect the power, thecontroller will display a software code andthen .

If your controller shows instead of asoftware code before appears, thenthe controller includes only Skip Seg-ment from "Advanced Features" on pages8 - 9. If your controller shows a softwarecode before appears, then the con-troller has all the features in this manual.

Please read the manual. Damage causedby failure to follow instructions is notcovered by warranty.

Once you learn the basic features of the

Sentry Xpress, you will be able to controlevery stage of firing. This offers learningopportunities and convenience difficultto imagine with a manual-controlled kiln.

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3

GeneralGuidelinesTime and Temperature

DisplayCenter Dot: Time

A center dot appears dur-ing time display. It separateshours from minutes. (Exam-ple: 1 hour, 30 minutes dis-plays as 01.30.) During tem-p er at ur e d is pl ay , t he d otdisappears.

Right-Hand Dot: CWhen temperature

is displayed in C, a dotappears in the lowerright. In F display, itd isappears. You canchoose between Fahr-enheit and Celsius dis-play. See page 13.

Operation Begins fromthe IdLE Display

must appear before you can fire the kiln.

s If , , or other message appears instead of when the kiln is first turned on, press the

key (the key with the circular arrow).will appear.

s If you press during a firing, will ap-pear. To get back to , press again.

s If the display shows an error message such as in-stead of , see page 11.

s (firing completed) appears at the end of a firing.To make appear, press .

Thermocouple InspectionThe small rod protruding into the firing chamber is the

temperature sensor, or thermocouple.

CAUTION: Bumping the thermocouple can push itout of thefiring chamber. This could cause an overfire!Bumping the thermocouple could also cause inaccu-rate readings.

s A 1/8 diameter thermocouple should extend into thefiring chamber - 5 8.

s A diameter thermocoupleshould extendinto thefir-ing chamber - 1 or more.

s Keep shelves, posts and ware 1 - 1 away from thethermocouple.

F

C

The center display dot indicatestime instead of temperature.

SafetyThe warranty on your Sentry Xpresscontroller does not cover damage fromoverfiring, regardless of thecircumstances. It is the operators

responsibility to make sure the kiln turnsoff at the proper time.

When the kiln is not in use, disconnect thepower.

Do not leave the kiln unattended, especiallynear the expected shut-off time.

Wear firing safety glasses when looking into thefiring chamber of a hot kiln.

Do not touch hot sides of kiln. Keep unsuper-vised children away.

Install your kiln at least 12 inches from any wallor combustible surface.

Do not openlid ordooruntil kilnhas cooledandall switches are off.

Fire only in a well-ventilated, covered and pro-tected area away from combustible materials.

Keep cordset away from hot sides of kiln or fur-nace.

DANGEROUS VOLTAGE! Do not touch heat-ing elements with anything. Disconnect beforeservicing.

When vacuuming the kiln, keep the nozzle awayfrom the controller. Vacuum cleaners create astatic charge that can damage the controller.

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Note: Press during delay to end the delay andbegin the firing. The maximum delay is 99 hours and59 minutes.

Power FailuresAfter a power failure, the controller will continue firing

provided that:

s

The kiln temperature is above 212F / 100C when thepower comes back on.

s The temperature dropped no more than 72F / 40Cwhile the power was off.

Power Failure Messages (see page 12)

The power failed during a cooling segment, andthekiln cooledpast thetargettemperaturewhile thepower

was off.

The power failed during firing and kiln tempera-turewasbelow212F/100Cwhenthepowercamebackon.

The power failed during firing and temperaturedropped more than72F / 40C by the time the power came

back on.

CPLt Message: FiringCompleted

When thefiring hassuccess-fully completed, the SentryXpress will shut off power tothe elements and sound analarmfor30 seconds. Then threemessageswill cycleoneaf-ter the other:

(complete)

Firing time in hours and minutesThe current kiln temperature

Press to return to .

Thunder Storms andPower Surges

Unplugthe kiln or disconnect the power whenthe kiln isnot in use, especially during thunder storms and in areas

with frequentpower surges. If the kiln is part way through afiring when a storm begins, it is probably okay to continuethefiringwith close supervision. Do notleavethe kiln unat-

tended.

Canceling a New ProgramIf you do not touch the keys for one minute during pro-

gramming, the controller will go back to the display.The controller will also discard the program you were en-tering and will retain the previous program in memory.

This is useful if you change your mind during program-ming and decide to keep the previous program. Instead ofcompletingthenew program, wait a minuteandlet thecon-troller return to .

A Rapid Way toScroll Numbers

During programming, hold an arrow key down severalseconds, and numbers will begin to scroll rapidly. Ordi-narily, you would press to raise a number and

to lower it. But sometimes it is faster to pressthe opposite key. This is because the numbers scroll below

0000 to the highest number, and vice versa. Examples:s To program a 99.59 hour Hold when the display shows

00.00, press the once.

s To program a FULL rate when the display shows 0000,press the once.

s To program a temperature of 200F when the displayshows 1800F, press the . That is faster thanpressing the .

Program Review &Repeat Firing

Program Review lets you check that the informationprogrammed intothecontroller is correct.ProgramReviewshows the values for the program in active memory. UseProgramReviewfrom torepeatthelastprogramyoufired.

s Press thekey. The rate, temperature, hold, etc. will

display one after the other. Firing will continue.

s

Press the key. After rate, tempera-ture, hold, etc., will appear. Press .

will appear, and the kiln will begin firing the programjust reviewed.

DelayDelay is a count-down timer.The kiln beginsfiring when

the timerrunsout of time. Use Delay tofit a firing into yourschedule.

CAUTION:For safety, donotleavethekilnalone dur-ing a delay or a firing. We cannot guarantee your kiln

against overfiring even though the controller is auto-matic.

Afteryouhave entered a program and the control-ler is ready to begin firing, will appear.

Press the key once. will ap-pear, alternating with .

Use the arrow keys to enter delay time. (The deci-malseparateshours andminutes. Example:1 hourand 10minutes= 01.10.)Thenp ress twice.

will appear, alternating with time left untilthe firing begins.

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RateEach segment must include a rate, which is degrees of

temperature change per hour.

The kiln will fire at full power when the rate is1799F/999C. Full power displays as .

Note: To enter full power from , press thekey once.

HoldHold is the length of time that you want the kiln to re-

main at the target temperature. Hold is also called soak ordwell time. Hold maintains a steady temperature for thelength of time you specify. You can use Hold in both heat-ing-up and cooling-down segments.

When Hold is set to 99.59 hours, the controller will re-main at that temperature indefinitely, until you press

. To enter a 99.59 hour Hold, press theonce from 00.00 during programming.

Note: During a Hold, the display flashes between theHold temperature and time left in Hold.

Two Firing Modes:Single-Speed andRamp-Hold

To give you greater flexibility, your controller has twofiring modes:

Single-Speed Mode (see next page)Often times, all you will need is Single-Speed mode,

which has one segment that includes a rate (temperaturechange per hour), a target temperature, and (if needed)hold time.

In Single-Speed mode, you can choose one of five firingspeeds. Then enter the temperature you are firing to.

Ramp-Hold Mode (see page 7)Ramp-Hold mode offers much greater flexibility than

Single-Speed mode. Use Ramp-Hold to create custom fir-ings with up to 8 segments. The controller can store 4

Theory ofOperation

The temperature you are firing to is called the targettemperature. After the controller reaches the target tem-

perature, it can also hold that temperature.Thecontrollerfires ata controlled heating rate. Therate

is figured in degrees per hour. If you selected a rate of 100per hour, it would take 10 hours for the kiln to reach 1000.Rate is similar to miles per hour.

In summary, the controller does three basic tasks:

1) It fires at a controlled heating rate, or speed, mea-sured in degrees of temperature change per hour.

2) It fires to a target temperature.

3) It can hold the target temperature.

The controller fires in segments, or stages. A segment is

a givenheatingrate to a targettemperature.Shownabove isa segment witha rate of625per hour, a target temperatureof 1250, and a hold of one hour.

Heating rate is figured in degrees per hour. The recom-mended heating rate for the material you are firing is usu-ally available from your supplier. It also varies dependingon the thickness of the material.

To figure how long a firing segment will take, subtractthe current temperature from the target temperature anddivide the resultant temperature by the heating rate. In thediagram above, thefiringtime is 1250 - 80(roomtempera-ture) = 1170 625 = 1.87 hours.

The controller can fire up to 8 segments per firing. Onesegment is often all that is needed, though.

After the controller has finished firing the last segment,it will turn off power to the elements.

Note:If you enter a rateof 0000in segment 1,or ifthetarget temperature in segment 1 is lower than the current temperature, will appear in the display.

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Ramp-Holdprogramsin memory. Programs are numberedPro1 - Pro4.

Type of Firing Suggested Firing Mode

Enameling Single-Speed

Silver Clay Single-Speed

Glass Bead Annealing Ramp-Hold

Glass Fusing Ramp-Hold

Glass Slumping Ramp-Hold

Lost Wax Ramp-HoldSelecting a Firing Mode

From display, press once.

Press the key several times. You will seethe following display messages:

SPd1:Single-Speed 1 / 200F/111C rate per hour




SPd5:Single-Speed 5 / Maximum rate

PrO1:Ramp-Hold, Program 1




Note:Your controller mayhavemore Ramp-Holdpro-grams than the 4 shown above.

To select a firing mode, see the boxed programming in-structions on this page and page 8. Or to get back to

, press several times until ap-pears.

Temperature Over-ShootWhen a kiln is heated too fast, it may over-shoot the tar-

get temperature,especially in small kilns at lower tempera-tures. To avoid this, add an extra segment in a Ramp-Holdprogram to slow the firing. (See the next section.) The seg-ment with the slower rate should begin approximately 40 -60 below the target temperature.

Single-Speed ProgrammingInstructions

Note:Single-Speed firingis all youwill ever need ifyou are only going to a temperature and holding.

From , press .

Use the key (not the ) toselect a firing rate (temperature rise per hour)from 1 through 5. (Ignore - .)

/ (200F or 111C)

/ (500F or 277C)

/ (1000F or 555C)

/ (1500F or 833C)

/ (Full Power)

Then press .

or and the target temperature

from the last firing will appear. Use the arrowkeys to change the target temperature. Thenpress .

and the hold time from the last firingwill appear (e.g. 1 hour 10 minutes = 01.10).Use the arrow keys to change the hold time.Then press . (No hold = 00.00)

will appear. Press to begin firing.will appear, the Run indicator light will

begin blinking, and the kiln will begin firing.

To stop a firing before completion, press. willa ppear, alternatingwith total

firing time and kiln temperature.

Note: Do not be concerned if your kiln makes aclicking sound during firing. Kilns use relays topower the elements. The relays click each timetheir electrical contacts come together.

Note: The firing speed you select (see step 2above) is a pre-programmed speed. The kilns ac-tual firingspeed maybe less, dependingon thekilnmodel, available voltage, and density of the loadyou are firing.

When thekiln fires to completion, thecontrollerwill

beep for 30 seconds. The display will show the follow-ing:

s Firing time

s Present temperature

s = Fired to completion

To return to , press .

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7

Rate Temp.Segment F/C F/C Hold

1 500/277 1450/788 00.00

2 100/55 700/371 00.00

The first segment is the heating segment. The secondone is the cooling segment. The controller does not use mi-nusnumbers forcooling. Just enter a lower targettempera-ture than that of the previous segment.

If you prop the lid or door for a fast cooling, program afast cooling rate forthat segment. If youlowerthe tempera-ture quickly by propping the lid but program a slow coolingrate, the controller will just raise the temperature again.

Example:Some glass artists flash-cool theglass just afterit fuses. They open the door a few inches to remove heat,then close it again. This takes the glass down rapidlythrough the devitrification range. To program a flash-cool,use maximum rate. This shuts off theheating elements dur-ing that segment, allowing the kiln to cool rapidly.

Note:During fast cooling, do not open the door all theway. Do not force-cool the kiln with a fan.

Note: You may get an FTL error message (page 12) ifyou program a cool-down target temperature that isclose to room temperature. This is because the kilncools more slowly as it approaches room temperature,causing the error code.

A Ramp-HoldPractice Program

To practice using thecontroller, we will enter a programthat includes three segments. The last segment is a coolingsegment.

Using the programming instructions on the next page,enter this firing schedule. Then use Program Review (page4) to check for accuracy.

PrO1

rA1 = 250

F 1 = 750

HLd 1 = 00.00

rA2 = 900

F 2 = 1425

HLd 2 = 00.30

rA3 = 150

F 3 = 750

HLd 3 = 00.00

rA4 = 0000 (zeroes cancel segments 4-8)

Make a simplechartlike theone above when planning a fir-ing program.

Ramp-HoldMode

You can make your own firing programs and store themin the controllers memory. A firing program tells the kiln

howfast to fire, andto what temperature. The simplest pro-gram is one segment. You can use up to 8 segments with

your controller in Ramp-Hold mode.

Each segment includes a firing rate and firing tempera-ture.Youcanalso soak,orhold,the temperaturefora spec-ified period.

The Parts of a Segment

s Rate (temperature change in degrees per hour)

s Target temperature

s Hold at the target temperature (not always used)

Thecontrollercan retainfour programsin memoryeven

when power is turned off. Programs are numbered Pro1 -Pro4.

Thefirst message to appearafteryouplug in your SentryXpress is . Press . Then use the keyto scroll through these messages:

.

To use Ramp-Hold mode for the first time, select. You do that by pressing the key after

appears. Then follow the boxed instructions on page 8 toenter temperature, heating rate, etc.

is Program 1. When you fire the kiln again, youcan repeat Program 1 by selecting . (See page 4.)When you are ready to fire a different program, select

, which is Program 2. Then entertemperatures, heat-ing rates, etc. Select Program 3 and 4 the same way.

Aprogram canhaveup to 8 segments,but youdont haveto use all 8 segments. Use only the number needed per fir-ing. Often one segment isall you will need. Zeroout the un-used segments. The instructions on page 8 explain how todo that.

To over-write a program, select it and enter new ratesandtemperatures.Thisautomaticallyover-writes theprevi-ousprogram. Write down your programs in a notebookandrecord firing results for all firings.

Programming aCooling Segment

For controlled cooling, program a segment to a lowertarget temperature than that of the preceding segment.

Example: You fire at a rate of 500F per hour to 1450Fwith your first segment. You want the kiln to cool at a rateof 100F per hour down to 700F. Here is how you wouldprogram the two segments:

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Lost WaxBurnout

CAUTION: Only kilns with vent holes are designedforlostwaxburnout.However, you may beableto use akiln without the vent hole provided that you open thedoor during venting.

CAUTION:Always use a wax tray.

Note: These instructions apply to injection wax thatmelts at 200F, not pattern waxes and plastics thatmelt at higher temperatures. If smoke appears duringwax elimination, turn off thekiln. Smoking waxmeansthe kiln fired hotter than 300 / 148C.

OverviewLost wax casting is the process of carving a shape in wax,

making a mold, and then casting that shape in metal. After

the wax has been carved, a mold is made of the wax shape.The mold is a negative image of the wax. The wax is latermelted out of the mold through hollow channels calledsprues.

Lost wax burnout is the process of preparing a castingmold for the melted metal that will be poured into it. Thesteps in lost wax burnout:

Melt the wax from the mold.

Remove wax from the kiln before raising the tem-perature higher than 300F/148C.

Harden the mold at high temperature.

Maintain the mold at the casting temperature rec-ommended for the type of metal that will be pouredinto the mold.

CAUTION: Prevent wax or carbon from contactingthe kilnswallsandelements.Carbon build-up insideakiln ruins the interior.Carbon conducts electricity andcauses elements to short circuit. Damage to elementsfrom contact with foreign materials is not covered bywarranty.

A Sample ProgramSee instructions on page 8 to enter this program:

Rate Temp.Segment F/C F/C Hold

1 500/277 300/148 01.00

2 500/277 1350/732 01.00

3 450/250 800/426 02.00

Segment 1 heats the wax to 300F / 148C and holds it forone hour, allowing it to drip from the mold.

Segment 2 hardens the mold.

Editing the TargetTemperature

While the kiln is firing, you can change the target tem-perature of the current segment. (Ramp-Hold: You canedit only the segment that is firing. So if the first segment isthe current one, you can edit only the first segment. To editother segments,wait until thefiringhasprogressedto those

segments.)Even if the current segment has already started its hold

time, you can still edit the segment's target temperature.The controller will go back out of hold and fire to the newtarget temperature at the original rate. (You cannot editthe rate, however.)

During a firing, press the repeatedly untilappears.

Press . The target temperature for the cur-rent segment will appear.

Use the arrow keys to change the target tempera-

ture.Press . The normal kiln temperature will ap-pear, and the kiln will begin firing to the new targettemperature.

The AlarmWhile the kiln is firing, you can set the alarm, which

sounds when the kiln reaches the alarm temperature. Usethe alarm as a reminder to look at the glass during fusing orslumping, to look at witness cones, to close the lid from

vented position, etc.

You can enter only one alarm temperature at a time.

However, after the alarm beeps, you can set the alarm foranother temperature,as many timesasyouwant, duringthefiring. Entering an alarmtemperature automaticallyerasesany previous alarm temperature.

Note:Thealarm temperature that yousetduringa fir-ing must be higher than the current display tempera-

ture. The alarm is designed only for higher tempera-tures and not for cooling temperatures.

During a firing, press the repeatedly untilappears.

Press . The current alarm temperature willappear.

Use the arrow keys to change the alarm tempera-ture.

Press . The normal kiln temperature will ap-pear.

To silence the alarm when it sounds, press any key.

Note:Ifyoudonotwanttousethealarm,setthealarmtemperature to 32F / 0C. This setting will turn off thealarm feature.

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DisplayMessages

(Page 9) Ready for you to enter an alarmtemperature. When the kiln reaches that tempera-

ture, the alarm will sound. ( also flasheswhen the alarm sounds.)

(page 9) Ready for you to edit the targettemperature of the current Ramp-Hold segmentduring firing. Example: You are fusing glass to atemperature of 1450F. At 1445F, you look at theglass through a peephole and realize that the glasswill need at least another 50 to fuse fully. Changethe target temperature to 1500 without having toturn off the kiln to reprogram it.

Fired to completion.

(page 4) Delay is a count-down timer thatstarts the firing when the time runs out.

or (and temperature) (pages 6, 8)The controller is ready for you to enter the targettemperature (the temperature that the kiln will fireto). Each segment in Ramp-Holdmode has a targettemperature.

Full power firing rate. At this setting the kilnwill fire at its fastest rate. There are two ways to se-

lect full power:

1) Select in Single-Speed mode.

2) Select a rate of 1799F/999C at the promptinRamp-Hold mode. A fastway todo this is topressthe key once from . will ap-pear.

(pages 6, 8) Hold time of a segment,shown in hours and minutes. (Example: 2 hoursand 15 minutes = 02.15)

(Page 8)Add Hold Time: During a firing, youcan extend the hold time of a segment without hav-ing to first stop the firing toreprogramthe controller.

(page 3)The controller is ready for you toen-ter a program or to begin a repeat firing.

Firing has begun. A moment after ap-pears, you will hear the relay(s) clicking.

Segment 3 lowers temperature to 800F/426C, the typi-cal casting temperature for silver. (Most types of gold castat 900F / 482C.)

Note: Casting temperature depends on the size of themold. The temperatures above are only a guide. See your jewelry supply dealer for temperaturerecommendations.

Burnout InstructionsPlace a metal trayinside the kiln onthree posts.Place the mold ona wire mesh screen ontop of thetray. The molds sprue hole should be down. Thetray will catch melting wax as it drips from thesprue hole.

Keep the kilns vent hole(s), if any, open duringwax elimination. If the kiln has no vent hole, leavethe door open . This allows fumes to escape thekiln. Heat the kiln to 300F / 148C and hold it atthat temperature for at least one hour.

CAUTION: Do NOT heat the wax above 300F /148C. Hold at 300F / 148C for at least one hour.During this hour, the wax will melt from the mold anddrip into the tray. If the kiln gets hotter than 300F /148C, the wax may smoke and deposit carbon inside

your kiln, causing expensive damage.

After one hour at300F / 148C, openthe kiln. Re-movethemoldandwaxtray.Pour the wax fromthetray and leave the tray out of the kiln until yournext wax elimination. (Do not leave the tray in thekiln!)

Heat the mold to the temperature recommended

by your jewelers supply house where you pur-chased the mold material. This is usually around1350F / 732C.

Lower the temperature to the casting temperatureof the metal. Hold at that temperature until youare ready to begin casting. Remove the mold withtongs. Wear protective gloves and safety glasses.

Saving a Carbon-Damaged KilnIf you follow the above directions, your kiln should be

safe from wax damage. In some cases, a small amount ofcarbon may form on the walls over a period of time. This isdue to the burning of wax residue that was left in the mold.

Forthis reasonwe recommend that youperiodically firethekiln to 1500F / 815C as follows:

Open the vent cover(s) or leave the door ajar .

Fire the kiln empty to 1500F / 815C at a rate of300F / 166C with a one hour hold (01.00).

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(pages 7, 8) Theseare Ramp-Hold programs stored in memory.

etc. (Rate) (page 8) This appears inRamp-Hold programming for each segment. 1, 2,etc.are segment numbers.Enter the rateof temper-ature change for that segment. Rate is figured in de-grees of temperature change per hour. Example:

A temperature rise of 100 in two hours = 50 rate.

A temperature dropof200 inone hour= 200rate.

(page 6)These are preset firing rates, or speeds, in Sin-gle-Speed mode.

(Skip Step) (page 8) This message appearswhen you press the key during aRamp-Hold firing. You can skip out of a segmentinto the next segment.

The firing was stopped by pressing.

The "Ready to Start" message appears afterprogramming a firing. Press to begin firing.Thermocouple Offset (press the ) and De-lay (press the ) are accessed from the

message.

Thermocouple Offset (Page 12). Adjust thecontroller to fire hotter or cooler.

Error MessagesbAdP / Bad Programming

The kiln will not fire because a) the Ramp-Hold pro-gram just entered has a rate of 0000 in segment 1, or b) thetarget temperature in Single-Speed or segment 1 of

Ramp-Hold is lower than the current temperature.

EtH / Electronics Too HotThe circuit board temperature is above 176F / 80C.

Press any key to return to .

To lower the board temperature, use a fan to blow airacross the kiln switchbox into the louvers. (Butdo not blowair into the kilns peepholes.) If you have more than onekiln in the room, place them farther apart. Never allow thefiring room temperature to exceed 110F / 43C. (Measureroom temperature three feet away from the kiln.)

FAIL / Thermocouple FailureThe thermocouple,or temperature sensor, failed during

firing. Causes:

s Defective thermocouple or disconnected/loose wires

s Defective controller

s Electrical noise

Thermocouple Paperclip TestCheck the thermocouple wire connections. (See your

kiln instruction manual.) If connections are tight, performthis test:

UNPLUG the kiln or disconnect the power. Re-

movethe controller. Remove the two thermocouplewires from the back of the controller.

Cut a thin paperclip in half. Insert a U-shapedpaperclip piece, or other piece of thin wire, where

you removed the thermocouple wires.

Plug in the kiln. If the controller displays room tem-perature, replace the thermocouple. If it shows

, return the controller for repair orreplacement.

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FE Error Messages

FE 1 Memory Read/Write Failure

FE 2 RAM Failure

FE 3 OEM Factory Data Corruption

FE 4 Thermocouple Noise

FE 5 Software ErrorToreturn to from anFEcode

Trypressingany key. If that doesntwork, turn thepoweroff for 10 seconds. Call the factory if the error message re-mains when you turn the power back on.

If yougetan message, check thewireconnectionsgoing from the back of the controller to the thermocouple.

A loose connection can cause the message.

FtL / Fired Too LongThis message appears when both of the following condi-

tions are met:

s The temperature rise or fall is less than 27F / 15C perhour.

s The firing is 2 hours longer than programmed.

Programming a coolingsegment target temperature thatis below or even close to room temperature can also triggerthe message.

See Controller display turns on. No heat in kiln, page14.

HtdE / High TemperatureDeviation

Causes:

s During a heating-up ramp or a hold, the temperature is100F / 56C above the programmed temperature.

s During a cooling-down segment, the temperature is100F / 56C higher than the segments starting temper-ature.

s A fast rate caused the controller to overshoot the targettemperature.

Also, check for a stuck relay.

PF 1 / Power FailureThe power failed during a cooling segment, and the kiln

cooledpast thetargettemperaturewhile thepowerwasoff.The kiln will not resume firing. To return to the dis-play, press any key.

PF 2 / Power FailureThepowerfailedduring firing andkiln temperature was

below 212F / 100C when the power came back on. Thekiln will not resume firing. To return to the display,press any key.

PF 3 / Power FailureThepower failed during firingandtemperature dropped

more than 72F / 40C by the time the power came back on.The kiln will not resume firing. To return to the dis-play, press any key.

tC / Thermocouple FailureThe thermocouple failed during the display. See

the "paperclip" test under "FAIL," page 11.

tCL / Thermocouple LagTheheatingrateisslowerthan9F/5Cperhourandthe

controller temperature is more than 100F / 56C awayfrom the actual kiln temperature. To return to thedisplay, press any key. Causes:

s On kilns that use a portable controller, the thermocou-ple has fallen out of the firing chamber.

s Abare spot onthethermocouple lead wires has toucheda grounded object inside the kiln switch box causing the

thermocouple to short out.Checkforworn orburned outelements, defective relays,

low voltage and defective thermocouple.

tCr / Thermocouple ReversedThermocouple lead wires are reversed. Check that the

thermocouple lead wires are connected to the correct ter-minals. See your kilns wiring diagram.

ThermocoupleOffsetYou can adjust the controller to fire up to 20F / 11C

hotter or cooler than the zero factory setting.

From , press the key. After rate,temperature, hold, etc., will appear.

With shown in the display, press thekey.

will appear. Press the arrow keys to changethe controller temperature.

Press the key to return to the display.

To fire the controller, press . will ap-pear. Or to return to , press two moretimes.

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13

TroubleShooterProblem: Controller display isblank. No heat in kiln.s Is the kiln connected to the power?

s Has the circuit breaker tripped or fuse blown?s Is power reaching the wall receptacle?

Test with a voltmeter or a test light if you are not sure.

s Has the kiln switch box amp fuse blown?

The kilns amp fuse islocated in the kiln switchbox. Remove by pressingthe fuse holder and turningcounter-clockwise half aturn. Check the fuse byplacing the probes of an

ohmmeter on the endsof the fuse. If the ohm-meter reads less thanan ohm (digital meter)or reads 0 ohms (ana-log meter), the fuse isokay. If the reading isOPEN (digital meter)or infinity/no needlemovement(analog me-ter), the fuse is bad.

Replacement fuse:

AGC 1/2 A 250V AC

s Is the controller receiving power? Test the power IN-PUT connections on the back of the controller with a

voltmeter.

Controller Power Input TestUnplug the kiln. Remove the 4 screws holding the con-

troller faceplate to the switch box. Lift faceplate out of boxandlettheboardhangontheboxwiththebackoftheboardfacing you. Plug the kiln back in. Touch voltmeter probes

Touch the voltmeter probes to the white and orange wires to test voltagegoing to the controller. The voltmeter must be in AC mode.

Selecting F orC Display

The controller can display temperature in either F orC. If your controller shows a small display dot in the lower

right corner of thedisplay,the temperature shown is C.Nodot means F. To change temperature display:

UNPLUG kiln or disconnect power.

Remove the four screws that hold the controller tothefrontof thekiln.Carefully remove thecontrollerfrom the kiln. Leave the wires attached to the con-troller.

Lookat the backof the controller. You will finda setof connector pins near the bottom labeled C/F.Whena jumperis placedon the C/F pins, the displayreadsF.Whenthejumper is removed,displayreadsC. Remove or insert the jumper as desired. (Youcan purchase the jumper from a computer supply

store if necessary.)

Install thecontroller being careful not to jarcompo-nents on the back of the controller against the kilncase.

The C/F jumper terminal is on the back of the controller, circled above.

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Problem: Controller displayturns on. No heat in kiln.s Is the relay making its normal clicking sound?

Test the elements with an ohmmeter:

Element Resistance Test

UNPLUG kiln/disconnect the power. Open thekilns switch box. Make sure the wires connectingthe relay to the elements are secure. If connec-tions are okay, continue to step 2:

Touch theohmmeter leads to thetwo elementcon-nectors of each element. A no-needle-movementreading on an analog meter, or OPEN on a digitalmeter, indicates a broken element.

If the elements check out okay, replace the relay.

Note:To replace relay, see your kilns instruction andservice manual.

We know thecontroller is receivingvoltage,becausethedisplay is lit. But the voltage from the transformer may betoolow to power therelays. Perform theControllerPowerInput Test, page 13. If your controller passes the InputTest, perform the Controller Power Output Test:

Controller Power Output TestIs thecontrollersendingvoltage totherelay? Test OUT-

PUT with a voltmeter:

UNPLUG the kiln/disconnect the power. Removethe4 screwsholding thecontroller faceplateto theswitch box. Lift faceplate out of box and let the

controller hang on the outside of the box with theback of the board facing you. Then plug the kilnback in. Program the controller to fire to 1000F atFULL rate in Ramp-Hold mode. Press .

Put the voltmeter in DC mode. (It must be in DCmode when testing OUTPUT voltage.) Touchprobes to the red wire and black wire connections.Measure voltage when the relay clicks on.

Output Test Result: Novoltage at red and black wiresThe controller is not sending power to the relay. Return

the controller for repair or replacement.

OutputTest Result: 10 - 14v. at red and black wires

Thecontroller is sending correct power to therelay.Un-plug kiln/disconnect power. Remove the kiln switch box.Look for disconnected wires between the controller, relayand elements. Check the wiring diagram to be sure wiresare connected to thecorrect terminals.Be sure connectionsare tight. If the wiring is okay, replace the relay.

Note:To replace relay, see your kilns instruction andservice manual.

(in AC mode) to both INPUT connections (the white andorange wires). (See photo on previous page.)

CAUTION: Do not let the back of the board touch agrounded object. Make sure the voltmeter is in the ACmodewhen placing the probeson INPUTconnections.

Controller Power Input Test Result: No voltageUNPLUG kiln. Check the switch box for disconnected

wires between the cord, transformer, andcontroller. If wir-ing is okay, replace the transformer.

Controller Power Input Test Result: 20 - 24 volts ACCorrect current is reaching the board from the trans-

former. But since the board is not lighting up, it is probablydefective.Returnthecontroller forrepair or replacement.

Controller Power Input Test Result: less than 20 voltsDid you recently replace the transformer? It may be the

wrongvoltage.The voltage is below20, which is not enoughpower for the controller. To find out the cause of low volt-age, continue below:

Controller Input Test #2The back of the board is still facing you and the kiln is

plugged in.Remove theINPUTplug, which is thewhite, or-ange,andbluewires,fromthebackof thecontroller. Toucha voltmeter probe to the white wire and the other probe tothe orange wire.

Input Test #2 Result: Less than 20 Volts ACThere are two possible reasons: 1) Low voltage at the

wall receptacle;2) defective transformer. If wall receptaclevoltage is correct, replace the transformer.

Input Test #2 Result:20 - 24Volts ACThe transformer is sending correct voltage to the con-

troller. Yet when the INPUT plug was connected to the

controller, voltage wasless than 20.This means thecontrol-ler is draining the voltage and may be defective. Return thecontroller for repair or replacement.

Input Test #2 with disconnected plug: Touch the voltmeterprobes to the white and orange wires to test voltage going tothe controller. The voltmeter must be in AC mode.

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15

IndexAdd Hold Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9bAdP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

calibrating the controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

casting temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9clicking sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 8, 14

cooling segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7CPLt (complete) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Delay timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

display dot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 13editing target temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14EtH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

FAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11FE error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

figuring firing time of a segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

FtL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 15

hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 6HtdE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

lost wax burnout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

PF 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12PF 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

PF 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12power failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 12

power surges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Program Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Ramp-Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5repeating a firing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

scrolling numbers rapidly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Single Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Skip Segment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

tC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12tCL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

tCOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12tCr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

temperature over-shoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6temperature, F and C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 13

thermocouple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 11

thunder storms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4time display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Problem: Kiln switch box amp fuses keep blowing.

s What size fuse are you using? Correct fuse:AGC A 250V AC

If thefuse is thecorrectsize, performthefollowing test:

KilnSwitchBox Amp Fuse Power Test

UNPLUG the kiln/disconnect the power. Removethe 4 screws holding the controller board faceplatetotheswitchbox.Liftfaceplateoutofboxandlettheboard hang on the outside of the box with the backof the board facing you. Disconnect both wire plugsfrom the back of the controller. Then plug the kilnback in. Apply power to kiln. If the amp fuseblows, replace the transformer. (If the fuse does notblow, the problem isa board orrelay.Go tostep2.)

Connect the INPUT plug (orange, blue, and white

wires) to the board again. Leave off the OUTPUTwire plug (the one with the red and black wires).Program the controller to fire to 1000F at FULLrate in Ramp-Hold mode. Press . If the fuseblows, replace or service theboard. (If the fuse doesnot blow, the problem is caused bya short in the coilof a relay. Go to step 3.)

UNPLUG kiln/disconnect power. Reconnect theOUTPUT wire plug. Reinstall the board in theswitch box. Replace the relay.

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Shorthand InstructionsThese instructions may be confusing until you have read more detailed instructions on Single-Speed, page 6, or

Ramp-Hold, page 8. Read thesafety guidelines,page 3.Afterpressing thekeysin left column, thecentermessagewill appear.

Single-Speed

Keys to Press Display

thru

(Not Down Arrow) Select rate (Sample rate)

or

Enter temperature (Sample temperature)

Enter hold time (Or hold time)

The kiln is now firing.

Ramp-Hold

Keys to Press Display

thru

(Not Down Arrow) Select Program #1, 2, 3, or 4

Enter Segment 1 rate (Sample rate)

or

Enter Temperature (Sample temperature)

Enter Hold Time (Or hold time)First segment not needed: enter a rate of 0000.

The kiln is now firing.

Furnace (22-1005) Manual

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