Design and manufacture of electrically heated thermal process systems such as sintering, debinding, laboratory and dental furnaces up to 1820 °C.
Thermo-Star GmbH
AachenNew on Amplifa
Thermal Process Technology from Aachen
Thermo-Star GmbH from Aachen designs and manufactures electrically heated industrial furnaces and thermal process systems for laboratory, quality assurance and production applications. Core competencies are cyclically operated, atmospheric high-temperature furnaces with operating temperatures up to 1820 °C in all common designs – chamber furnaces, drawer furnaces, bell furnaces, elevator furnaces and hearth-car furnaces – with usable volumes from 0.5 litres to 2 m³. Fields of application include the glass and ceramics industry, dental laboratories with CAD/CAM systems, and the two-stage heat treatment (debinding and sintering) of ceramic injection-moulded parts in CIM systems. Typical processes are tempering, annealing, stress relieving, debinding, melting, holding, burn-out and sintering. Multiple furnaces can be coupled via automated transport systems and integrated into continuous production environments. With a high level of in-house manufacturing depth, from planning and design through production, delivery, on-site assembly, commissioning and service, more than 2,000 systems have been delivered to over 20 countries.
- Site
- Aachen
- Processes
- Sintering (high-temperature furnaces up to 1820 °C), Debinding, Tempering, Annealing, Stress relieving, Melting, Holding, Burn-out
- Materials
- Ceramics (high-performance ceramics, dental/industrial ceramics), NEM alloys, Glass, High-performance ceramics
- Certificates
- 100% final inspection before delivery, Incoming goods inspection, ISO 9001
- Industries
- Glass industry, Ceramics industry, Dental sector (CAD/CAM), Ceramic injection moulding (CIM/MIM), Research and development, Quality assurance
- 01
Planning and design
- 02
Engineering
- 03
Production
- 04
Delivery
- 05
On-site assembly
- 06
Commissioning and training
- 07
Service, spare parts supply and modernisation
Materials and Processes
High-performance ceramics
Manufactured ceramic products such as sanitary ceramics, mills and brake discs are sintered and heat-treated in Thermo-Star furnaces.
Glass
Furnaces for simulating production processes in the glass industry.
NEM alloys
Dental furnaces for sintering crowns and bridges made of NEM alloys and ceramics.
Location
Aachen
DEHeadquarters, production, warehouse and offices
- Materials
- Ceramics, glass, NEM alloys
- Chamber furnaces
- Drawer furnaces
- Bell furnaces
- Elevator furnaces
- Hearth-car furnaces
- Sintering furnaces
- Debinding furnaces
- Dental furnaces
- Laboratory furnaces
- CIM systems
- Automated transport systems
Systems and Furnaces
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sintering (high-temperature furnaces up to 1820 °C)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Ceramics |
| DebindingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Ceramics |
| TemperingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| AnnealingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Stress relievingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| MeltingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| HoldingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Burn-outHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Two-stage heat treatment (debinding and sintering) of ceramic injection-moulded parts (CIM systems)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Ceramics (thermoplastic feedstock) |
| Dental furnaces for CAD/CAM systems (sintering of ceramics or NEM alloys)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Ceramics, NEM alloys |
| Design and manufacture of thermal process systems (industrial furnace construction, highEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Atmospheric high-temperature furnaces (cyclic)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Ceramics, Glass |
11 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber furnaces (electrically heated) | Thermo-Star | – | Usable volume 0.5 litres to 2 m³ | – | Aachen |
| Drawer furnaces | Thermo-Star | – | Usable volume 0.5 litres to 2 m³ | – | Aachen |
| Bell furnaces | Thermo-Star | – | Usable volume 0.5 litres to 2 m³ | – | Aachen |
| Elevator furnaces | Thermo-Star | – | Usable volume 0.5 litres to 2 m³ | – | Aachen |
| Hearth-car furnaces | Thermo-Star | – | Usable volume 0.5 litres to 2 m³ | – | Aachen |
| Sintering furnaces | Thermo-Star | – | Operating temperatures up to 1820 °C | – | Aachen |
| Debinding furnaces (thermal debinding furnaces) | Thermo-Star | – | – | – | Aachen |
| Dental furnaces (for CAD/CAM systems) | Thermo-Star | – | – | – | Aachen |
| Laboratory furnaces | Thermo-Star | – | – | – | Aachen |
| CIM systems (combination of two elevator furnaces with automated conveying system) | Thermo-Star | – | – | – | Aachen |
| Automated transport system for furnace combinations | Thermo-Star | – | – | – | Aachen |
Additional services
Quality Management
All incoming goods are inspected and checked randomly or, if there is cause for suspicion, more intensively. Every system undergoes 100% inspection immediately before delivery or after final assembly on site, since many components can only be meaningfully tested under thermal load.
| Evidence | Aachen |
|---|---|
| 100% final inspection before delivery | |
| Incoming goods inspection | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- frühe 1980er
Hans Kelichhaus founded Ceram-Aix GmbH & Co. KG with a university colleague, specialising in engineering ceramics; production of ceramic products and ceramic coating of metal formed parts; the first own sintering furnaces were designed and built.
- frühe 1990er
Insolvency of Ceram-Aix GmbH & Co. KG and cessation of operations.
- nachfolgend
After a short period working as a designer in the industrial furnace industry, Hans Kelichhaus acquired Thermo-Star GmbH and shaped it according to his own vision.
- 2006
Move to the current location at Krantzstraße 7 in Aachen with over 1,000 m² of production and warehouse space and 250 m² of office space.
- 2010
The family business is run by the 2nd generation.
- Stand heute
Over 2,000 systems delivered to more than 20 countries.