Do you need an Oven or a Furnace?

What maximum temperature do you need now?  And what will you need in the future? 

An Oven?

We clasify an oven to be a unit whose maximum temperature is 600 ºC or less and transfers heat in the work mostly by convection. 

Simple ovens have heaters mounted near that bottom of the chamber to warm the cold air that naturally sinks to the bottom due to convection. 

A fan is fitted in more sophisticated ovens.  This thoroughly mixes the air and evens out the temperature.  It also speeds up the heat transfer to the work placed in the oven.

A Furnace?

Furnaces have higher maximum temperatures (above 600 ºC) and are designed to transfer heat into the work mostly by radiant heating.

Furnaces can work at temperatures below 600 ºC, but the air convection currents can make the temperature uniformity very poor.

Also, at low temperatures heat from the elements is slow to reach the temperature sensor and this can cause the furnace to over shoot a low "temperature set point".  Certain temperature controllers allow you to limit the furnace power to prevent overshoot on initial warm-up.

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