Sintered Ceramics & Metals

SOFC | SOEC - Scaling from batch to
continuous series production

Challenges, solutions & how to bridge the gap with ONEJOONS development process

Sintered Ceramics & Metals

Find the best SOFC/SOEC kiln for you

Continuous kiln concepts, optimized for large scale production

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell | Electrolyser Cell producers can increase efficiency and throughput with two verified continuous kiln concepts.

A safe and straightforward equipment start-up is accomplished with ONEJOON's proven Lab to Production (L2P) development process.

This page focuses on the upcoming challenges of SOFC manufacturers, ONEJOON's solutions, and the process we use to take you from batch to mass production. As more and more of our customers need to scale innovative processes quickly, we have combined all of our data and knowledge into our Lab to Production (L2P) program. The L2P program is designed to reduce risk for converting companies while enabling efficient, reliable and effective transitions.

What you get

Our L2P program ensures personalized, continuous, and structured support. You are guided through the development process and activities while having fast access to the required financial and technical information. From day one your development needs are made transparent to you and our experts stay on your side till you can operate the continuous plant with your trained operators. Based on the structured process, successful transitioning becomes more reliable, predictable, and fast.

Stay ahead of your competitors

Grow your knowledge while avoiding the most common pitfalls your competitors might tap into. By developing your solution jointly with us, you can be sure that you get the kiln you need, instead of a kiln that a manufacturer has in store. The program has proven effective in significantly reducing time to market by following a standardized yet flexible process.

Everything from one source - ONEJOON Turn-Key Solutions

Because we are a turnkey manufacturer, the interfaces with our suppliers are integrated into the program, so we are the only contact you need. This applies to the furnaces as well as to the equipment for cell handling and waste gas treatment.

The furnace technology we have developed is proven and reliable and features unsurpassed temperature homogeneity based on SOFC/SOEC optimized kiln furniture, optimal heat distribution and balanced conditions for better control of the heating process.

Seamless. We bridge the gap between laboratory and large scale production utilizing our End 2 End development process.

You come with your process as it is finally leaving with a running production, trained operators and global service support.

Our ONEJOON promise:

We deliver the full scope of works from concept design through implementation and start up of the plant. We customize our kiln solutions to produce the highest level of quality and repeatability for optimal Fuel Cell and Electrolyser Cell performance.

LabtoscaleONEJOONS proven development process from laboratory to production furnace

You would like to learn more about our
solutions for SOFC/SOEC producers?

Just click on the white button below or scan the QR code on the right
to get in touch with your personal contact person.

Yes, I would like to receive more information about upscaling SOFC/SOEC production

I would be pleased to show you in a personal appointment what ONEJOON can do for you.

Ulrich Fischenich
Ulrich Fischenich Senior Key Account Manager +49 7031 2 38 09 - 13 11 ceramics-metals@onejoon.de
1. Challenges for SOFC | SOEC producers

More Cells is not simply more kilns.

Producers face imminent demand increase but limited scalability of
current supply solutions

The current small size equipment has limitations that won´t meet the needs of increased capacity and
efficiency just by multiplying (more batch kilns) or scaling (bigger batch kilns)

Current equipment limitations and challenges:
Most SOECs are debindered / sintered in batch kilns with:

  • limited throughput
  • long processing times as heat up and cooling down
    gradients are strongly limited
  • poor binder and gas removal
  • limited or no explosion limit control
  • very high thermal mass of kiln furniture thus leading to:
  • high energy consumption in relation to throughput

 

So why not just get a bigger batch kiln?

  • disproportionate relation between firing time and size leads to
    very long cycle times
  • decreasing temperature uniformity within the batch
  • even worse binder / gas removal
  • limited accessability to the products
  • large size / large thermal mass kiln furniture

Batch Furnaces

Upscaling Firing Times

  • upscaling the furnace volume 1:1 with the stack geometry increases the temperature differences within the batch
  • in order to maintain the quality of the final product, the process time has to be increased

Continuous Furnaces

Further process improvements

  • downscaling the volume of each batch decreases the total furnace time in the opposite way that upscaling does
  • this principle used in continuous kilns will shorten the firing cycle time
  • shorter cycle times directly lead to higher throughput or shorter kilns

2. Our Solutions: Two SOFC Kiln Concepts

Two continuous kiln concepts, optimized for mass production

The concepts meet the needs of upscaling companies, first by leveraging proven and reliable technology as foundation to reduce risk, and second by complementing them with advanced solutions for uniform and reproducible heat treatment

 

Find the best SOFC kiln for you

Two continuous kiln concepts, optimized for large scale production

Furnace/Kiln type:

SOFC - FLEX

SOFC - VOLUME

Concept Complexity:

- High

- Medium

Gas Tightness:

- Possible

- Very good

Temperature Profile:

- Very high flexibility

- Flexible

Atmosphere Profile:

- High flexibility

- Flexible

Reaction Control:

- Depends on carrier / saggar

- Depends on carrier / saggar

Max Temperature:

- Limited by roller material
< 1450°C

- High
up to 1600°C

Energy Efficiency:

- Medium

- high

Throughput:

- Medium

- very High

SOFC FLEX

No restrictions. Stay flexible and change processes, products and throughput.

  • debinding with forced convection up to 600 °C 
  • sintering up to the max. operating temperature 1.400 °C
  • atmosphere separation through sluices 
  • available in various sizes: 4 meter lab to 50 meter mass production furnace
  • single and multi lane designs available for increased throughput 

SOFC VOLUME

No compromises, only throughput. Exceptional process stability and equipment availability.

  • debinding with forced convection up to 600 °C 
  • sintering up to the max. operating temperature 1.450 °C (higher on request)
  • high energy efficiency
  • modularized design allows for fast lead times
  • single and multi pusher lane designs available for increased throughput

3. ONEJOON Service Portfolio

ONEJOON as a Turnkey Supplier

Onejoon scope of delivery: 

  • kilns

  • kiln furniture

  • exhaust gas treatment

  • cell handling and material flow automation.

Seamless integration: Get the full potential!

  • single point of contact for the entire project
  • faster lead times
  • less interfaces between suppliers
  • common control scheme and tag number scheme

We’ll provide the Turn-Key solution that meets your requirements!

ONEJOON Turn-Key solutions
4. Staff training by ONEJOON

Top performance through trained staff

For an optimum production result, numerous parameters must be taken into account and the plant must be operated in the production cycle according to the manufacturer's specifications.

Therefore, we involve you as a customer from the very beginning - from the first kick-off meeting to the installation phase and commissioning of your new plant.

Your employees must have a precise understanding of the function of the plant, because only those who know the function can later analyze malfunctions, recognize the causes, and initiate countermeasures.

Therefore, ONEJOON offers training of your employees. Already during installation, we explain the function and processes at the open furnace, and during commissioning, we show you what is important for a smooth production process.

Another focus is on handling error messages and troubleshooting. Employee training is carried out by our process engineers, who look after existing plants as well as commissioning new plants and can therefore draw on a wealth of experience.

Training content includes:

  • Operator training
    • Operation, monitoring and safe operation of the plant
    • Plant-specific safety training
    • Handling and troubleshooting
       
  • Maintenance & repair training
    • Maintenance and servicing according to maintenance instructions
    • Inspection of safety equipment
    • Testing, calibration/adjustment of the plant

You would like to learn more about staff training?

Just click on the white button below or scan the QR code on the right
to get in touch with your personal contact person.

Yes, I would like to receive more information about staff training.

I would be pleased to show you in a personal appointment what ONEJOON can do for you.

Christian Tiegel
Christian Tiegel Manager Customer Service Spare Parts & Field Service +49 7031 2 38 09 - 21 59 +49 175 4 90 50 71 christian.tiegel@onejoon.de Connect with me on LinkedIn

Our service portfolio at a glance

Click >>here to learn more about ONEJOON's services.

Individual furnace systems for your SOFC/SOEC production

Just because every customer has special requirements

Together with you, we will work out the optimal solution for your SOFC/SOEC production. Worldwide.

  • selection of the suitable plant concept and furnace type
  • definition of the scope of delivery
  • design of the system based on your specification
  • configuration of the system from standardised components as well as customer-specific adaptations
  • presentation of the plant concept and preparation of the offer
  • design and project management by our specialists
  • worldwide shipping
  • assembly, commissioning and acceptance of the plant at your location
  • management and supervision of the installation by German, American or Korean specialists
  • commissioning and process adjustment by our engineers for process engineering
  • preparation of the operating and maintenance instructions and the CE declaration of conformity
  • production support, if desired
  • services: plant maintenance, spare parts, repairs

We are looking forward to your request, contact us today!

3 14 Leistungen Produktinformationsblatt 630x695

You would like to learn more about our
solutions for SOFC/SOEC producers?

Just click on the white button below or scan the QR code on the right
to get in touch with your personal contact person.

Yes, I would like to receive more information about upscaling SOFC/SOEC production

I would be pleased to show you in a personal appointment what ONEJOON can do for you.

Ulrich Fischenich
Ulrich Fischenich Senior Key Account Manager +49 7031 2 38 09 - 13 11 ceramics-metals@onejoon.de
ONEJOON Service Technischer Support Grafik 840x560

Services

Our service portfolio
in detail
read more
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Test Center

Development and optimisation of heat treatment processes read more
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CFD-Simulation

Sophisticated furnace solutions with the aid of CFD simulations read more
About us

More than 125 years of expertise in industrial furnace construction

Get to know ONEJOON
24/7 Emergency Service Hotline +49 551 820 830 - 840 service@onejoon.de
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