During a firing schedule, a setpoint is the pre-set firing temperature the kiln must reach in order to successfully complete each step. A setpoint controller measures the kiln’s temperature and cycles the relays to ensure the kiln reaches the desired temperature.
Setpoint controllers, also known as process controllers, are programmable digital devices that automatically execute firing schedules. All the user has to do is enter the desired setpoint(s), and the controller takes care of the rest!
What Is the Difference Between a Single Setpoint and a Multi-Setpoint Controller
When it comes to kiln firing schedules, there are varying degrees of complexity. For firing glass or ceramics, the kiln often has to reach multiple setpoints over multiple steps. However, most heat treat processes – such as those used for making knives, jewelry, or firing metal clay – only involve a single setpoint.
A multi-setpoint controller is capable of executing complex schedules with multiple setpoints. For instance, the TAP II and TAP II Pro Controllers by SDS Industries can accommodate schedules with an infinite number of steps! However, that level of robustness might be a little excessive for users who only work in heat treat. That’s where where single setpoint controllers come into play!
Single setpoint controllers are greatly simplified and only require the user to enter the single setpoint they need for each individual heat treat process.
Single Setpoint Heat Treat Processes
While a multi-setpoint controller is capable of executing schedules with a single setpoint, a single setpoint controller is usually a more cost-effective option for controlling heat treat ovens and furnaces. Below are metal heat treat processes that only require a single setpoint:
- Normalizing: The metal is heated to an extremely high temperature for a defined period of time and then air-cooled. Normalizing relieves internal stress and ensures uniformity, resulting in harder, stronger metals.
- Hardening: The metal is heated until it forms an even solution and then allowed to cool to increase its hardness.
- Case Hardening: Only the outside of the metal is hardened, creating a durable outer layer while ensuring the metal retains flexibility and doesn’t become brittle.
- Quench Hardening: After heating, the metal is cooled rapidly by dipping it into an oil, polymer, or water, resulting in very hard, very brittle metal.
- Tempering: After hardening, the metal is heated to a lower temperature to reduce excessive hardness and relieve internal stress. Tempering makes metals less brittle.
- Annealing: The metal is heated beyond the upper critical temperature and then slowly cooled to soften it and increase its workability. Annealing increases ductility and toughness, while relieving stress, making the metal more resistant to fractures. While annealing can be completed with a single setpoint controller, it will be necessary to use sand or insulated blankets to make sure the metal doesn’t cool down too quickly outside of the oven. However, a multi-setpoint controller can be used to slowly anneal metal within the oven.
Introducing TAP&Go: The Most Easy-to-Use, Streamlined Single Setpoint Controller
In the past, single setpoint controllers were far less featured than their multi-setpoint counterparts. This forced heat treat artists to choose between advanced multi-setpoint controllers that required paying for functionality they didn’t need, or simplistic single setpoint controllers that lacked precision, ease-of-use, or required constant monitoring to know when the oven had reached the right setpoint.
Now, that’s no longer the case! SDS Industries has revolutionized single setpoint control with the TAP&Go Single Setpoint Controller. Designed specifically for heat treat artists, knifemakers, or users who don’t need to execute complex firings, TAP&Go takes the precision and ease-of-use of TAP and simplifies it into the most advanced single setpoint controller on the market.
With TAP&Go, heat treats artists have the ability to:
- Easily enter the temperature you want the kiln or oven to heat to – from the 2.4” touchscreen or the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app – and let the controller do the work.
- Enjoy complete remote monitoring and control through the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app with a premium subscription.
- Use TAP&Go’s built-in WiFi and Bluetooth to automatically pair with the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app.
- Prevent eye strain with light and dark modes and large, full-text displays.
Explore Single Setpoint and Multi-Setpoint Controllers by SDS Industries
Whether you’re looking for a single setpoint or multi-setpoint controller, TAP has you covered! The TAP II and TAP II Pro Controllers by SDS Industries provide users the most advanced, precise, and easy-to-use multi-setpoint temperature controllers on the market today. With responsive touchscreen controls, an intuitive graphical UI, and integration with the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app, TAP Kiln Controllers can pair with any relay-controlled kiln or oven.
The TAP&Go Single Setpoint Controller takes the design principles of TAP but streamlines everything into a single setpoint controller so that heat treat artists only have to pay for the functionality they need!
We invite you to explore our selection of programmable kiln controllers, standalones, and conversion kits on our online store. You can also purchase TAP Digital Controllers or TAP Controlled Kilns and Heat Treat Ovens through one of the following distributors:
- Evenheat
- Hot Shot Oven & Kiln
- Paragon Kilns
- Mobile Glassblowing Studios, LLC
- Jen-Ken Kilns
- Kiln Frog
- Sheffield Pottery
- Delphi Glass
Setpoint Controllers FAQ
Where can I learn more about setpoints for ceramics, kiln formed glass, and heat treat?
Looking to learn more about setpoints? You came to the right place! However, it’s important to note: The setpoints you’ll need differ drastically based on the types of media you fire.
Below, we’ll cover differences in setpoints between ceramics, kiln formed glass, and heat treat.
Ceramic Setpoints
Ceramics has the most standardization between setpoints. Whether you’re firing low fire clay or high fire clay, every single piece of ceramic you fire has a corresponding pyrometric cone number.
Below are articles that contain everything you need to know about ceramic setpoints:
Outside of candling (or drying) clay, you’ll almost always want a multi-setpoint controller for firing ceramics. The new Cone Fire Mode for TAP II Pro has these setpoints built in so that you can quickly and dynamically execute ceramic firings in seconds.
Glass Setpoints
Glass setpoints have more variability based on the kiln formed glass technique you’re using, as well as the “coefficient of expansion (COE) of the glass you’re firing.
Check out these articles to find setpoints for 90 COE glass:
Please Note: 90 COE firing temperatures will not be compatible with 96 COE or other types of glass. In that case, please consult resources from your glass manufacturer.
Of course, for glass art, a multi-setpoint, programmable controller is a non-negotiable. You simply can’t reach the precision glass requires otherwise.
Heat Treat Setpoint
Whether you’re making jewelry or bladesmithing, setpoints determine the physical and chemical qualities of your metal heat treat projects. Different alloys have a huge range of critical temperatures – from 1350°F (732°C) for sterling silver to 2375°F (1302°C) for T2 tungsten.
Make sure to research setpoints for your specific alloy and technique. However, these articles might be helpful starting points, especially if you’re using 1095 steel:
- Heat Treating Knives: A Complete Guide to Knifemaking
- Features to Look for in Your Next Heat Treat Oven
For heat treat, single setpoint controllers are usually all you need for the job, unless you need to control cooling right inside your oven.
What are different kiln control methods I can use for controlling setpoints?
Depending on your kiln or oven build, as well as the types of projects you fire, there are multiple kiln control methods you can use to control setpoints.
Different types of setpoint controllers include:
- Manual Kiln Controllers: These are old fashioned and require constant user input, but some artists still use manual kiln controllers for ceramics or heat treat.
- Automatic Kiln Controllers: Also known as programmable digital kiln controllers, these controllers let you program schedules in advance to execute them automatically.
- Process Controllers: Process controllers are another name for “automatic kiln controllers.”
- Limit Controllers: Limit controllers, or safety limit controllers, don’t change the setpoints of your kiln. But they do ensure the kiln safely shuts off if it exceeds a specified temperature.
- Single Setpoint Controllers: Single setpoint controllers heat your kiln or oven to one specific setpoint and hold it there indefinitely.
- Multi-Setpoint Controllers: Multi-setpoint controllers take your kiln through multiple setpoints to execute firing schedules with multiple steps.
- Single Zone Controllers: Single zone controllers like TAP II heat the chamber of your kiln or oven to a uniform temperature for each stage of a firing schedule.
- Multi-Zone Controllers: Multi-zone controllers like TAP II Pro can bring different zones of a kiln or oven to different setpoints for each stage of a firing schedule – ideal for complex projects or large kilns.
The good news is that no matter what your setpoint control needs are, the TAP Ecosystem has got you covered! We have setpoint controllers, conversion kits, and standalone controllers to fit virtually any electric kiln or oven build.
How does TAP Kiln Control Mobile help me monitor and adjust setpoints?
TAP Kiln Control Mobile – the industry’s highest kiln control app – lets you perform every single kiln control function remotely from your smartphone or tablet. That includes monitoring setpoints or programming them to create a new firing schedule or edit existing ones in real-time.
All monitoring capabilities through TAP Kiln Control Mobile are completely free. However, to make real-time setpoint adjustments or to manage schedules, you may need to upgrade to our Premium Plan ($4.99/mo or $49.99/yr) depending on your controller model. All of these subscription fees go towards maintaining our servers, developing new features, and providing improvements for all users.
For maximum flexibility and peace of mind for setpoint control, we encourage you to give TAP Kiln Control Mobile a try on iOS or Android.
