The NCAT Ignition Furnace has been an industry standard for well over 30 years. View all articles on its history, maintenance recommendations, and how-to posts.
In the previous chapter, we delved into the origins of the NCAT ignition furnace and the technology and theory that underpin its function. We also discussed the challenges faced during its design and the journey from concept to implementation. In this chapter, we will attempt to build an ignition furnace together from scratch. We’ll be … Read more
Almost every lab in the country has an ignition oven. Sure, there are some standouts; some states require extractions with solvents, but for the most part, ignition is king. But how did this become the standard? Why did everyone switch from extractions to ignition seemingly overnight? What even is an ignition oven anyway? In today’s … Read more
The lift test is a powerful tool that you can use to keep your NCAT’s burn time short. It can tell you if you have faulty components and can even impact your results. Our technicians use this test to determine what they need to do when they start service, and often it’s the first thing … Read more
Many of you might remember when the square-designed NCAT baskets were the only baskets available. This was before the angled cornered baskets became the standard thanks to some clever marketing and adoption of the asphalt industry. Well, in true Gordon Technical fashion, we have revisited the original design, and are surprised by the results. During … Read more
You don’t need to know the inner workings of an NCAT ignition furnace to understand how it works. You fill a basket with material, you put that basket into the NCAT, you press start and 20-40 minutes later (hopefully) you pull out the aggregate with all the liquid burnt off. But what do you do … Read more
If you have ever called in for maintenance, you’ve been asked this question. Do you know which series you have? It’s your typical deer in a headlights situation. There’s always an audible silence before the caller ends up saying, “no” and “how can I find out”? Today, we are going to tell you the difference … Read more
“NCAT maintenance”, Mike said matter of factly. “What?” I said because his statement came out of nowhere. “Do a blog on NCAT Maintenance, and call it something cool” Mike was looking at me expecting me to completely understand what was going on. “ Call it the 10 commandments of NCAT Maintenance or something like that.” … Read more
There is a metal box that sits inside of your NCAT Ignition Oven. It’s rectangular and sits directly under the burn chamber. That box is the reason why your oven can perform the burn-off method so accurately, but that same box also has the potential to ruin hours, days, or even months of testing if not installed … Read more
The NCAT ignition oven has been at the forefront of mix design since the late ’90s. In that time there have been a few improvements over the form and function of the unit, but for the most part, the NCAT ignition oven has stayed the same. You put your mix in the chamber and the … Read more
The buck boost transformer has existed for many years, but many people don’t understand what this device can do. Most people assume that the power coming into your building limits you on what equipment you can use. I say assume because most of the time there are workarounds to help you out and the 208v … Read more
