Design and Performance Evaluation of a Low Cost Electrical Resistance Melting Furnace for Small Scale Foundry Applications

The high cost of imported laboratory furnaces remains a major challenge for metallurgical and materials engineering laboratories in many developing countries. This study presents the design, fabrication, and thermo-performance evaluation of a low-cost laboratory resistance furnace developed using locally sourced materials. The furnace was designed based on fundamental heat transfer principles and electrical resistance heating theory to achieve efficient melting of metallic charges under controlled laboratory conditions. Key design parameters including furnace chamber geometry, refractory lining thickness, heating element configuration, and thermal energy requirements were analytically determined. The fabricated furnace was experimentally evaluated to determine its melting capability, heat loss characteristics, and operational efficiency. Design analysis showed that a heat energy of approximately 2.095 × 10⁶ J was required to melt the metallic charge, while conductive heat losses through the refractory lining were estimated to be 278.1 W . The furnace demonstrated stable heating performance with effective thermal insulation and satisfactory melting capability for small-scale foundry applications. A comparative cost analysis revealed that the developed furnace costs over 60–80% less than commercially imported resistance and small-scale induction furnaces with similar laboratory capacities. The results demonstrate that locally fabricated resistance furnaces can provide a sustainable and affordable solution for teaching, research, and small-scale metallurgical processing in resource-limited environments.