Sourcing electric plasma furnaces from China

UK duty on plasma furnaces and parts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8514 covers industrial or laboratory electric furnaces and ovens, induction or dielectric heat-treatment equipment, and parts. This guide focuses on industrial electric plasma furnaces. See the wider electric furnace guide for other heating methods.

The listed plasma furnace and relevant parts lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls on these lines. The furnace lines distinguish equipment used solely or principally for printed circuit manufacture from other plasma furnaces.

Confirm the commodity code using the heating method, intended process and whether the shipment contains a complete furnace or separately supplied parts. Do not assume that a separately shipped power supply or cooling unit shares the furnace code. For the tax calculation, see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify the plasma torch, charge and cooling circuit

Define the feed material, charge size, required process result and operating atmosphere. Specify working temperature, chamber dimensions, heating rate and temperature measurement method. State whether the process uses a transferred or non-transferred arc, the torch arrangement, plasma gas and gas consumption, and any vacuum requirement.

Agree electrical supply, power demand, cooling-water quality, flow and pressure, heat rejection and exhaust connections with the site engineer. Identify what the supplier includes: power supply, torch, chiller, pumps, gas controls, extraction interfaces and control cabinet. Request drawings and a replaceable-parts list covering electrodes, nozzles, seals and refractory.

For furnaces with powered doors, loaders or conveyors, confirm with the relevant authority whether the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 apply. For Great Britain, ask the authority to confirm applicable CE or UKCA marking, declaration of conformity and English instruction requirements, and request electromagnetic compatibility evidence. The responsible person must ensure that the technical file is compiled and available on request. Ask how this will be supported for the supplied furnace.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: two small industrial electric plasma furnaces under 8514 32 90 00, invoiced at £64,000 free on board, with £5,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £69,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £69,500, so it is £13,900. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Process test: witness a factory run with the agreed charge and atmosphere. Record arc stability, heating performance and the resulting material against the purchase specification.

Cooling and protection: check for leaks and verify the response to loss of cooling flow, gas supply or power using the supplier's safe test procedure. Check door interlocks and emergency stops.

Electrical and documents: match the supplied furnace to its rating plate, declaration, wiring diagrams and English manual. Check earthing and insulation test records and the agreed electromagnetic compatibility evidence.

Arrival condition: inspect torch mountings, refractory, seals, cooling connections and cabinet restraints for transport damage before commissioning. Reconcile the packing list and critical spares. Plan these checks through the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A torch demonstration does not prove that the furnace can process your charge. Unstable arcs, unsuitable electrodes or refractory, cooling leaks and inadequate gas control can defeat an otherwise convincing factory demonstration. Agree acceptance against the process result as well as controller readings.

Orders also fail when the quotation omits the chiller, extraction interface or site connections, or when replacement torch consumables cannot be identified. Fix the supply boundary in the contract, witness a loaded test and retain drawings and spare-part references before dispatch.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For components and parts, see sourcing for manufacturers.