One can thus conclude that even with a combination of rings and cones, we again are faced with device limitations and must apply skill and experience to achieve consistent results. In recent years, it appears that more and more potters and small plant operators are employing electronic kiln controllers. The main ceramic industry likewise, long ago adopted these devices in the pursuit of repeatable firings. As one might suspect, electronic controllers also have their own set of surprises and trade-offs. Although it is not obvious, using a kiln controller takes us back to simple measurement of temperature.
Industry likes to have numbers for testing records and leave little to interpretation or chance.
Continuous industrial kilns maintain a constant temperature in the middle of a long tunnel, and the speed of the ware cars or conveyor through the kiln determines the firing curve each piece is subjected to. In this situation, the maintenance of a specific temperature is critical and this is easily done with high-tech hardware. In my experience, while cones can be used to determine the end point of a firing, the temperature based system seems to work very well also. Self-supporting cones and cone setters are so convenient, you will kick yourself for not having used them sooner. Continue to fire to the center cone and when you examine the cones interpret the center one first, then look at the others and let them temper your initial interpretation to come up with a number that is a reasonable representation of the firing.