FAQs: Induction Furnaces

21, Oct. 2024

 

FAQs: Induction Furnaces

FAQs: Induction Furnaces

How should I charge my induction furnace and what charge material should I use?

All material being charged into the induction furnace must be completely dry and care should be taken so that the charge continues to feed into the furnace properly. If the charge hangs up due to interlocking or bridging, the metal below can superheat and erode the refractory, causing molten metal to penetrate to the coil. Automated charging systems should be used whenever possible because they significantly enhance safety by permitting furnaces to be charged remotely, keeping the foundry worker at a distance or behind protective barriers. Charge materials such as enclosed containers, propane tanks, gas cylinders, shock absorbers, aerosol cans, sheared tubing or pipe, and similar materials must never be charged into a furnace.

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What is the difference between a coreless furnace and a channel furnace?

In a coreless induction furnace, the entire bath functions as the induction heating area. A copper coil encircles a layer of refractory material and a powerful electric current travels through the coils cre­ating a magnetic field that penetrates the refractory and quickly melts the metal charge material inside the furnace. In a channel furnace, induction heating takes place in the 'channel,' a relatively small and narrow area at the bottom of the bath. The channel passes through a laminated steel core and around the coil assembly. The electric circuit is completed when the channel is filled with molten metal. Hotter metal leaving the channel circulates upward, raising the temperature of the entire bath. Foundries typically use channel furnaces to hold and dispense molten metal whenever it is needed.

I noticed that you have a wide variety of furnaces. What are the differences and how do I know which one is right for me?

We manufacture a variety of coreless induction furnaces (i.e., Heavy Steel Shell Furnaces, Small Steel Shell Furnaces, Dura-Line Furnaces, Rollover Furnaces and Mini-Melt Furnaces) as well as Crucible-type furnaces (i.e., Acutrak Furnaces, Lift-Swing Furnaces and Push-Out Furnaces) so that, regardless of the size or application of your molten metal needs, we can customize a system for you. From small capacity, precision casting operations to the largest induction melting foundry, we have the right furnace for you.

How often should I re-line my furnace?

It's best to refer to the refractory manufacturer/supplier for their recommendations on selection, installation, sintering and maintenance of the refractory. They will have the most current information on the specifications and performance characteristics of your specific material.

Can I use any type of refractory/crucible for a new application?

You must contact your refractory provider and completely understand the type of refractory and how it will be affected by your particular application. Contact the induction furnace supplier as well to make certain the refractories being considered are compatible with the design of the equipment.

Does Inductotherm offer vacuum furnaces?

Inductotherm is the principal supplier of induction furnaces and power supplies to the world's leading vacuum system manufacturers and precision investment casters, alloy manufacturers and anyone needing the highest quality molten metal. Inductotherm Vacuum Furnaces are designed specifically for operation in high vacuum environments and include vacuum-adapted construction methods and the industry's most advanced coil and connector dielectric insulation technologies and procedures.

What is the difference between air and vacuum melting furnaces?

Virtually every type of Inductotherm induction furnace can be used for both air, controlled atmosphere or vacuum melting. However, the coil and furnace itself are often designed specifically for operation in high vacuum environments and include vacuum-adapted construction methods and the industry's most advanced coil and connector dielectric insulation technologies and procedures to ensure optimum performance.

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Induction furnace

Electric furnace using induction heat

An induction furnace is an electrical furnace in which the heat is applied by induction heating of metal.[1][2][3] Induction furnace capacities range from less than one kilogram to one hundred tons, and are used to melt iron and steel, copper, aluminum, and precious metals.

The advantage of the induction furnace is a clean, energy-efficient and well-controlled melting process, compared to most other means of metal melting.

Most modern foundries use this type of furnace, and many iron foundries are replacing cupola furnaces with induction furnaces to melt cast iron, as the former emit much dust and other pollutants.[4]

Induction furnaces do not require an arc, as in an electric arc furnace, or combustion, as in a blast furnace. As a result, the temperature of the charge (the material entered into the furnace for heating, not to be confused with electric charge) is no higher than required to melt it; this can prevent the loss of valuable alloying elements.[5]

The one major drawback to induction furnace usage in a foundry is the lack of refining capacity: charge materials must be free of oxides and be of a known composition, and some alloying elements may be lost due to oxidation, so they must be re-added to the melt.

Types

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In the coreless type,[6] metal is placed in a crucible surrounded by a water-cooled alternating current solenoid coil. A channel-type induction furnace has a loop of molten metal, which forms a single-turn secondary winding through an iron core.[7][8]

Operation

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1 - Melt
2 - water-cooled coil
3 - yokes
4 - crucible

An induction furnace consists of a nonconductive crucible holding the charge of metal to be melted, surrounded by a coil of copper wire. A powerful alternating current flows through the wire. The coil creates a rapidly reversing magnetic field that penetrates the metal. The magnetic field induces eddy currents, circular electric currents, inside the metal, by electromagnetic induction.[9] The eddy currents, flowing through the electrical resistance of the bulk metal, heat it by Joule heating. In ferromagnetic materials like iron, the material may also be heated by magnetic hysteresis, the reversal of the molecular magnetic dipoles in the metal. Once melted, the eddy currents cause vigorous stirring of the melt, assuring good mixing.

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An advantage of induction heating is that the heat is generated within the furnace's charge itself rather than applied by a burning fuel or other external heat source, which can be important in applications where contamination is an issue.

Operating frequencies range from utility frequency (50 or 60 Hz) to 400 kHz or higher, usually depending on the material being melted, the capacity (volume) of the furnace and the melting speed required. Generally, the smaller the volume of the melts, the higher the frequency of the furnace used; this is due to the skin depth which is a measure of the distance an alternating current can penetrate beneath the surface of a conductor. For the same conductivity, the higher frequencies have a shallow skin depth'that is less penetration into the melt. Lower frequencies can generate stirring or turbulence in the metal.

A preheated, one-ton furnace melting iron can melt cold charge to tapping readiness within an hour. Power supplies range from 10 kW to 42 MW, with melt sizes of 20 kg to 65 tons of metal respectively.[citation needed]

An operating induction furnace usually emits a hum or whine (due to fluctuating magnetic forces and magnetostriction), the pitch of which can be used by operators to identify whether the furnace is operating correctly or at what power level.[citation needed]

Refractory lining

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There is a disposable refractory lining used during casting.

See also

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  • Electric arc furnace'for another type of electric furnace, used in larger foundries and mini-mill steelmaking operations

References

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Further reading

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