Key Questions to Ask When Ordering Induction Heating Solutions

What is induction heating?

The heating method known as induction heating occurs when an electrically conductive material is placed in a varying magnetic field. Induction heating is a rapid form of heating in which a current is induced directly into the part being heated. Induction heating is a non-contact form of heating.

Link to Duolin

What makes up a typical induction heating system?

A typical induction heating system consists of the induction heating power supply, an induction heating coil, and a water-cooling source, which cools the coil and several internal components inside the power supply. The induction heating power supply sends alternating current through the induction coil, thus generating a magnetic field. When a work piece is placed within the coil and enters the magnetic field, eddy currents are induced within the workpiece, generating precise and localized heat without any physical contact between the induction coil and the work piece.

What is an induction heating coil (inductor)?

The varying magnetic field required for induction heating is developed in the induction heating coil via the flow of AC (alternating current) in the coil. The coil can be made in many shapes and sizes to custom fit a specific application. The coils can range from tiny coils made of copper tubing used for precise heating of extremely small parts in applications such as soldering and ferrule heating to large coil assemblies of copper tubing used in applications such as strip metal heating and pipe heating.

What is the importance of the induction heating coil (inductor)?

The induction coil design is one of the most important aspects of an induction heating system. The coil is a custom design to give your work piece or part the proper heating pattern, maximize efficiency of the induction heating power supply’s load matching system, and to accomplish these tasks while still permitting ease of loading and unloading your part.

How can my process benefit from induction heating?

Induction heating can benefit your process in a number of ways. Induction heating is highly repetitive once initial adjustments are made to the power supply. Following this phase, part after part can be heated with identical results so long as the parts are introduced to the coil similarly each cycle. This can also lead to better material utilization and product yield. Induction heating can reduce or eliminate the need for skilled operators in application such as brazing and soldering. The ability of induction heating to heat all parts identically lends itself to automation of the process. Induction heating can also heat the part in a highly localized fashion, which can be extremely beneficial when it is desirable or necessary to limit the heat to only a certain region of the part.

How does induction heating equipment compare to other heating sources?

In addition to some of the points mentioned in the previous FAQ, induction heating is also a clean form of heating which does not emit unpleasant odor or heat. Because the current is induced directly into the part being heated, there is no radiant heating effect into a facilities ambient environment. The location of the desired heat zone can be defined to a specific area on a workpiece in order to achieve accurate and consistent results. Induction heating equipment is instantly on which means it requires no warm-up time as other conventional heating sources do. Induction heating systems are extremely energy efficient.

What is the importance of a power supplies power rating and frequency?

The power rating determines the speed at which a workpiece can be heated. The frequency, along with the electrical resistivity of the workpiece and relative magnetic permeability, determines the skin depth of the eddy currents induced into the work piece. In surface heating, the power rating also plays an important role in skin depth. The higher the frequency, the more shallow the skin depth and the lower the frequency, the deeper the skin depth. Therefore, higher frequencies are more effective for heating smaller parts or parts that require shallow heat penetration, while lower frequencies are more effective for larger materials with deeper heat penetration requirements.

Ohm’s Law
Ohm's Law states that in a simple electrical circuit, the strength of a current (I) flowing through a resistance (R) is proportional to the applied voltage (E). It is expressed by the formula:

Thus, if you increase the voltage, and resistance remains the same, the current will increase proportionately.

Induction Heating
With induction heating, we substitute an induced current for a direct one, which is of course the principle of the transformer. It works this way. Alternating current flowing through the primary coils of the transformer creates an electromagnetic alternating field. Since the reverse is also true, by placing secondary coils within that field, we will induce a current to flow through them. And, depending on the respective number of electrical turns in the primary and the secondary, we can step up or step down the voltage levels. It is the voltage in the secondary turns which, when applied to heating elements, creates the energy to heat or melt metals.

Resistive Heating Illustrated

Current flow is induced in the secondary circuit by placing the secondary turns within the changing magnetic field created by the primary turns.

Resistive Heating
Resistance is well named, for it opposes current flow. The lower the resistance, the higher the current flow in the circuit, and hence the greater the power. This power (P) is the rate at which electrical energy is transformed into heat. It is expressed by the formula:

This heat can be put to a good purpose and is the principle behind heating elements that you find in hair dryers and baseboard heaters. However, such direct production of heat is inefficient, localized, and difficult to control. For industrial purposes, it is preferable to produce heat by using an induced current rather than a direct one.

Quality

Precise control provides consistent temperature uniformity and exact repeatability. Forgings have fewer inclusions and improved surface finish because of reduced scale.

Flexibility

For more information, please visit Induction Heating Solutions.

Induction heats only the workpiece using the minimally needed energy to achieve the exact temperature. New solid-state power supplies seek the best frequency for the load, further improving operating flexibility and efficiency.

Productivity

An integral induction heating system increases productivity because it is easily integrated with in-place processes. An induction heater, not the operator, sets the pace for the production rate. Induction heaters can be started from cold to achieve full production rates within minutes. Heaters are designed for automatic hold cycles during delays and rapid recovery at the restart.

Limited Material in Process

Induction heating requires fewer parts in process which reduces the chance of rescheduling errors and substantially reduces material inventories.

Reduced Scale & Increased Tooling Life

Induction heating increases the workpiece temperature in the shortest possible time and in effect, reduces the amount of scale which improves the surface finish of the end product and increases the customer’s tooling life.

Maintenance

The only use of refractory in an induction system is in the coils. With the benefit of long coil life in an ATM induction system, refractory repairs and relining are greatly minimized. Die life is also extended with the drastic scale reduction.

Yield

Typical scale loss in gas-fired furnaces is 3% and from induction is 0.5%. Consequently, for each ton of forgings, the raw steel purchased is reduced by 2.5%.

Work Environment

Since there is no heat, or products of combustion, a cleaner and a more comfortable environment will enhance the workplace.

At Ajax TOCCO, we understand the importance of consistent productivity. Unplanned delays and emergency breakdowns not only disrupt your workflow but also result in substantial financial losses. That's why we meticulously design preventative maintenance programs tailored to your unique production schedules.

Our expertly-crafted programs focus on the optimal upkeep of your induction heating equipment, taking into consideration factors such as usage patterns, environmental conditions, and specific operational requirements. We aim to maximize the uptime of your equipment, ensuring that your operations run smoothly and efficiently.

Years of experience and customer feedback have proven the effectiveness of our approach. Our clients consistently report reductions in emergency breakdowns and costly unscheduled delays, allowing for uninterrupted production and improved profitability.

In addition, our maintenance programs offer proactive support, identifying potential issues before they escalate into serious problems. This not only prolongs the lifespan of your equipment but also enhances safety and reliability.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Induction Forging Machine. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.