FAQ

What is induction hardening?

What is induction hardening?

Induction hardening uses induced heat and rapid cooling (quenching) to increase the hardness and durability of steel.Induction heating is a no-contact process that quickly produces intense, localized and controllable heat. With induction, only the part to be hardened is heated. Optimizing process parameters such as heating cycles, frequencies and coil and quench design results in the best possible outcomes.

What are the benefits?

Induction hardening boosts throughput. It is an extremely fast and repeatable process that integrates easily into production lines. With induction it is usual to treat individual workpieces. This ensures each separate workpiece is hardened to its own precise specifications. The optimized process parameters for each workpiece can be stored on your servers. Induction hardening is clean, safe and typically has a small footprint. And because only the part of the component to be hardened is heated, it is extremely energy-efficient.

Where is it used?

Induction heating is used to harden numerous components. Here are just a few of them: gears, crankshafts, camshafts, drive shafts, output shafts, torsion bars, rocker arms, CV joints, tulips, valves, rock drills, slewing rings, inner and outer races.

How Induction Heating works?

Induction Heating is a flame-free, no-contact heating method that can turn a precisely defined section of a metal bar cherry red in seconds. How is this possible?

How Induction Heating works?

Alternating current flowing through an induction coil generates a magnetic field. The strength of the field varies in relation to the strength of the current passing through the coil. The field is concentrated in the area enclosed by the coil; while its magnitude depends on the strength of the current and the number of turns in the coil. (Fig. 1) Eddy currents are induced in any electrically conductive object—a metal bar, for example—placed inside the induction coil. The phenomenon of resistance generates heat in the area where the eddy currents are flowing. Increasing the strength of the magnetic field increases the heating effect. However, the total heating effect is also influenced by the magnetic properties of the object and the distance between it and the coil. (Fig. 2) The eddy currents create their own magnetic field that opposes the original field produced by the coil. This opposition prevents the original field from immediately penetrating to the center of the object enclosed by the coil. The eddy currents are most active close to the surface of the object being heated, but weaken considerably in strength towards the center. (Fig. 3) The distance from the surface of the heated object to the depth where current density drops to 37% is the penetration depth. This depth increases in correlation to decreases in frequency. It is therefore essential to select the correct frequency in order to achieve the desired penetration depth.

Advantages of Induction Heating

what is advantages of induction heating,brazing,hardening,melting and forging,etc?

Why choose induction heating over open flame,convection,radiant or another heating method?Here’s a short summary of the major advantages that modern solid state induction heating offers for lean manufacturing:

*Heating Fast

Induction heating is induced within the part itself by alternating electrical current. As a result, product warpage, distortion and reject rates are minimized. For maximum product quality, the part can be isolated in an enclosed chamber with a vacuum, inert or reducing atmosphere to eliminate the effects of oxidation. Production rates can be maximized because induction works so quickly; heat is developed directly and instantly (>2000º F. in < 1 second) inside the part. Startup is virtually instantaneous; no warm up or cool down cycle is required. The induction heating process can be completed on the manufacturing floor, next to the cold or hot forming machine, instead of sending batches of parts to a remote furnace area or subcontractor. For example, a brazing or soldering process which previously required a time-consuming, off-line batch heating approach can now be replaced with a continuous, one-piece flow manufacturing system.

*Heating Consistent

Induction heating eliminates the inconsistencies and quality issues associated
with open flame, torch heating and other methods. Once the system is properly calibrated and set up, there is no guess work or variation; the heating pattern is repeatable and consistent. With modern solid state systems, precise temperature control provides uniform results; power can be instantly turned on or shut off. With closed loop temperature control, advanced induction heating systems have the capability to measure the temperature of each individual part. Specific ramp up, hold and ramp down rates can be established & data can be recorded for each part that is run.

*Heating Clean

Induction heating systems do not burn traditional fossil fuels; induction is a clean, non-polluting process which will help protect the environment. An induction system improves working conditions for your employees by eliminating smoke, waste heat, noxious emissions and loud noise. Heating is safe and efficient with no open flame to endanger the operator or obscure the process. Non-conductive materials are not affected and can be located in close proximity to the heating zone without damage.

*Save Energy

Tired of increasing utility bills? This uniquely energy-efficient process converts up to 90% of the energy expended energy into useful heat; batch furnaces are generally only 45% energy-efficient. And since induction requires no warm-up or cool-down cycle, stand-by heat losses are reduced to a bare minimum. The repeatability and consistency of the induction process make it highly compatible with energy-efficient automated systems.

What Is Induction Heating?

What Is Induction Heating?

Induction heating is the process of heating an electrically conducting object (usually a metal) by electromagnetic induction, where eddy currents (also called Foucault currents) are generated within the metal and resistance leads to Joule heating of the metal.Induction heating is a form of non-contact heating,when alternating current flows in the induced coil, varying electromagnetic field is set up around the coil, circulating current(induced, current, eddy current) is generated in the workpiece(conductive material), heat is produced as the eddy current flows against the resitivity of the material.The basic principles of induction heating have been understood and applied to manufacturing since the 1920s. During World War II, the technology developed rapidly to meet urgent wartime requirements for a fast, reliable process to harden metal engine parts. More recently, the focus on lean manufacturing techniques and emphasis on improved quality control have led to a rediscovery of induction technology, along with the development of precisely controlled, all solid state induction power supplies.

induction_heating_principle
induction_heating_principle

How Induction Heating Work?

An induction heater (for any process) consists of an induction coil (or electromagnet), through which a high-frequency alternating current (AC) is passed. Heat may also be generated by magnetic hysteresis losses in materials that have significant relative permeability. The frequency of AC used depends on the object size, material type, coupling (between the work coil and the object to be heated) and the penetration depth.High Frequency Induction heating is a process which is used to bond, harden or soften metals or other conductive materials. For many modern manufacturing processes, induction heating offers an attractive combination of speed, consistency and control.

What’s Induction Heating Applications

Induction heating is a rapid ,clean, non-polluting heating form which can be used to heat metals or change the conductive material’s properties. The coil itself does not get hot and the heating effect is under controlled. The solid state transistor technology has made induction heating much easier,cost-effective heating for applications including soldering andinduction brazing ,induction heat treating, induction melting,induction forging etc.

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