What is an industrial induction heater?
An industrial induction heater is a device that uses magnetic induction to heat electrically conductive materials such as metals1. They are used for various applications such as hardening, brazing, melting, forging, welding, and heating21. Some examples of industrial induction heaters are:
- Heat wands: These are shaped like a large flashlight and can loosen stuck nuts, and heat bearings, and repair dents.
- Crossbar induction bearing heaters: These use a digital control to set the temperature and automatically demagnetize bearings. They can heat bearings much more quickly and uniformly than cone-style and hot-plate heaters.
- Portable induction bearing heaters: These are compact and have a clamp that holds and heats bearings up to 3 15/16″ ID. They can also set the desired temperature and flash when it has been reached.
- Induction heating systems: These are designed for manufacturing processes involving electrically generated heat. They can heat tools such as rollers, rolls, or cylinders. They can also be used for plastic processing, the textile industry, and paper drying.
What are the advantages of industrial induction heaters?
Industrial induction heaters have many advantages over other heating methods, such as:
- Faster and more efficient heating: Induction heating is much faster than other traditional heating methods, such as convection or conduction. It requires less energy to heat materials, resulting in greater efficiency and lower costs.
- Improved safety: Because induction heating does not involve direct contact between the heating element and the material being heated, there is a reduced risk of thermal shock or other damage to personnel or equipment. Induction heating also does not produce any hazardous emissions or open flames that can ignite flammable materials.
- Quality precision: With induction heating, you can provide constant, local contact and even heat distribution to the part being heated. You can also control the temperature and frequency of the induction power supply to achieve different hardening depths or heat-treating parameters. Induction heating avoids uneven heating and inconsistent results that are common with an oxy-acetylene gas torch.
- Reduced cost: Induction heating eliminates the need for gas tanks, servicing costs, and insurance premiums associated with using a gas torch. It also allows you to salvage parts that would otherwise be discarded because induction heat does not damage the metals.
- Scalability and configurability: Induction power supplies can be easily scaled for higher-production demand or reconfigured for a different application by adding or removing modules. They can also deliver power to up to four individual inductors or outputs simultaneously, saving floor space and cooling systems.
What can an industrial induction heater?
An industrial induction heater can do many things depending on the application and the material being heated. Some of the common applications of industrial induction heaters are:
- Heat treatment: Induction heating can be used for hardening, tempering, annealing, and stress-relieving of metals by controlling the temperature and frequency of the induction power supply
- Brazing and soldering: Induction heating can be used for joining metal parts with a filler metal by creating a strong metallurgical bond. Induction heating is faster, cleaner, safer, and more precise than using an open flame.
- Melting and forging: Induction heating can be used for melting metals or alloys in a crucible or a furnace by generating eddy currents within the material. Induction heating can also be used for forging metals into desired shapes by applying pressure while heating.
- Welding: Induction heating can be used for welding metal tubes or pipes by creating a high-frequency electromagnetic field around the joint area. Induction welding is more efficient, consistent, and reliable than conventional welding methods.
- Heating non-conductive materials: Induction heating can be used for heating non-conductive materials such as plastics or glass by using a susceptor, which is an electrically conductive material that transfers heat to the non-conductive material. This is useful for applications such as curing, bonding, coating removal, and catheter tipping.
These are some examples of what an industrial induction heater can do. There are many other applications that use induction heating technology for different purposes.
How to select the right industrial induction heater?
To select the right industrial induction heater, you need to consider several factors such as:
- Your part’s material: Induction heating works best for conductive materials such as metals. Nonconductive materials can be heated with a susceptor, which is a conductive material that transfers heat to nonconductive material. Magnetic materials are easier to heat than nonmagnetic materials because of hysteresis loss. Metals with high resistivity like steel heat quickly, while low-resistivity metals like copper or aluminum require more heating time1.
- Depth of heating penetration: The induced current will be most intense on the surface of your part and decrease with depth. Larger parts and parts that require thorough heating take more time to heat than those that are thin or small. You need to choose a suitable frequency and power level for your desired heating depth.
- Operating frequency: Lower-frequency, higher-power systems are generally suited for heating larger parts that require thorough heating. Higher-frequency, lower-power systems are often the right choice for surface heating. As a general rule, the higher the frequency, the shallower the heating of the part.
- Applied power: The output power of your induction heating system determines the relative speed at which your part is heated. The mass of the part, rise in temperature, and heat losses from convection and conduction need to be considered. You need to choose a power supply that can deliver enough power for your application without being overpowered or underpowered.
- Coil design: The coil is an important component of an induction heating system as it generates the electromagnetic field that induces current in your part. The coil shape, size and a number of turns affect the coupling efficiency, impedance matching, and heating uniformity. You need to choose a coil design that matches your part geometry and heating requirements.
- Coupling efficiency: Coupling efficiency is a measure of how well the electromagnetic field generated by the coil transfers energy to your part. It depends on factors such as coil-to-part distance, coil shape and size, part shape, and size, frequency, and power level. You need to optimize these factors to achieve high coupling efficiency and avoid excessive losses.
- Your facility and footprint: Induction heating systems vary in size and weight depending on their output power and features. You need to consider your available space, electrical supply, cooling system, and safety requirements when choosing an induction heater for your facility.
These are some of the main considerations when selecting an industrial induction heater for your application. You can consult with our engineers for more guidance and recommendations based on your specific needs.
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