An induction melting furnace is an energy-efficient, well-controlled, and clean melting process used to melt metals like steel, iron, aluminum, copper, and other precious metals like gold and silver. Unlike other furnaces, an induction furnace does not require an arc, which makes it easy to regulate the melting heat, keeping valuable alloying elements intact.
An induction furnace is therefore preferred in most modern foundries because it does not produce dust and other pollutants. The ability to melt the metals at regulated temperatures allowing them to retain their alloying elements, makes this furnace a better option,
Today, every industry is moving towards energy-saving and clean ways of doing things. Therefore, the induction furnace has become popular because of its ability to conserve heat and energy without polluting the environment with gases and loud noises. Let us look at how the furnace works and understand how each component contributes to the process.
There are four essential components in an induction melting furnace. The first one is the crucible, which is usually nonconductive and is used to hold the charge of the metal for melting. Next goes the yokes, which protect the copper coil from damage when it produces the magnetic field that induces the circular electric currents.
The water-cooled coil is the third component, made of copper wire and has a powerful alternating current flowing through it.
The best thing about this furnace is that heat originates from the furnace’s charge and is not an external heat source. That works well when you do not want to contaminate the metal you are melting. That characteristic puts the induction furnace ahead of any other heating process because there is very little heat lost.
The frequencies used in an induction furnace range between 50 to 400 kHz. However, it could go higher depending on the melting speed, type of material, and the volume of the furnace. If the volume of the melts is smaller, then the frequency of the furnace will be higher. Lower frequencies have higher penetration into the metal, referred to as skin depth.
Unlike traditional heating equipment, induction furnaces do not use heat conduction to heat the melt. It uses induction heating, which heats the metal and has thermal insulation materials to reduce heat loss. Therefore, an induction melting furnace offers less energy loss and higher thermal efficiency than other heating methods.
This type of heating has no external heat sources because the heat comes from within the charge itself. Therefore, the chances of contamination are slim. Any metals melted in the furnace will be pure and high-quality. This benefit works best for most high-end products from metals like gold and silver.
The temperatures are also controlled, which keeps off excess heat and maintains the alloying elements of the metals. The induction furnace also uses electromagnetic force, which stirs the molten metal and ensures its uniform composition. Without the electromagnetic force, there would be no automatic mixing, and other forms of mixing may not be as effective or uniform as the automatic one.
Melting in an induction furnace is fast because of the controlled temperatures and the high thermal efficiency. It is an excellent way to melt high volumes of metal as each melting session will take a considerably short time. You can maximize production and still retain the high quality of the metals you melt. This melting process is good for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
The impact of induction melting furnaces on the environment is small because it only produces a small noise. It is also a clean melting process, meaning no dust or gases are made. These aspects make it favorable for any environment and working space.
When you compare it to other melting methods, it has the least environmental impact and is, therefore, safe to use. Employees using the furnace will be able to work in a safe environment that has little to no dust or other gas emissions. This furnace allows you to do your job without endangering your life or the environment.
Now that this process melts metals fast and does not produce unnecessary high temperatures, the furnace life extends, giving you value for money. It saves you maintenance costs, which makes it relatively cost-effective.
This furnace uses no electrodes or fuel, making it easy and affordable. It also takes up less space because compact design
You can achieve higher production volumes without affecting the quality when you automate your induction heating process. The design of the machine makes it easy to integrate communication between the material handling and the heating process.
An induction melting furnace is efficient in melting most metals. Its versatility and efficiency make it the most preferable in today’s foundries. It is also energy-saving, making it a much better option than other traditional melting processes.
Therefore, buying an induction furnace will serve you better and reduce your maintenance costs without affecting the quality of the metals. If you are melting precious metals, an induction furnace helps you do that and still retain the quality of the metals after the process.