Induction Heating Design

Electroheat has extensive capability for the process development of induction heating equipment. New processes are first conceptualized then developed in our fully equipped facility. Complete metallurgical capability is provided on each heat treating project.

High frequency induction heating equipment for induction hardening, induction brazing, and soldering is having a marked effect on manufacturing methods and, as time goes on, will have a decided influence on the constructional design of many products. While in many certain cases design changes will be limited, there are examples of certain modifications that will make the adoption of induction heating more practical. These changes usually are not drastic, but more on the order of improvements to suit the characteristics of this method of heating.

All in all, it is largely a case of acquiring the technique of induction heating requirements, and then considering these needs to make its use successful. A sound general knowledge of what induction heating equipment can and cannot do, though relatively simple, is basic to its practical application.

In a case where induction heating equipment has not produced exactly what was wanted or expected, the cause can usually be traced to some design feature or details which could easily have been modified when the design was started. Thus, it’s evident that knowing from the beginning what is required to make induction heating successful may help to develop its full possibilities.

High frequency induction heating equipment has many uses in all types of industrial plants and its application undoubtedly will play an important part in future manufacture. As in the case of any new process, it’s necessary to follow specific procedures, such as designing principles, in order to attain the full benefits of induction heating — economical heat, quickly applied, with extreme uniformity.

Accelerated Austenitizing™

The process of using variable frequency induction heating equipment (with high-flux-intensity heating) to achieve accelerated austenitizing has long been known to produce a very fine grain microstructure. The process is credited with imparting the metallurgical characteristics needed to produce higher surface hardness with less distortion than conventional induction heating processes.

Recent developments at Electroheat Technologies have found other benefits of the accelerated austenitizing process as well, for example, the phenomenon of mass (self) quenching. In the past, mass quenching of complex surfaces was only possible with laser heating, where surface temperature is raised rapidly with intense heat in a very short period of time. This rapid high-intensity heating allows the cold part mass, adjacent to the heated surface, to remove the heat rapidly through natural conduction heat flow.

With improved part quality, reduced part distortion, and higher production rates as key benefits, the future looks excellent for accelerated austenitizing using variable frequency heating for induction hardening applications.

A high intensity cam lobe developed via an induction hardening process 

A vertical scanner with a PLC and an integral quench system

A bench top high frequency power supply for induction heating

A dial table for induction heating production or pre-production parts

A cam lobe section of a camshaft using our Accelerated Austenitizing™ induction heating process

An internal gear hardened using our Accelerated Austenitizing™ induction heating process