Why choose induction over an oven for manufacturing?
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Induction heating is a precise, fast, repeatable, non-contact method for heating electrically-conductive materials like brass, aluminum, copper or steel or semiconducting materials such as silicon carbide. It is also an efficient, clean and environmentally-friendly process, as it does not produce any emissions. Those are just some of the reasons induction heating has become increasingly popular in manufacturing.
Now, let's look at some of the specific reasons why manufacturers choose induction heating over oven heating:
Additional benefits of induction heating
In addition to the benefits listed above, induction heating also offers a number of other advantages, including:
- Faster heating times: Induction heating can often heat metals faster than oven heating. This can lead to significant time savings and more throughput for manufacturers.
- Reduced distortion: Induction heating causes less distortion in metals than oven heating. This is important for applications where dimensional accuracy is required.
- Improved repeatability: Induction heating is a very repeatable process. This means that manufacturers can produce consistent results time after time.
- Footprint: Induction tends to require significantly less space than an oven. And it can be even more advantageous when you consider that the induction workhead can be placed a distance from the induction power supply.
Common applications of induction heating
Induction is used in a wide variety of manufacturing applications, including:
- Brazing and Soldering: Induction heating can be used to join metals, such as soldering and brazing. These are often great applications for induction.
- Forging: Induction heating can be used to heat metals prior to forging.
- Heat treatment: Induction heating can be used to heat treat metals, including hardening, annealing, and tempering.
- Melting: Induction heating can be used to melt metals.
- Surface treatment: Induction heating can be used to apply surface treatments to metals, such as coatings.
In addition to the benefits listed above, induction heating also offers a number of other advantages, including:Induction is used in a wide variety of manufacturing applications, including:
Induction heating is an efficient, precise, clean, and environmentally friendly way to heat metals. It offers a number of advantages over oven heating, including faster heating times, reduced distortion, improved repeatability, and safety. Induction heating is used in a wide variety of manufacturing applications, including heat treatment, heat staking, forging, joining, melting, and surface treatment.
Learn more about induction on our About Induction page.
As with any significant process change and equipment purchase, it is important to be able to justify the expense in order to move forward. Here we review some of those factors that help make the business case for induction heating.
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Reduce Energy Costs
What does your oven cost to operate? With induction heating, its not uncommon to be able to convert 90% of your energy into heat in the part. By comparison, a batch furnace is typically only 45% energy efficient. Its also common to keep ovens operating 24/7 so its ready whenever you need to heat. That readily available heat comes at a cost. One Ultraflex customer reported annual operating costs of over $10,000 for their oven. They were shocked to find the induction system was only going to cost them $1,000 per year to operate (with the added bonus of improving their heating time from 70 minutes to 45 seconds!).
Implementing a torch has similar issues in that the majority of the energy does not enter the part. One customer estimated that they were spending $6.37 per part for a preheat application using a torch. The same preheat application using induction heat, had an energy cost of $0.58. In todays competitive market, can you afford to not save $5.79 per part?
How can I use this as part of my Business Case?
Look at your ovens specs to determine its power usage. Check online for your regions energy costs (or your energy bill) to determine the cost per kW-hr. For a torch, determine the amount of fuel consumed per part, and use the fuel rates to determine the cost per part. For the induction heating costs, Ultraflex is happy to run these calculations for you, when you request a quote.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Induction Heating Solutions.