Pre-heating, Re-heating

Bar End Heating

This horizontal bar end heater is used to simultaneously heat both ends of stabiliser bars for the automotive industry. The bars shown approximately 30mm (1 ³/₁₆") diameter; they are being heated to forging temperature at a production rate of one bar every 12 seconds.  The handling mechanism is fully adjustable to cater for a diverse range of  lengths and profiles.  The heating power and line speed are of course, adjustable to suit variations in bar sizes and production requirements. The heating coils are fitted in the two boxes that embrace the bars at the exit end of the conveyor.  The induction heater can be seen on the right hand side.

This photograph shows a typical bar end heating application (the bar has been partially withdrawn from the heating coil).  If required, a very sharp transition zone between the heated and unheated sections can be achieved.  This is very helpful in "up setting" applications where if the hot zone is too long, bars can be trapped in the lower part of the die set.  If the application calls for a gradual hot to cold transition this can easily be achieved by suitable work coil design.

Selective Heating

This photograph shows the selective heating of a large steel bar that will be bent at 90 degrees to form a fork for a fork lift truck.  This dramatic photograph was taken during initial heating trials.  In production, the work coil is housed in an insulated housing and the steel bars are moved in to place by a conveyor. The optical pyrometer (just about visible) to the right of the hot metal, is used to provide validation documentation relating to time and temperature. Induction heating may be used to selectively heat either large or small metal sections.

These prostheses used in hip joint replacement are made of surgical steel and will be locally heated prior to final bending and forming to the required shape. The rapid heating possible with the induction method, significantly reduces surface oxidisation of all metals.  This leads to less post operative cleaning/descaling and increased die life plus of course, increased production rates.