Induction Heating Solutions
Induction Heating Applications
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BRAZING AND SOLDERING
Induction brazing and soldering are processes that take advantage of induction heating’s ability to deliver rapid localized heating to a particular region of a part. It is not often necessary or desired to heat the entire part when brazing or soldering. Unlike furnace soldering or brazing, induction heating allows the user to deliver the heat only where it is needed within close proximity to the joint. During the soldering or brazing process, on like materials, the narrow region on each of the two parts to be joined are brought to temperature at the same time. Induction heating delivers rapid localized heat, which can minimize oxidation and reduce cleaning after joining, especially when rapid cooling is utilized. Because induction heating can be localized, it often eliminates distortion and other undesirable metallurgical changes in other regions of the part -- especially in higher temperature brazing applications. The ability to deliver localized heat helps induction heating to produce neat and clean joints by keeping the alloy from flowing in areas that it shouldn't. This ability to create clean and controllable joints is one of the reasons that induction soldering is being used extensively in the electronics and electrical industries. Since most of the variables are controllable (i.e., parts handling and fixturing, amount of alloy, time cycle, etc.), induction brazing and soldering can often eliminate the need for skilled operators as well as produce high quality repeatable parts.
Repeatability is maintained if the following parameters are followed:
- All parts are positioned in the induction coil in a consistent manner.
- The amount of filler metal is controlled
- Insuring the integrity of the part to be joined is not altered; induction heating will produce consistent reliable parts time and time again.
For the most part, induction brazing and soldering is done in an open-air environment but it can also be done in a controlled atmosphere when necessary to keep the parts completely clean and free of oxidation. Dissimilar metals can also be joined by induction heating but they do require special attention and techniques to bring the parts to temperature at similar rates due to differences in the materials resistivity, relative magnetic permeability and coefficients of thermal expansion. Induction brazing and soldering is especially beneficial from both an economic and practicality standpoint when a scenario exists whereby there is medium to high production runs of same or similar parts. In this scenario, it would be typical but not mandatory, to utilize some sort of semi or fully automated parts handling system to maneuver and place the parts into the induction heating coil in a rapid and consistent fashion. Although automation of the process is often desirable, it is more common to have an operator running the soldering/brazing station. While most induction brazing and soldering processes utilize the power supply’s internal timer to control cycle times, temperature control feedback may be utilized as well by the use of thermocouples, IR pyrometers or visual temperature sensors.
INDUCTION HEAT TREATING
Heat-treating is basically the controlled heating and cooling of a metal or alloy in order to obtain a set of desired metallurgical properties. Induction heating has many advantages in heat-treating applications over methods that involve heating devices such as furnaces and ovens. Induction heating delivers rapid heat from within the part versus the slow heat delivered from the outside of the part inward, via radiation and convectional heat transfer in alternative heating methods such as ovens and furnaces. The higher speeds of induction heating can lead to higher productivity as well as a reduction in surface oxidation and scaling. Induction heating can often improve component quality and reduce scrap due to the real-time nature of an induction heating process. By having parts come off in a continuous fashion versus a batch method, quality issues can be caught and corrected before a complete batch is manufactured. Economic benefits can be gained with induction heating due to reduced floor space, energy efficiency, high reliability, instant on characteristics (no warm up time), and the previously mentioned reduction in scrap. The localized heating benefits of induction heating often come in to play with heat-treating as well. Typical Induction heat-treating applications include; Hardening, Annealing, Tempering, and Stress relieving.
CURING
Induction heating can be used to cure organic coatings on electrically conductive materials by delivering rapid heat into the substrate. This technique is especially beneficial in that the curing occurs from within (induction heating induces current directly into a substrate), which tends to minimize coating defects created by the bubbling effect of heat flowing from the outside into the substrate. Because induction heating can heat as fast as required, it can be used in continuous production environments such as curing paint on sheet metal.
BONDING
Induction heating can deliver rapid localized heat to the area that is to be bonded. A typical bonding application makes use of thermosetting adhesives to create the bond between metal and any number of materials. Induction bonding is used heavily in the automotive industry. Other types of bonds can include; plastic to metal, plastic to plastic (using metal gaskets), glass to metal and rubber to metal are also common. Induction bonding processes are limited only by ones own imagination.
Other induction heating applications include; Semiconductor Fabrication, Crystal Growing, Tin Reflow, Hermetic Sealing, Getter Firing, Catheter Tipping, Forging, Hot Forming, Melting, Casting, In-Line Wire Heating, Hot Shearing, Shrink Fitting, Billet Heating along with many others.
