Induction Heating a Steel Wire

Objective

A company needed to heat a 10 mm diameter steel wire to 400 °F (204 °C) in a continuous process. They contacted THE LAB at Ambrell to see if induction might be the right heating fit for their application. They required a rapid heating time and sent steel wire samples to THE LAB for viability testing.

More Heating Application Notes

Evaluation

A specially designed helical induction coil was used to provide heat to the wire. Initial tests were conducted to optimize the power delivered to the part and to understand the heating patterns achieved. After several changes and iterations on the coil setup, the viability of the application was confirmed.

The heating time was 0.5-1 second. A feed rate of 10-12 feet per minute is easily achievable with the Ambrell EKOHEAT 15 kW power supply set at 98 kHz.

Solution

THE LAB at Ambrell confirmed the viability of the application. The target temperature was achieved within one second. The client will realize several benefits using induction heating including speed, repeatability, a reduced footprint and energy efficiency. 

THE LAB at Ambrell has considerable experience with wire heating applications, which enabled them to deliver a solution that met the client's requirements. To learn more about free application testing, where feasibility is confirmed and a tailored systems recommendation is offered, visit our page about THE LAB to get the process started.