Preheating a Billet for Forging

A customer needed to preheat a billet to 250 ºF (121 ºC) for forging. After forging, it was going to be rolled into bars. The tested material was a 5.5 inch (140 mm) wide billet that was 62 inches (1575 mm) long. The LAB at Ambrell determined that an Ambrell EKOHEAT^Ⓡ 250 kW, 5-15 kHz induction heating power supply with a workhead and pancake coil specifically designed for this application would meet the customer's requirements.

The pancake induction heating coil was placed 0.5 inches (13 mm) away from the billet and the power was turned on. The part began to heat after one minute, and the power was then turned off. During the heating cycle, the top surface became red. That indicated that the billet had reached 1350 ºF (732 ºC). The part was then given four minutes to equalize and an average temperature of 250 ºF (121 ºC) was achieved.

Speed was the primary reason the client took advantage of free application testing from THE LAB at Ambrell. They needed to improve the cycle time of their gas furnace, and by preheating it prior to insertion into the furnace, time was saved and the client didn’t have to invest in doubling the size of their furnace. Efficiency was another consideration, as the efficiency of induction also resulted in energy savings for the client. 

If you have an application, be sure to take advantage of complimentary application testing from THE LAB. We now also offer Virtual Lab Service. It allows you to observe testing live from our induction applications laboratory from your office. Contact us today to get started.