Stress Relieving Springs with Induction Heating

Objective

A company that manufactures garage door springs contacted THE LAB at Ambrell because they needed to anneal steel springs for stress relieving.

Evaluation

THE LAB determined that an Ambrell EKOHEAT^® 50 kW, 15-45 kHz induction heating system with a multiple turn helical coil would be the right solution for the customer. The frequency for the application was 19 kHz and the target temperature was 600 °F (315.6 °C).

A specially designed multi-turn helical coil was used to provide the required heat to the spring. Initial tests were conducted to optimize the power delivered to the part and to understand the heating patterns. Testing was successful, with a time-to-heat of 15 seconds. This client had been using an oven but was interested in changing to induction heating.

Solution

Using induction heating for this annealing application was beneficial for several reasons. Induction is a high efficiency heating method with lower energy consumption than other methods such as an oven which has a considerable ramp up time. It is also a fast, controllable and repeatable heating process that delivers an even distribution of heat. Finally, THE LAB at Ambrell was able to validate feasibility and recommend the right system for their requirements, giving the client peace of mind before making the purchase. 

If you have an application that could benefit from induction heating, consider taking advantage of free parts testing from THE LAB at Ambrell. We offer remote lab service, in-person testing, or you can simply send in your parts, we'll then test them, send a lab report, and return them for your inspection.