Industrial Heating

44 MAY 2015 ■ IndustrialHeating.com

INDUCTION

HEAT TREATING

U

sing the expertise of a consultant to help you purchase

specialized induction equipment can provide many

benefits. These include a more complete purchase

specification; more qualified bidders; cost savings

for the best value; detailed review of the offerings; and better

understanding of the equipment acceptance, start-up and

warranty details.

In the past, some major automotive plants, farm-equipment

plants and f irst-tie r truck and automotive suppliers had people

within their organization who had some of this specialized

knowledge. Some of them even had technical-support engineers

that studied specialized equipment and helped the plants with

specifications and evaluating the offerings. With downsizing,

retirements and manufacturing outsourcing of complete

assemblies, much of this help and advice is no longer available.

Investment in Expert Advice Can

Return Dividends

Purchasing induction heating equipment can be a difficult

task with a variety of unknowns and possible pitfalls for many

organizations. Since induction heating is a very specialized

process, it can require complex equipment combining electrical,

mechanical, machine control and process monitoring to

achieve a consistent process result. When a manufacturer

needs to purchase this type of equipment, they generally need

to rely on the expertise or the specialized knowledge of the

companies that make this equipment. However, there is a lot of

expertise available that is no longer attached to the equipment

manufacturers.

Some of these experts include former VPs of sales and

engineering, general managers, power-supply designers,

and process and metallurgical experts. These specialists are

available as consultants to large and smaller manufacturers

that want help to buy, use or improve their induction heating

equipment. Most of these consultants have been used by the

induction heating equipment manufacturers, but the users of

this equipment can take advantage of this help as well. For

a relatively small investment, this assistance can be used to

save money on the purchase of new equipment, get the best

equipment for their needs from a company well suited to

supply their requirements and review the details of what is

being offered.

All of the companies that manufacture this specialized

type of equipment have a wealth of expertise within their

organizations. Much of this knowledge is gained from the

experience of the particular products and processes with which

they are most frequently involved. An example of this would be

a company that is primarily engaged with induction melting,

induction heating for forming or forging, or induction welding

of tube and pipe. These companies may not have as much

experience in induction heating for heat treatment or brazing.

Their specific expertise can inf luence the design and efficiency

of the products they build and offer for their customers.

Induction power supplies that are designed for melting,

tube welding, mass heating, etc. may have different primary

requirements than those designed for heat treating, brazing or

other purposes. Some induction companies have more experience

with small, higher-frequency power supplies (less than 50 kW),

while some others have more experience with larger, medium-

frequency power supplies (more than 50 kW). It is not common to

find one company that has equal effectiveness with both. When

a manufacturer needs to buy an induction heating machine, how

can they sort out all of the important areas to consider and find

the companies best suited to supply their needs?

Frank Wilson – Induction Heating Consultations;

Grosse Pointe Woods,  Mich.

In my 40-plus years in the induction heating business, I can

remember few (if any) instances where a buyer of induction

equipment had the necessary expertise to help in specifying,

evaluating, negotiating and managing the overall buying process.

Induction Heating

Expertise Helps

Equipment Buyers

INDUCTION

HEAT TREATING

Fig. 1. Standard scanner with moving

parts over fixed shafts and tooling

(courtesy AjaxTocco Magnethermic)