Transport Shell for Induction Heating Without Ingot Surface Scoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method for producing seamless steel tubes by extrusion process results in scoring or grinding marks on the outer surface of steel ingots due to sliding friction within the induction furnace, leading to quality defects in the end product.
Innovation Solution
A non-magnetizable or non-inductive shell is used as a transporting shoe for steel ingots, which separates the ingot from the substructure inside the induction furnace, reducing sliding friction and preventing surface damage. The shell is designed with a shoulder that rests against the ingot, ensuring it remains attached during heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If steel ingots are pushed through the induction furnace on sheet metal strips or round steel bars, then the concrete tube is protected from wear, but scoring or grinding marks form on the outer surface of the steel ingots
Solution Approach 1:
A shell made of non-magnetizable or non-inductive material is introduced as an intermediary between the steel ingot and the substructure (sheet metal strip or round steel bar). This shell prevents direct contact and sliding friction between the ingot surface and the substructure, thereby eliminating scoring or grinding marks while still protecting the concrete tube from wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell is designed as a disposable or easily replaceable component that can be discarded after use. This allows the use of simple, inexpensive materials for the shell that do not need to be reused, focusing on protecting the expensive concrete tube and the quality of the steel ingot surface during a single heating cycle.
2Manufacturing precision
If a shell made of non-magnetizable or non-inductive material is used as transporting shoe, then surface quality of steel ingots is improved, but the shell must be continuously supplied and removed from the furnace
Solution Approach 1:
The transporting system is segmented into discrete shells that can be individually supplied and removed. Each shell is a separate, independent component that can be easily handled, loaded onto the ingot, and removed after heating, simplifying the overall supply and removal process compared to a continuous system.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell is designed with a shoulder that automatically engages with the steel ingot during the pushing process. The ingot itself, by being pushed through the furnace, automatically carries the shell along with it, eliminating the need for additional mechanisms to attach or transport the shell separately.
3Reliability
If the shell is designed with a shoulder to rest against the ingot, then the shell remains attached during heating, but the shell design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shell is simple in its overall structure but features a localized shoulder element at one end. This shoulder provides the necessary attachment function by resting against the ingot, while the rest of the shell remains a simple, smooth structure that does not interfere with the heating process or ingot surface quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of the shell as a transporting shoe effectively prevents scoring or grinding marks on the steel ingots, thereby improving the surface quality of the ingots and reducing quality defects in the seamless tubes produced.
Implementation Method 1
inductively heating steel ingots
Implementation Method 2
inductively preheated to a temperature of approximately 800° C.
Data Source
AI summary
A shell (10) acts as a transporting shoe for steel ingots, which are pushed through a preferably tubular induction furnace for inductive heating for the purpose of producing seamless tubes by the extrusion process. The shell (10) is formed in such a way that it partially reaches around the contour of the steel ingot to be heated. The shell is provided at one end leading in the pushing-through direction or transporting direction, with a shoulder (12), which extends at an angle to the transporting direction, against which the steel ingot rests in such a way that the pushed-through steel ingot takes the shell (10) along with it. A method for inductively heating steel ingots uses a shell (10) as described.