Transport Shell for Induction Heating Without Ingot Surface Scoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method for inductively heating steel ingots for seamless tube production results in scoring or grinding marks on the outer surface of the ingots, leading to quality defects in the end product.
Innovation Solution
A non-magnetizable or non-inductive shell is used as a transporting shoe for the steel ingots, which reduces sliding friction and prevents damage by separating the ingot from the induction furnace lining and guide means.
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 (such as ceramic foam or refractory ceramic) is introduced as an intermediary between the steel ingot and the concrete tube lining. This shell serves as a transport shoe that protects the ingot surface from direct contact with the furnace lining and guide means, thereby preventing scoring and grinding marks while allowing the ingot to be pushed through the induction furnace.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell is designed as a consumable component that can be easily replaced. Instead of protecting the expensive concrete tube lining indefinitely, a relatively inexpensive shell is used that can be discarded or replaced after a certain number of uses, ensuring continuous production without surface damage to the ingots.
2Manufacturing precision
If a shell made of non-magnetizable or non-inductive material is used as transport shoe, then surface damage to steel ingots is prevented, but the shell must be extracted and reused outside the induction furnace
Solution Approach 1:
The shell is designed to be discarded after use inside the induction furnace and recovered outside for reuse. The shell is pushed through the furnace with the steel ingot, then extracted and transported to a storage magazine where it can be reused for the next ingot, creating a cyclic process that balances surface protection with operational simplicity.
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 surface damage to the steel ingots during the heating process, thereby improving the quality of 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.