The Inductotherm Group’s Forging Team reports it has developed a new concept in forging-billet heating. The InductoForge process is modular design that uses elements of a standard induction process to heat billets at reduced costs, but also to provide the operators with flexibility in process control, operation, and maintenance.
Four companies make up the Inductotherm Forging Team: Alpha 1, IHS, Newelco, and Radyne. InductoForge is offered through Inductoheat, the Q-1 and ISO-9001-certified arm of Inductotherm that supplies induction-heating systems for billets, strip, and similar in-line processes.
InductoForge’s nominal 400-kW modules can be placed back to back to build any wattage required to meet the production needs of the operation. "A 66% larger operating window allows the forger to heat a wider range of parts in a single diameter coil design (reduced coil change-over)," Inductotherm states. The process is outfitted with advanced controls that set module power levels and line speeds automatically, to achieve the final temperature and uniformity.