HEAT PROCESSING International Thermprocess Summit 2013 (Vorschau)

International Magazine for Industrial Furnaces
Heat Treatment & Equipment
04 I 2013
ISSN 1611-616X
Vulkan-Verlag
www.heatprocessing-online.com
ITPS flashback on pages 46 - 47!
Further impressions at: www.itps-online.com

join the best
7 – 11 April 2014
Düsseldorf, Germany
International Wire and Cable Trade Fair
International Tube and Pipe Trade Fair
Meeting point: wire 2014 and Tube 2014
in Düsseldorf!
join the best – welcome to the world’s leading trade fair for the tube, wire and
cable industry! Those who wish to find comprehensive information about the latest innovations
both in wire and tube manufacturing and processing need look no further. It can all be found here
at the world’s most important exhibitions. A focal point of wire 2014: The growing importance
of copper wires in automotive engineering, in telecommunication or electronics. Special focal
point at Tube 2014: Plastic tubes. A special area is reserved for them, because the question of
materials is becoming more and more important.
An important fixed date in your calendar – your visit to wire 2014 and to Tube 2014 in Düsseldorf!
www.wire.de
www.tube.de
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
P.O. Box 10 10 06 _ 40001 Düsseldorf _ Germany
Tel. +49 (0)2 11/45 60-01 _ Fax +49 (0)2 11/45 60-6 68
www.messe-duesseldorf.de

EDITORIAL
European thermo process industry
facing global challenges
The economic situation of the thermo process industry
depends strongly on the economic cycle of its main customers
and key markets. Against this background, the current
downturn is not surprising.
At present, Europe – the biggest export market for the CECOF
countries, with a share of over 30 % – hardly gives impetus to
new growth. The decline in industrial production that has started
last year and continued this year, resulting in reduced investments
in equipment, was just too sharp. The global steel industry
being a big consumer of thermo process technology struggles
with a massive structural crisis. In addition, some of the biggest
markets in Asia show slowing growth – on the one hand with
China’s development remaining subdued, on the other hand
with the problems of the Indian economy and the slowdown
in the ASEAN countries. As a consequence, companies’ expectations
with regards to new orders are retained or even negative.
Nevertheless, some early indicators show promise for a step
by step recovery of Europe and at the same time for a revival of
the non-European key markets. On this basis, more companies
expect a clearly more positive development in 2014 compared
to this year. European manufacturers of thermo processing
equipment are technology leaders and with an export of about
€ 4.5 billion in 2012 the CECOF countries continue to hold the
biggest export share worldwide, even though this share is currently
shrinking. A fact that is not only due to the growing exports
from China, to quite some extent it results from a structural
change with European companies increasingly globalising their
businesses and localising their production in key markets. Not
everybody might appreciate this trend but it is certainly a logical
step and necessary in the face of global challenges.
CECOF will continue to support its European members to
best service their customers and to be successful in the future.
Dr. Timo Würz
Managing Director VDMA Thermo Process
Technology Association and General Secretary CECOF
4-2013 heat processing
1

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4-2013
6
HOT SHOTS
Rotary hearth furnace for the heating of forgings
42
REPORTS
Heat treatment of large dies
Reports
Heat Treatment
by Manfred Hiller, Hartmut Steck-Winter
27 Collaborative maintenance of thermal processing systems
by Gregory Matula, Ijaz Mohsin
33 MIM-Technology: Debinding and sintering furnaces
Vacuum Technologies
by Maciej Korecki, Józef Olejnik, Piotr Kula, Emilia Wołowiec
39 Best practice in heat treatment of large dies made of hot work tool steels
Burner & Combustion
by Anne Giese, Eren Tali, Hüseyin Yilmaz, Jörg Leicher
49 Development of a multi-fuel burner for operation with light oil, natural gas and low
calorific value gas
by Dirk Mäder, René Lohr, Octavio Schmiel Gamarra
57 Practical burner applications in consideration of DIN EN 746-2
2 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS
57 46
REPORTS
Practical burner applications
INTERNATIONAL THERMPROCESS SUMMIT 2013
Flashback: Read all about the ITPS premiere
Induction Technology
by Frank Donsbach, Klemens Peters, Dietmar Trauzeddel
61 Tailor-made frequency converter technology for induction furnaces
Research & Development
by Egbert Baake
69 Potentials for saving energy in Europe by the use of electro thermal technologies
Business & Management
by Thilo Sagermann
75 Furnace technology from the rolling mill designer and builder
-FLASHBACK
46 First ITPS in Germany – A great success
4-2013 heat processing
3

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4-2013
100%
Throughput performance increases
Effect of CIP
Effect of preventive Maintenance
System performance
Reactive Maintenance only
Wear and tear reduce system performance
over time
Operating time
30 86
REPORTS
Collaborative maintenance of
thermal processing systems
TECHNOLOGY IN PRACTICE
Electric arc furnace for continuous operation
Focus On
81 Edition 8: Jan Schmidt-Krayer
“Our name and reputation is also a huge obligation”
Technology in Practice
86 Electric arc furnace for continuous operation
Companies Profile
116 Noxmat GmbH
News
8 Trade & Industry
16 Events
22 Diary
22 Personal
24 Media
88 Products & Services
heatprocessing
Stay informed and follow us on Twitter
heat processing
@heatprocessing
heat processing is the international magazine for industrial furnaces,
heat treatment & equipment
Essen · http://www.heatprocessing-online.com
4 heat processing 4-2013

82
FOCUS ON
Edition 8: Jan Schmidt-Krayer
CECOF Corner
26 Flashback CECOF General Assembly 2013
Business Directory
94 I. Furnaces and plants for industrialheat treatment processes
104 II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
Light.
Also interested in really fast, rugged, accurate, customised
and inexpensive infrared thermometers and cameras for
non-contact measurements between -50°C to +2200°C?
Visit www.optris.co.uk
There’s no two ways about it: our extremely lightweight
infrared cameras are the first of their kind
to be used for airborne recording of radiometric
video imagery.
26.–28.11.2013
Visit us at the
SPS/IPC/DRIVES
Hall 4A, Booth 126
112 III. Consulting, design, service andengineering
113 IV. Trade associations, institutes,universities, organisations
114 V. Exhibition organizers, training and education
COLUMN
1 Editorial
6 Hot Shots
92 Index of Advertisers
117 Imprint
4-2013 heat processing
Innovative Infrared
Technology

HOT SHOTS
6 heat processing 4-2013

HOT SHOTS
Rotary hearth furnace with regenerative heating for
high-alloyed and titanium forgings
This furnace-type grants a high temperature homogeneity
and improved energy balance as well as flexibility in production.
It can be charged with cold and preheated parts
in various dimensions which are heated by single-row or
multi-row arrangement.
(Source: Andritz Maerz GmbH)
4-2013 heat processing
7

NEWS
Trade & Industry
Largest continuous caster comes on stream
Dongbei Special Steel in Dalian City,
Liaoning Province, China, successfully
commissioned an 800-mm bloom
continuous caster of SMS Concast, Switzerland.
That means the company is now
operating its third continuous bloom caster
from SMS Concast. With the new plant,
Dongbei and SMS Concast are continuing
their long-lasting partnership. Just like the
previous plants in Dongbei-Beiman (2002)
and Dongbei-Dalian (2011), the new continuous
caster produces high-quality special
steel blooms. It comes with an annual
capacity of up to 450,000 t. The machine
casts blooms with diameters of 600 to
800 mm. Dongbei Special Steel uses the
blooms to forge large shafts, tool steel, and
stainless steel on its hydraulic presses and
radial forging machines from SMS Meer. It
supplies these products to the oil, energy,
aircraft, and automotive industry.
Danieli Corus commissions Indias largest blast furnace
Danieli Corus BV from IJmuiden,
Netherlands, has commissioned the
greenfield blast furnace No. 5 built for Steel
Authority of India Limited (SAIL) at their
Rourkela (Odisha, India) steel plant. This
blast furnace was built by a consortium
consisting of Danieli Corus and Tata Projects
Limited and is currently India’s largest
blast furnace. The first hot metal was
tapped after 27 hours.
It is a major milestone for Danieli Corus
for having built the largest operating blast
furnace, according to the “Hoogovens”
philosophy, in this important market. The
furnace is named after the Hindu goddess
Durga and was designed to European
standards and based on European technology.
It was built to produce around
8,000 t of hot metal per day for a twenty
year campaign and is part of a € 1.75 million
expansion program at the Rourkela Steel
Plant. Engineering, supplies and construction
of the furnace have taken five years.
This is the fourth greenfield blast furnace
project completed by Danieli Corus in India
and based on the “Hoogovens” philosophy.
Previously, three smaller blast furnaces were
built for private companies, of which the
one operated by Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.
has been the country’s best performing
blast furnace over the past years. In addition,
Danieli Corus has executed substantial
revamp and repair projects on the blast
furnaces operated by Tata Steel at their
Jamshedpur plant.
Steel demand in India is vast, given the
country’s economic growth of 5.3 % p.a.
Steel consumption per capita remains substantially
lower than that in, for example,
China. Infrastructural and urban development
projects feed India’s hunger for
steel and the country remains an important
market. Danieli Corus India currently
employs 45 people and continues to grow.
The two most recent greenfield blast furnace
projects in India have realised about
350,000 man hours (equivalent to more
than 200 man years) of work to the EU.
8 heat processing 4-2013

Trade & Industry
NEWS
StrikoWestofen supplies furnaces to South Korea
For the very first time, the StrikoWestofen
Group has delivered two StrikoMelter
melting furnaces to aluminium foundries in
South Korea. This means that companies on
the South Korean market are now benefiting
from the advantages of the efficient
technology from Gummersbach (Germany).
In the first quarter of 2013, it was possible to
successfully implement two pilot projects,
each of which comprised the delivery of a
two-chamber melting furnace.
South Korean producers of cast aluminium
parts have been registering high
growth rates for years now. Whereas
Germany was just returning to the level
of 2008 by 2012, production in South
Korea doubled over the same period. In
the year 2011, 54 % of all aluminium cast
parts produced worldwide came from
Asia – and the trend points upwards.
StrikoWestofen was able to successfully
take a total of two melting furnaces into
operation in South Korea in spring 2013.
The conditions offered by both customers
were totally different – but their requirements
were not: the “Il Gangh” company
has opened a completely new foundry
according to the highest technological
standards near to Gimjie. Il Gang decided
to put a StrikoMelter two-chamber furnace
of MH II type at the heart of the melting
system. In addition, process reliability is
increased permanently by an automatic
weighing system and process visualization.
The potential savings with regard to the
operating costs were also the main factor
motivating the foundry “Inzi Amt” in Dangjin
to equip its plant with a StrikoMelter
melting furnace. Just like the foundry Il
Gangh, Inzi Amt manufactures die-cast
parts for the automotive industry – including
gear housings and cylinder heads. In
the course of a modernization process, the
locally built melting furnace has now been
replaced by a StrikoMelter furnace. Besides
achieving a considerable increase in process
reliability, the technology made in
Germany approximately halves the energy
consumption. The energy consumption of
120 m 3 of natural gas per tonne of molten
aluminium has now been reduced to a
nominal consumption of less than 60 m 3
of natural gas per tonne. The considerably
improved efficiency is also evident from
the metal loss, which is especially low in
the case of the StrikoMelter thanks to the
EtaMax shaft geometry.
We secure your success with professional service.
www.aichelin.com
4-2013 heat processing
9

NEWS
Trade & Industry
Refratechnik takes over Burton
The Refratechnik Group in Ismaning (near
Munich, Germany), a leading manufacturer
of ceramic refractory products, has
acquired the facilities of Burton GmbH &
Co. KG in Melle, (near Osnabrück, Germany),
and will continue business operations
under the name Refratechnik Ceramics
GmbH with immediate effect. Thanks to
this takeover, the jobs of the employees
in the Melle location will be saved. As a
result of this strategic takeover, Refratechnik
Ceramics will become a market leader and
global supplier of refractory products for
industrial furnaces in the ceramics industry.
In this field, the product range covers wall,
roof and car systems as well as furniture
for tunnel kilns, in which products such
as refractory ceramics, roof tiles, sanitary
ware, and other ceramic products are fired.
Burton Kiln Furniture in Hungary, which was
also taken over by Refratechnik Ceramics,
primarily produces cast refractory materials.
Consequently, Refratechnik Ceramics is the
world’s only supplier of a complete range
of ceramic systems for furnaces.
The “Industrial” division manufactures
and sells high-performance products for
applications in waste incineration plants,
coal-fired power plants, primary aluminium
industry, non-ferrous metallurgy and the
glass and steel industries. While the field of
industrial furnaces for the ceramics industry
represents an expansion of Refratechnik’s
activities, Burton’s “Industrial” customer base
and product portfolio is a contribution to
Refratechnik’s consistent expansion of existing
business operations, in particular in the
fields of primary aluminium and waste incineration.
In these areas, Refratechnik is now a
full-service supplier offering complex refractory
systems from a single source. Founded
in 1950, the Refratechnik Group has more
than 1,200 employees worldwide, making
it the largest family-owned company in
the refractory business. It is also one of the
most dynamic medium-sized companies in
Germany. With its companies Refratechnik
Cement GmbH in Göttingen, and Refratechnik
Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong, the Refratechnik
Group is the global market leader for highgrade
refractory linings for furnaces in the
cement industry, and a reliable partner in
the lime industry. With Refratechnik Steel
GmbH in Düsseldorf, the Group is successful
internationally in the metal-producing and
metal-processing industries. Magnesite ore,
a primary raw material e.g. for the refractory
industry, is mined and processed by
Baymag Inc. in Calgary, Canada – a whollyowned
subsidiary of Refratechnik Holding
GmbH. With the acquisition of Burton, the
Refratechnik Group now has 18 sites in four
continents. Nine of these are state-of-the-art
production facilities for burnt, shaped and
unshaped refractory products. Two other
sites are in the raw materials business.
Siemens: Bloom caster goes on stream in China
Siemens Metals Technologies put a
continuous bloom caster into operation
at Chinese steel producer Changzhou
Zhongtian Iron & Steel (Zenith Steel). The
plant has an annual production capacity
of around 1.3 million t of blooms. Blooms
with diameters of 360, 400 and 500 mm
are further processed into seamless pipes,
while those with a diameter of 600 mm are
used to produce forging steels.
Zenith Steel belongs to China´s Top 20
steel producers. It is privately owned and
runs an integrated iron and steel works in
Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. The company’s
steel works has three BOF (LD)
converters with a production capacity of
10 million t of steel per year. Zenith Steel
produces a wide range of end products,
including steel pipes, bearing and spring
steels, as well as a range of structural steels.
The five-strand casting plant built by
Siemens is designed to produce round
blooms with diameters ranging from 360
to 600 mm. It can cast structural steels, highcarbon,
alloyed and low-alloyed steels, as
well as pipe steel grades, at a speed of up to
0.8 m/min. The continuous casting plant has
a machine radius of 14 m and a metallurgical
length of 32 m. It is equipped with a curved
casting mold, a DynaFlex hydraulic mold
oscillator and LevCon mold level control.
The drawing unit for rectangular blooms
consists of three segments, and works with
DynaGap Soft Reduction, preventing center
segregation and ensuring that the interior
quality of the blooms is homogeneous.
Siemens designed the continuous casting
plant, supplied key components and
technology packages, the complete basic
and process automation, as well as the VAIQ
quality management system. The scope
of services also included advisory services
during construction and commissioning,
and customer training.
10 heat processing 4-2013

Trade & Industry
NEWS
4-2013 heat processing
11

NEWS
Trade & Industry
EFD Induction
scores breakthrough
order
with Japan’s NSK
Küttner ordered two generators
from Loesche
E
FD Induction, one of Europe’s largest
induction heating companies, has
won an order for an automatic induction
hardening and quenching system from
NSK of Japan, the bearing and precision
parts manufacturer. The system, which
is to be used for hardening automotive
components, is due for delivery before
the end of this year.
The order from NSK is special in that
it involves a system made at one of EFD
Induction’s manufacturing centers in
China. Traditionally, many Japanese firms
have been reluctant to turn to overseas
suppliers. This is especially true for complex
manufacturing equipment such as
the system sold to NSK. Induction heating
is often used to harden critical components
in the automotive and other
industries. The hardening – usually of the
surface of a component – is achieved by
rapidly raising the temperature of the surface
of the workpiece. This temperature
increase changes the microstructure of
the metal. Subsequent quenching then
permanently locks this structure into a
much harder, more durable form. Induction
hardening is more and more being
used for hardening critical components
because each component is hardened
individually and only at the desired surfaces.
Also, the speed and precision of
induction heating minimizes the distortion
to components brought about by
heat treatment. This in turn reduces the
need for postheating processes such as
grinding. Finally, induction hardening systems
slot easily into existing or planned
production lines, thereby maintaining
production flows, and minimizing the
number of ‘parts-in-process’.
The engineering firm Küttner has been
a customer of Loesche GmbH for many
years and develops turnkey systems for
the iron & steel industry and foundries.
Furthermore, they supply industry sectors
representing energy and environmental
engineering and non-ferrous metallurgy.
Küttner ordered two hot gas generators of
the type LF 18-L for a project of Siemens
VAI Metals Technologies Ltd. The hot gas
generators are intended for the hot gas
production at a coal dry-grinding plant in
order to replace the use of expensive coke.
Both hot gas generators have a thermal
capacity of approx. 8 MW that is deliberate
through the combustion of about
6,750 Nm³/h blast-furnace gas. The multiple
lance burner (MLB) especially designed for
the stable combustion of low calorific gases
was conceptualised by Loesche Thermo-
Prozess GmbH (LTP) with its headquarter
in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Since 2012 LTP
is a subsidiary of Loesche GmbH. For over
100 years Loesche GmbH has been successfully
building machines, such as mills,
classifiers, hot gas generators, rotary gates
etc., and been involved in plant construction
around the world. Loesche develops,
plans and delivers plant components and
complete grinding plants to the cement,
iron & steel, power station, industrial mineral,
ore and wood industries and for nonferrous
metallurgy applications. The first Loesche
hot gas generators were developed, built
and delivered in 1960, and were available
both with and without refractory linings.
Which hot gas generator was used depended
on the desired outlet temperature for the
downstream processes and on the dust content
of the process gas to be heated. Since
then these hot gas generators have been
subject to continuous further development,
always represent the latest know-how and
conform to the current technical standards.
They are characterised by a clean, complete
burning process and low emissions. Loesche
hot gas generators are suitable for direct
drying processes and are used for example
in conjunction with grinding plants, drumtype
driers, fluidised-bed furnaces/driers,
flash driers or spheroidisers. The delivery
for both Loesche hot gas generators, type
LF 18-L, for the Linz Steel Coal project took
place in September 2013.
12 heat processing 4-2013

Trade & Industry
NEWS
Posco produces world’s thickest stainless-steel slabs
single-strand continuous stainlesssteel
slab caster capable to cast the
A
world’s thickest stainless steel slabs was
brought into operation in July for Pohang
Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. (Posco) in Pohang,
Korea. Siemens Metals Technologies built
the machine in Posco´s stainless steel plant
SSCP 4. It is designed to produce 700,000 t
of austenitic and ferritic steel slabs with
thicknesses of up to 300 mm/a. The new
continuous casting plant expands Posco’s
capacity for producing high-quality stainless
steels. The continuous bow-type caster
from Siemens is equipped with a straight
Smart Mold. It has a machine radius of
11 m and a metallurgical length of 26.9 m.
Slabs are cast with thicknesses of 250 and
300 mm in widths ranging from 800 to
1,650 mm. The casting speed can reach
1.1 m/min.
Siemens was responsible for the engineering,
the supply of key components
and technology packages, including the
LevCon mold level control, the DynaFlex
mold oscillator, and DynaWidth for setting
the slab width. The strand is guided by
Smart Segments. Thanks to DynaGap Soft
Reduction 3D, it is possible to determine
the position of the final solidification of the
strand with high precision. This enables
the roll gap to be controlled precisely and
high internal slab quality to be obtained.
A combination of the Dynacs 3D cooling
module, DynaJet spray cooling and internally
cooled I-Star rollers ensures efficient
secondary cooling, an important prerequisite
for achieving slabs with a high-quality
surface. The scope of supplies and services
from Siemens also included the complete
basic (level 1) and process automation of
the casting plant as well as advisory services
for construction and commissioning.
www.burkert.com
All inclusive!
What you see here is the essence of universality.
Perfect for whenever you require a direct-acting
2/2-way solenoid valve. It’s the one valve you can use
for each and every occasion. Built for both neutral
and slightly aggressive media – powerful enough to
work with dry gases or steam. Three design elements
ensure you get maximum performance: its highest
flow rates, its long service life and its top reliability.
All of which come standard. And it’s no problem at all
if your processing environment demands additional
features – from more pressure and a different supply
voltage, to an Ex version. Simply universal: our
solenoid valve 6027.
We make ideas flow.
Solenoid Valves | Process & Control Valves | Pneumatics & Process Interfaces | Sensors | Transmitters & Controllers | MicroFluidics | Mass Flow Controllers | Solenoid Control Valves
4-2013 heat processing
13

NEWS
Trade & Industry
Andritz to supply furnace plant to voestalpine
International technology Group Andritz
has received an order from voestalpine
Austria Draht – one of the world’s leading
wire manufacturers – for the supply, installation,
and start-up of a new walking beam
furnace for continuous casting billets at the
Donawitz plant, Austria. The plant will have
an annual capacity of 550,000 t. Start-up is
scheduled for the beginning of 2016.
Andritz Maerz, specialist for continuous
industrial furnace systems in the
Andritz Group with headquarters in Düsseldorf,
Germany, will supply this turnkey
plant consisting largely of steel structure,
refractory lining, transport system, combustion
system, instrumentation and
control equipment, and the mathematical
furnace model (level 2) for optimizing
the various thermal furnace processes.
The furnace is preceded by two buffer
beds with separating systems and a feed
conveyor with automatic billet identification
and removal of faulty billets. Billets
of different dimensions and qualities are
heated in the walking beam furnace and
then rolled into wire of different gauges
in a new rolling line to be installed at the
same time. The heating technology was
designed such that scaling and surface
decarburization are as low as possible,
heat consumption is kept to a minimum
in spite of high temperature uniformity,
and the NO x and CO emissions are
reduced to the maximum possible extent.
A complete cooling plant with an emergency
cooling and a heat recovery system
will be supplied to cool the transport
system in the furnace to make best use
of the residual heat from the waste gas.
Seco/Warwick received order from ThyssenKrupp
Seco/Warwick received an order for
a CaseMaster Evolution® vacuum
carburizing furnace line that includes a
washer/tempering unit, loaders and line
control system with single-load tracking.
The system is dedicated for the treatment
of automotive steering-system components.
The contract was signed in August
2013 with ThyssenKrupp Presta de Mexico
S.A. de CV, and Seco/Warwick will deliver
the turnkey production cell in the second
quarter of 2014. The CaseMaster Evolution
is a three-chamber vacuum furnace with
separate preheating, heating and oilquenching
chambers. It will be equipped
with low-pressure carburizing FineCarb®
technology and pre-nitriding PreNitLPC®
technology.
The furnaces will work in the line with a
control-integrated, continuous, combined
washing and tempering line and will be
equipped with a supervisory control system
for the heat-treatment process, which
tracks and records the entire process for
an individual load from input to output
of parts. The complete line has been
adapted for the specific requirements of
the requested semi-continuous operation
mode and the high automotive standards
of ThyssenKrupp Presta.
Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum: New orders from all over the world
Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum won several
orders globally for vacuum systems
out of the metal treatment field, optimized
for customer specific needs. Advantage of
these vacuum solutions is the high flexibility
due to the use of standard vacuum
pumps in a versatile skid. The furnace
builder Seco/Warwick has received an
order for a vacuum furnace with working
dimensions of 18 ft in diameter and 39 ft
high, which makes it to one of the world’s
largest vacuum furnaces for heat treatment
ever. The furnace will heat treat coils designated
for building of the new thermonuclear
reactor ITER under construction in
France. The furnace is capable of heating a
125 t coil up to 1,200 ° F while maintaining
process purity within the range of 1 ppm.
In order to secure such a perfect degree
of purity, nearly the entire furnace will be
manufactured of stainless steel. One of
the crucial factors is ensuring continuous
multi-day operation of the furnace. The
vacuum system is therefore immensely
important to maintain process conditions.
Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum received
an order for vacuum pumping systems
from a Pittsburgh based OEM specializing
in vacuum degassing of steel. The 100 t
VD (Vacuum Degassing) furnace will be
installed in Pennsylvania. The total installation
achieves a total nominal pumping
capacity of 205,800 m³/h. During the VD
process the system will degas molten steel
for the effective removal of hydrogen, oxygen
and carbon to specific requirements.
14 heat processing 4-2013

Trade & Industry
NEWS
ArcelorMittal
starts annealing
line in France
The new annealing line at Arcelorc\aaa\anzeigen\vulkan\EW
HP 13.qxd
Mittal’s Saint-Chély d’Apcher site
in France, announced in 2012, started
production on 20 September. The new
production line, unique in Europe, will
develop new high value-added electric
steels for the automotive, energy Mikrowellenerwärmung
and
industrial electric motors markets.
To be used in appliances such as
electric and hybrid cars and wind turbines
that are required to meet strict
environmental standards in terms of
low energy consumption, the annealed
products will be of the highest quality.
Elektrowärme 2 /13
So far, 23,000 t have already been produced.
The new line required a total
investment of € 90 millions and has a
capacity of 120,000 t/a. The investment
confirms and reinforces Saint-Chély
d’Apcher’s position as a worldwide
leader in the high-end electric steels
market. The new continuous annealing
line will recover part of the annealing
furnace’s energy, using it to supply the
city’s heating Heat network. processing The € 90 million 3 /13
investment was majority funded by
the ArcelorMittal group which made a
direct € 60 million investment with the
remaining € 30 million added through
cooperation with SELO – the ‘mixed
economy company of Lozère’. Saint-
Chély d’Apcher is part of ArcelorMittal
Méditerranée, and currently employs
more than 200 people.
Elektrowärme; Heat processing 2013
Gefran opens its new branch
in Istanbul
Gefran has opened its new subsidiary
in Istanbul, Turkey, with the aim
to ensure a worldwide business coverage
and a rapid, 182 efficient, x 31 1/8 qualified 4c
on-site technical support to the local
customers. Gefran, an Italian company
that designs and produces sensors,
automation components and drives
to control production processes, bet
on Turkey about 14 years ago, when it
began to work with local distributors
and learned about the market consolidating
important business relationships,
Industrieöfen Präzisionsfeinguss Induktionserwärmung
Elektrowärme 3 /13
especially with builders of plastics processing
machines and lift systems.
Turkey has always been a strategic
market: it is among the top 20 emerging
economic powers along with China,
Brazil, and India where Gefran is present
for years with numerous and strategic
development programs. Gefran intends
to develop this opportunity together
with its historical local partners in order
to ensure continuity with the past and,
at the same time, ITPS to improve quality and
service partnerships Düsseldorf for the future.
9.-10.7.2013 • B-02
17 th International ABP Induction
Conference 2013
Industrial furnaces Microwave heating Precision fine casting Induction heating
For the 17 th time ABP held their Induction
Conference for the worldwide
foundry, steel and forging industry in
Dortmund on 1 and 2 October 2013.
Beyond ABP’s motto “sustainable technology
for an energy intensive metal
industry“ ABP was enthusiastic to welcome
approx. 500 high caliber professionals
from 31 countries discussing
about current topics of the newest
technology and innovation. Including
22 lectures and 13 workshops; a discussion
including three lectures focused
on sustainability and the actual status
Industrieöfen Schutzgasöfen Präzisionsfeinguss Induktionserwärmung
www.linn.de
of the foundry industry with experts
from all over the world as well as an
Productronica
additional exhibition München with 41 strong
partners. 12.-15.11.2013 This event occurred • B2 / in 479 Dortmund’s
“Westfalenhallen” www.linn.de and its congress
center, which provided a large and
varied program with information about
the latest developments and trends in
the metal industry theory and practice.
In the evening there was a diversified
side program in the ice pavilion
of the “Westfalenhallen”. Different performances
and activities including ice
Productronica
skating enriched this special event.
München
12.-15.11.2013 • B2 / 479
www.linn.de
High pressure furnaces
Industrial furnaces
Microwave heating
Induction heating
www.linn.de
Heat processing 4 /13
4-2013 heat processing
15

NEWS
Events
Partner country Netherlands off to
flying start at Hannover Messe 2014
The Netherlands have been named the
“Partner Country” for Hannover Messe
2014. The high-tech, export-savvy nation will
use the world’s leading industrial exhibition
to promote its first-class trading credentials.
The Dutch government is lending its vigorous
support to the partner country project
as well, with Dutch Economics Minister Henk
Kamp and Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign
Trade and Development Cooperation,
announcing they will team up to ensure the
success of the Netherlands’ involvement at
Hannover Messe. Their motto: “Foreign trade
creates domestic jobs.”
Thanks to its highly specialized SMEs,
Holland’s mechanical and plant engineering
industry represents the nation’s
fastest growing industrial sector, with
anticipated growth in sales of 8 % in
2013. The Netherlands
are also leaders in the
field of renewable energy
and energy efficiency,
particularly in offshore
wind energy. Correspondingly,
the Netherlands
are committed to
meeting at least 16 % of
their energy needs via
regenerative sources by
2020.
The Netherlands are
traditionally strongly represented on the
exhibitor and attendance side at Hannover
Messe. While the number of exhibitors
over the past few years has remained
constant at some 100, the amount of display
space occupied has continually gone
up. As a corollary of the partner country
project, the organisers are anticipating a
substantial and sustained expansion of
Dutch participation at Hannover Messe.
For further information please visit:
www.hannovermesse.com
EMO Hannover came to a successful close
EMO Hannover 2013 – one of the
leading international trade fairs
for the machine tool industry – ended
with an increase of visitor and exhibitor
numbers. From 16 to 21 September,
over 2,100 exhibitors from 43 different
countries were on hand in Hannover to
showcase their innovations to industrial
users from around the world under the
event’s keynote slogan of “Intelligence
in Production”.
Over the six days of EMO, the Hannover
event attracted
a total of just under
145,000 trade visitors
from over 100 different
nations. Foreign visitors
numbered more than
50,000, or one in three.
Italy, Switzerland, Sweden,
the Netherlands
and Russia topped the
attendance figures for
the European continent.
By a very wide margin, China accounted
for the largest number of visitors from
Asia, followed by Japan, Taiwan and India.
EMO Hannover 2013 succeeded again
in covering the entire bandwidth of the
global machine tool market. Visitors
were particularly interested in solutions
for boosting energy and resource efficiency,
as well as user-friendly equipment
and the intelligent integration of
machines – in addition to the evergreen
themes of cutting manufacturing costs
and increasing flexibility. The next EMO
will be staged from 5 to 10 October 2015
in Milan, under the motto “Let’s build
the future.”
For further information please visit:
www.emo-hannover.com
16 heat processing 4-2013

NEWS
Events
wire & Tube Southeast Asia 2013 reinforced leading position
The 10 th edition of wire Southeast Asia
and the 9 th edition of Tube Southeast
Asia, two foremost specialist events for Thailand
and the region’s wire, cable, tube and
pipe industries, closed its doors on 19 September
with resounding success at the Bangkok
International Trade & Exhibition Centre
(BITEC). Organised by Messe Düsseldorf Asia,
more than 380 international exhibitors from
30 countries showcased an impressive array
of innovations and trends on high-performance
machinery and equipment, manufacturing
and processing technologies as
well as materials and accessories. Over 6,800
visitors from 55 countries attended wire and
Tube Southeast Asia over the three days, a
28 % increase from the previous edition in
2011. 38 % of these visitors came from outside
Thailand, reinforcing the importance
and regional appeal of the trade exhibitions
in Southeast Asia. Majority of these overseas
visitors came from India, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The trade floor was abuzz as visiting delegations
from Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam
fuelled fruitful discussions and exchanged
business opportunities over three days.
More than 60 groups from industrial parks in
Thailand attended wire and Tube Southeast
Asia. International companies made up 97 %
of the exhibitor profile with representation
from eight national pavilions and country
groups including Austria, China, France,
Germany, Italy, Singapore, Taiwan and USA
wire and Tube Southeast Asia 2013
brought together some of the world’s leading
brand names from the wire, cable, tube
and pipe sectors showcasing innovations
and trends on high-performing machinery
and equipment, manufacturing and processing
technologies, as well as materials
and accessories. The two trade fairs also
focused on solutions that enhance productivity
and operational efficiency for the
main application markets such as automotive,
building and construction, electricity,
energy, and telecommunications.
In addition to new wire and cable
products, the impressive list of exhibitors
extended from raw material producers
to suppliers, processors and technology
manufacturers through to service providers
for the wire, cable, tube and pipe industries
making it a truly global networking and
business platform.
wire and Tube Southeast Asia will return
in two years in September 2015 at the BITEC
with an even bigger showcase of technologies,
innovations and solutions for the thriving
wire, cable, tube and pipe sectors in
Bangkok, Thailand. For further information
please visit: www.wire-southeastasia.
com or www.tube-southeastasia.com
Gothenburg hosted Euro PM 2013 Congress & Exhibition
The historic trading city of Gothenburg
played host to this year’s Euro PM
Congress organised and sponsored by
the European Powder Metallurgy Association.
A truly international event it included
delegates from nearly 50 countries in all
regions including the Far East, Africa and
the Americas. The technical content within
the congress meant that it attracted over
200 oral and poster presentations and a
strong attendance of over 800 participants
from all parts of the PM industry.
The event also included a sell-out exhibition
with 85 stands covering companies
from all parts of the PM supply chain. During
the congress plenary session, recently
elected EPMA President, Philippe Gundermann
presented the EPMA Distinguished
Service Awards to Dr. Bryan Roebuck of NPL
London, Prof. José Torralba from University
Carlos III in Madrid and Dr. John Dunkley
from Atomising Systems in Sheffield.
A new innovation for Euro PM Conferences
was the awarding of four special keynote
paper awards, sponsored by Journal
of Powder Metallurgy, to those papers
selected as having the highest merit. The
winners were Helen Dugdale from Rolls
Royce plc., United Kingdom, Markus Hadyn
from Plansee SE, Austria, Dr. Inigo Iturriza
from CEIT, Spain, and Per Lindskog, PM Consultant
from Sweden.
Work is already underway for Euro
PM2014 to be held in Salzburg, Austria
from 21 to 24 September 2014. For further
information please visit: www.epma.com
18 heat processing 4-2013

Events
NEWS
4-2013 heat processing
19

NEWS
Events
Call for papers:
18 th Conference
on Refractories
and Hitherm 2014
The Czech Silicate Society is preparing
the two international conferences
18 th Conference on Refractories
and Hitherm Prague 2014 which will be
organised in parallel sessions on 13 to
14 May 2014.
The Refractories Conference will
concentrate on shaped and unshaped
refractories, new materials and applications,
insulation materials, corrosion of
refractory linings and environmental
challenges. Whereas Hitherm Prague
2014 will focus on the topics high temperature
processes, heating systems,
furnaces and burner technology, energy
efficiency and heat recovery in silicate
technologies materials for high temperature
technologies as well as control
and measuring equipment.
The conferences will take place in the
traditional building on Novotného lávka
5, Prague 1, close to Charles Bridge – a
site which has hosted all the famous
Prague International Conferences on
Refractories. For committee meetings,
adjoining rooms will be available.
Interested attendants will be offered
a selected choice of cultural events.
Please pay attention to the following
details: conference languages are English,
Czech/Slovak; simultaneous translation
will be provided in the refractory
conference. Hitherm sessions will be
only in English. Deadline for the submission
of abstracts is January 31, 2014.
Manuscripts of papers (only in English)
must be submitted until March 30, 2014.
For further information please visit:
www.silikaweb.cz
Metal + Metallurgy China
returns in 2014
Metal + Metallurgy 2014 will be
held from 19 to 22 May 2014 in
China International Exhibition Center
(New Venue), Beijing. Metal + Metallurgy
China 2012 covered a large display
area with 1,375 exhibitors and 86,440
visitors from 63 countries/regions.
80.57 % overseas companies got quite
some or even a lot of business opportunities
during the exhibition.
With a history of over 20 years Metal +
Metallurgy is regarded as the largest exhibition
in the hot metal processing industry
in Asia and the second largest in the world.
Following China’s rapid industrialization
process, Metal + Metallurgy China keep
on enriching the content and refining the
category. Cast parts, refractory materials
and ceramics, which are widely used in
auto, machine tools, shipbuilding, engineering
machinery, rail transit and other
manufacturing areas, are introduced to
the exhibition.
ABB, ABP, KW, Inductotherm, Loramendi,
DISA, Sinto, Paul Wurth, Siemens,
Tenova, SKF, SMS, Foseco, Vesuvius, and
other overseas players of the industry
will participate in Metal + Metallurgy
China 2014 with their products, latest
technology and one-stop solutions. The
national pavilions from Germany, USA,
Italy, Spain, Japan and Taiwan will be present
at the exhibition as always. No wonder
the international halls with almost
20,000 m 2 will be the most crowded and
busy spot again.
For further information please visit:
www.mm-china.com
E-world energy & water
2014 continues on success course
The E-world energy & water will again
become the meeting place of the
international energy industry from 11 to
13 February 2014. The European leading
fair of the energy and water industries
with a flanking congress is being held
at Messe Essen for the 14 th time. After
the record event last year with 22,160
visitors and 610 exhibitors for the first
time, some 80 % of the exhibition space
for the coming event has already been
booked. The E-world is also becoming
increasingly interesting for industrial
companies which are discovering the
fair and have already submitted inquiries
for 2014. In previous years, well-known
companies from this sector, for example
Siemens, General Electric, ABB, Bosch,
Schneider Electric, Weidmüller, WAGO
and Phoenix Contact, were present.
The entire hall 4 is being made available
to the growing business field of
“smart energy” for the second time. A
trade forum supplements the highly
promising exhibition area with panel
discussions and specialised papers on
current market issues.
The E-world energy & water focuses
on current topics of the energy and water
industries. Services and products from
the sectors electricity, gas and water
industries, power technology and energy
efficiency will be presented. Experts and
decision-makers will be providing information
and discussing in the flanking
three-day E-world congress.
For further information please visit:
www.e-world-essen.com
20 heat processing 4-2013

Events
NEWS
2 nd Annual Balkans Oil & Gas 2013 Summit
IRN held the well-attended 2 nd Annual
Balkans Oil & Gas 2013 Summit on 24 to
25 September in Athens, with key executives
of the oil and gas industry giving
insights and revealing future plans of the
Balkans countries.
With more than 100 companies attending
the summit and an outstanding panel
of speakers, IRN gathered their excellencies
Alen Leveric, Deputy Minister of Economy
in Croatia, Vladan Dubljevic, Deputy Minister
for Mining and Geological Researches
at the Ministry of Economy in Montenegro
and Konstantinos Mathioudakis, General
Secretary of Energy and Climate Change
at the Ministry of Environment, Energy
& Climate Change in Greece along with
the Chairman & CEO of Energean Oil and
Gas, Mathios Rigas, the CEO of Bulgartransgaz,
Kiril Temelkov, the President &
CEO of Stream Oil & Gas, Dr. Sotirios Kapotas
and many other exploration directors
in Balkans such as Max Torres from Repsol.
Held under the auspices of the Ministry
of Economy in Montenegro, the Ministry of
Environment, Energy & Climate Change in
Greece, the Ministry of Economy in Croatia
and the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining
and Industry in Bosnia & Herzegovina, the
event gathered the elite of Balkans businessmen,
international energy experts,
economists and senior representatives
from more than ten International Oil Companies
(IOCs) looking to get investment in
the upcoming developments.
Senior executives from HELPE, DEPA, NIS,
Plinacro, Repsol, BulgarTransGas, and Stream
Oil & Gas along with university professors
spoke at the summit that was attended by
IOCs like Shell, ExxonMobil, GazpromNeft,
Dana Petroleum, INA, Romgaz, Sterling
Energy, Wintershall and governmental bodies
from all around the world.
For further information please visit:
www.balkanssummit.com
Colloquium: Modelling for Electromagnetic Processing
In tradition of the international scientific
colloquiums Modelling for Material
Processing in Riga in 1999, 2006, 2010 and
Modelling for Electromagnetic Processing
in Hannover in 2003 and 2008 the Institute
of Electrotechnology of the Leibniz
University of Hannover and the University
of Latvia organize the next colloquium
Modelling for Electromagnetic Processing
in Hannover in September 2014.
Recent results of numerical and experimental
research activities in the field of
industrial processing technologies for creating
new and alternative materials, materials
with highest quality and purity and new
innovative products will be presented at
the colloquium.
Papers on the following topics are welcome:
■■
■■
■■
■■
Numerical and physical modelling for
electromagnetic processing of new and
high quality materials
Crystal growing of semi-conductive
materials
Dielectric heating of non-conductive
materials
Production processes for new and innovative
products
■■
Energy efficiency and sustainability of
industrial processes
The colloquium will take place from September
16 to 19, 2014 in the Leibnizhaus,
the guesthouse of the Leibniz University of
Hannover, located in the street Holzmarkt
4-6 in the historical centre of Hannover. The
city of Hannover is the economic, cultural
and scientific centre of Lower Saxony. It is
famous for its trade-fairs and the Royal Gardens
of Herrenhausen.
For further information please visit:
www.mep2014.uni-hannover.de
4-2013 heat processing
21

NEWS
Personal
DIARY
14-16 Jan.
11-13 Feb.
25-27
March
1-3 April
7-10 April
7-11 April
7-11 April
5-8 May
6-8 May
7-10 May
3-6 June
3-6 June
9-11 July
11-13 Sep.
22-24 Oct.
Euroguss 2014
in Nuremberg, Germany
www.euroguss.com
E-world energy & water
in Essen, Germany
www.e-world-essen.com
Energy Storage
in Düsseldorf, Germany
www.energy-storage-online.com
Aluminium Brazil 2014
in São Paulo, Brazil
www.aluminium-brazil.com
Metal & Steel
in Riad, Saudi Arabia
www.metalsteelsaudi.com
wire + Tube 2014
in Düsseldorf, Germany
www.wire.de
www.tube.de
Hannover Messe
in Hannover, Germany
www.hannovermesse.com
AISTech
in Indianapolis, USA
www.aist.org/conference-expositions/aistech
Fabtech
in Mexico City, Mexico
www.fabtechmexico.com
Mould Eurasia 2014
in Bursa, Turkey
www.mouldeurasia.com
Metallurgy Litmash
in Moscow, Russia
www.metallurgy-tube-russia.com
Metalforum
in Poznań, Poland
www.metalforum.mtp.pl
Aluminium China 2014
in Shanghai, China
www.aluminiumchina.com
Ankiros 2014
in Istanbul, Turkey
www.ankiros.com
70 th Heat Treatment Congress
in Cologne, Germany
www.hk-awt.de
Albrecht Neumann
named CEO
of Siemens’ Metals
Technologies
Business Unit
Effective November
1, 2013,
Albrecht Neumann
(photo)
assumed the position
of CEO of the
Sector-led Metals
Technologies Business
Unit. He succeeded
Werner
Auer (58)
in this position.
Auer left
the company
for personal reasons. He is available during
a transitional period to assist the new CEO
with advice and support. Previously Neumann
(51) has been the CEO of Siemens
Metals Technologies in the United States,
with responsibility for the North American
business of Metals Technologies.
Neumann joined Siemens in 1988 as a
commissioning engineer for pulp and paper
plants. After that, he served as an applications
engineer exercising responsibility in
various areas of sales, projects and service.
He was later appointed to many leadership
roles, including Regional Head Germany for
the former Industry Solutions Division of Siemens.
He was also responsible for introducing
a new vertical market strategy for Siemens.
Neumann possesses extensive experience
in the food and beverage, cement,
water treatment and metals industries.
Auer had worked since 1982 for VAI,
which was acquired by Siemens in 2005.
He has been CEO of Siemens Metals Technologies
since 2009. During his career, he
has held numerous managerial positions
in the international plant engineering business,
with an emphasis on steel plants and
environmental technology.
22 heat processing 4-2013

Personal
NEWS
Change on the managing board of EFD Induction Germany
EFD Induction, one of Europe’s largest
manufacturers of industrial induction
heating equipment, announced the appointment
of Henk de Lange (photo) as the new
managing director of the company’s German
operation. Because of his experience
in change management he shall take EFD
Induction Germany forward on that point.
A Dutch national, 47 year-old de Lange
holds a M.Sc. from Delft University in the
Netherlands, as well as an Executive MBA
from the Rotterdam School of Management.
He began his career as a project
engineer for Stork Boilers in the Netherlands,
before moving to Italy to work on
renewable energy projects for ENEL, the
country’s largest power company.
De Lange officially took over the position
from outgoing managing director
Helmut Schulte on September 1 this year.
Schulte stayed at the company, concentrating
on sales and business development.
René Obermann new member on
the Supervisory Board of ThyssenKrupp AG
René Obermann (photo), Chief Executive
of Deutsche Telekom AG, has been
appointed a member of the Supervisory
Board of the Essen-based industrial group
effective November 1, 2013. His predecessor
Prof. Dr. Beatrice Weder di Mauro had previously
resigned her seat effective October 31.
René Obermann was appointed to the
Supervisory Board by local court until the
next Annual General Meeting of ThyssenKrupp
AG on January 17, 2014. At the
Annual General Meeting René Obermann
will stand for election by the shareholders.
In addition, Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Keitel has
been elected by the shareholder representatives
on the Supervisory Board to succeed
Prof. Dr. Weder di Mauro as member of the
Nomination Committee.
Economist Weder di Mauro informed
the company that she has been appointed
to a new European Commission expert
group to investigate options for the further
fiscal development of the euro zone
on behalf of EU Commission President
Jonathan Markley appointed
Managing Director of Seco/Warwick Corp.
Jonathan Markley has been appointed to the
position of the Managing Director of Seco/
Warwick Corporation in Meadville, PA. As Managing
Director, Markley is responsible for Seco/
Warwick Corp. (USA) day-to-day operating
activities, including revenue and sales growth,
expense, cost and margin control, profitability,
and monthly, quarterly and annual financial
goal management. Most recently, Markley
served as General Electric Transportation’s
Global Sales Director for the surface mining
division, where he was the Senior Sales Executive
leading the integration and global sales
expansion of Fairchild International.
During his career at GE, he has held
both Global Sales Director and Commercial
Operations Leader positions in Surface
Mining, as well as participating in the Edison
Engineering Development program within
the GE Healthcare Division. An Erie, PA native,
Barroso. Against
this background,
Prof. Dr. Weder di
Mauro decided to
reduce the number
of directorships she
holds.
Markley holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering
from Penn State University and M.S. in Engineering
Management from the Milwaukee
School of Engineering. Keith Boeckenhauer
has been appointed as Aluminium Business
Segment Deputy VP for North and
South America. In this position he will be
responsible for growing the business of
both reverb melting and heat treatment
equipment for aluminium mills.
4-2013 heat processing
23

NEWS
Media
S’ C
L-C
E
TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF
THE SECTOR’S CO 2 ABATEMENT POTENTIAL
INFO
by Christoph Schmitz
2 nd edition 2014
approx. 500 pages,
hardcover
€ 130.00
ISBN:
978-3-8027-2970-6
www.vulkan-verlag.de
INFO
by the Boston
Consulting Group
(BCG) and the Steel
Institute VDEh
June 2013, 52 pages
www.bcg.com
INFO
by Maximilian Lackner,
Árpád B. Palotás,
Franz Winter
1 st edition 2013
Wiley VCH, Weinheim
288 pages, softcover
€ 69.00
ISBN: 978-3-527-33351-6
www.wiley-vch.com
Handbook of Aluminium Recycling
The Handbook has proven to be helpful to
plant designers and operators for engineering
and production of aluminium recycling
plants. The book deals with aluminium
as material and its recovery from bauxite,
the various process steps and procedures,
melting and casting plants, metal treatment
facilities, provisions and equipment
for environmental control and workforce
safety, cold and hot recycling of aluminium
BCG-Study: Steel’s contribution
to a low-carbon Europe 2050
including scrap preparation and remelting,
operation and plant management. Due to
more and more stringent regulations for
environmental control and fuel efficiency as
well as quality requirements sections about
salt slag recycling, oxy-fuel heating and heat
treatment processes are now incorporated in
the new edition. The reader is thus provided
with a detailed overview of the technology
of aluminium recycling.
In 2009, the European Council defined a target:
diminishing greenhouse-gas emissions
by 80-95 % of 1990 levels by 2050. In assessing
the European steel industry’s response
to that long-term target, it is important to
understand the extent to which the steel
industry can itself reduce emissions and the
extent to which the use of steel in other sectors
can enable emissions reduction. First
looking at the steel sector’s own impact, the
authors found that between 1990 and 2010,
total CO 2 emissions in the EU27 steel industry
fell by about 25 % (from 298 to 223 Mt). This
reduction was driven mainly by lower steel
production volumes and a partial switch from
high- to lower-emission-generating types of
production; to a limited extent, it was also
the result of efficiency gains. Looking also at
how the steel industry can make a real difference
as a mitigation enabler, the authors
found that, with its strength and durability,
steel enables savings in other industries. Specifically,
the assessment of eight conservative
case studies demonstrated that CO 2 savings
in other industries outweighed the emissions
created by the production of the necessary
steel at a ratio of 6 to 1 – resulting in net savings
of 350 Mt CO 2 per year by 2030.
With their new report Steel’s Contribution
to a Low-Carbon Europe 2050: Technical
and Economic Analysis of the Sector’s
CO 2 Abatement Potential the Boston Consulting
Group and the Steel Institute VDEh
have together published a realistic technical
view of steel’s CO 2 -abatement potential,
examining which reduction technologies
are available and how much impact they
can make between now and 2050.
Combustion – From Basics to Applications
Combustion is a very important topic in
energy production, because almost 90 %
of the worldwide energy production is based
on combustion. Even small improvements in
combustion processes can lead to tremendous
cost savings and pollutant reduction. Filling a
gap in the market, this textbook is the first to
provide a concise introduction to combustion.
Written in a clear didactic style, it focuses on
practical aspects rather than theory and provides
an overview of the topic for students and
graduates as well as practitioners by teaching
the basics for getting started in the field. The
book provides an overview of the most common
fuels, including solids, gases and liquids.
The environmental impact is also discussed
and the reader will be able to develop an
understanding of what the central environmental
issues are and what possibilities there
are for more sustainable combustion.
24 heat processing 4-2013

Handbook of
Thermoprocessing
Technologies
www.vulkan-verlag.de
Order now!
Volume 1: Fundamentals | Processes | Calculations
This Handbook provides a detailed overview of the entire thermoprocessing
sector, structured on practical criteria, and will be of particular assistance
to manufacturers and users of thermoprocessing equipment.
In Europe thermoprocessing is the third largest energy consumption
sector with a very diversified and complex structure. Therefore it is split
into a large number of subdivisions, each having a high importance
for the industrial economy. Accordingly we find the application knowhow
for the design and the execution of respective equipment represented
by a multitude of small but very specialized companies and their experts.
So this second edition is based on the contribution of many highly
experienced engineers working in this fi eld. The book’s main intention is
the presentation of practical thermal processing for the improvement of
materials and parts in industrial application. Additionally it offers a summary
of respective thermal and material science fundamentals. Further it
covers the basic fuel-related and electrical engineering knowledge and
design aspects, components and safety requirements for the necessary
heating installations.
Editors: F. Beneke, B. Nacke, H. Pfeifer
2nd edition 2012, 680 pages with additional media files and
e-book on DVD, hardcover
Vulkan-Verlag GmbH, Huyssenallee 52-56, 45128 Essen
KNOWLEDGE FOR THE
FUTURE
Order now by fax: +49 201 / 82002-34 or send in a letter
Deutscher Industrieverlag GmbH | Arnulfstr. 124 | 80636 München
Yes, I place a firm order for the technical book. Please send
— copies of Handbook of Thermoprocessing Technologies 2nd edition 2012
(ISBN: 978-3-8027-2966-9) at the price of € 200,- (plus postage and packing)
— copies of Handbook of Thermoprocessing Technologies 2nd edition 2012
(ISBN: 978-3-8027-2966-9) at the special price of € 180,- (plus postage and packing)
for subscribers of heat processing
Company/institution
First name and surname of recipient
Street/P.O. Box, No.
Country, Postcode, Town
Reply / Antwort
Vulkan Verlag GmbH
Versandbuchhandlung
Postfach 10 39 62
45039 Essen
GERMANY
Phone
E-mail
Line of business
Fax
Please note: According to German law this request may be withdrawn within 14 days after order date in writing
to Vulkan Verlag GmbH, Versandbuchhandlung, Postfach 10 39 62, 45039 Essen, Germany.
In order to accomplish your request and for communication purposes your personal data are being recorded and stored.
It is approved that this data may also be used in commercial ways by mail, by phone, by fax, by email, none.
This approval may be withdrawn at any time.
✘
Date, signature
PAHBTT2013

CECOF CORNER
News from the European Committee of Industrial Furnace
and Heating Equipment Associations
Flashback CECOF General Assembly 2013
The 41 st General Assembly was held in Antwerp (Belgium) on
September 20, 2013, attended by delegates from Austria, Belgium,
France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Poland and Switzerland. The associate
members IHEA (US) and JIFMA (Japan) were also represented.
The meeting focused on market and business trends as well as
the economic situation. The member associations, individual and
associate members present gave reports on the actual situation
on their market. Standardisation and technical issues were also discussed
intensively. CECOF has been and is actively lobbying in the
ErP context and is involved in the activities concerning gas quality
variability and REACH – Aluminosilicate RCF. An ad-hoc technical
committee concerning REACH will be established and led by Dr.
Franz Beneke (VDMA).
Mr. Rodrigo Peduzzi (EC, DG Enterprise, Unit 4 – Industrial Competitiveness
for Growth) gave an outlook on the re-industrialisation
of Europe focusing on the European industrial policy for the years to
come. Mr. Jean-Claude Herman (CEO, CRM Group, Belgium) informed
the delegates about the latest trends in thermoprocessing technologies
and equipment in the metallurgy and steel industry. Both
lectures were highly appreciated by the audience.
The next General Assembly will be held on October 17, 2014 in
Dresden (Germany).
Further details can be found at www.cecof.org
AUTHOR:
Annelie Heymann
CECOF General Secretariat
www.cecof.org
26 heat processing 4-2013

Heat Treatment
REPORTS
Collaborative maintenance of
thermal processing systems
by Manfred Hiller, Hartmut Steck-Winter
Under the cost pressures of globalisation, maintenance requirements have changed from a reactive maintenance to
sustain the equipment functionality to a predictive maintenance strategy with minimized life-cycle costs. Measures
which, on the one hand, reduce life-cycle costs and on the other hand increase the efficiency of thermal processing
plants are in demand more than ever, not only in new plants, but especially at many of the older plants. Collaboration
between plant operators and equipment manufacturers is a good way to come closer to these two objectives. It will
be presented in this paper that collaboration in the maintenance of thermal processing systems can make remarkably
good progress if the pooling of knowledge and partner resources can be used in an optimal manner. This is a strong
potential for improvement that has been so far unexploited.
In the past few decades, the requirements for European
manufacturers have been constantly changing. The
cost pressures resulting from globalisation are forcing
companies to increasingly exploit their production
systems to the breaking point. Companies are more and
more being subjected to stricter environmental and occupational
safety and health regulations.
As a result of these developments maintenance requirements
have changed from a reactive up-keeping task to
a more predictive and proactive maintenance method.
This process of change continues. Production systems are
becoming increasingly complex and thus requiring a higher
level of maintenance knowledge.
As shown in Fig. 1, the development of maintenance is
especially reflected in the change of maintenance strategies.
The first generation is reactive, maintenance
only intervening when necessary, focusing on
the repair itself. In the second generation this
was replaced by an increasing use of preventive
maintenance due to technical developments.
The third generation was led by complex technology,
and especially the increasing cost pressures,
to condition-based maintenance. In the
transition to the fourth generation the maintenance
sustainability concept with a focus on lifecycle
costs has been brought more and more to
the foreground. Thus this gives improving the
efficiency and extending the useful lifetime of
thermal processing systems a higher priority.
Subsequently, now also the life-cycle costs (LCC) of a
plant are more in focus. There is an even greater maintenance
demand for improvements, for example, in optimisation
of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), reducing efficiency
vulnerability, slowdown of wear and tear, improving
energy efficiency as well as the adaptation of equipment
to the environmental demands of upcoming legislature [1].
The tasks and requirements of maintenance have therefore
grown steadily over time. Cost pressures force operational
maintenance, against all opposition, to fully exploit
every opportunity for cost reduction and efficiency. The
“correct” preventive maintenance management is therefore
increasingly critical to the success of a business.
Therefore, intelligent solutions must lower life-cycle costs
and reduce system downtime, not only for new installations
Legend:
TBM: Time Based Maintenance
TPM: Total Productive Maintenance
RCM: Reliability Centered Maintenance
RBM: Risk Based Maintenance
First Generation
Unplanned
Reactive
Second Generation
Preventive (TBM)
Technique oriented
Reactive
Third Generation
Condition based
Efficiency oriented
TPM, RCM, RBM
Preventive (TBM)
Planned
Reactive
1960 1980 2000
Fig. 1: Changes in maintenance requirements
Fourth Generation
Predictive
Lasting
LCC, TCO
Knowledge based
Condition-based
Efficiency-oriented
TPM, RCM, RBM
Preventive (TBM)
Planned
Reactive
4-2013 heat processing
27

REPORTS
Heat Treatment
Activity level customer
Minimum activity level supplier
but also in the operation of the older equipment, wherein
lies a much greater potential for improvement than ever.
Partnerships are a promising solution in that they can
provide both knowledge and resources from manufacturers
and plant operators, and with the help of modern
communication and organisation systems, maintenance is
here at the right time and at the right place
COLLABORATION IN MAINTENANCE
One can analyse the motivations that lie behind very
diverse collaborative ideas. However, it can be summarised
that collaborations are usually identified by the
following characteristics [2]:
■■
Legal and economically independent partners,
■■
Coordinated action and behaviour,
■■
Higher achievement compared with an individual
approach.
Collaboration requires the willingness of the customer
to outsource. Subservices or tasks will be partly or wholly
outsourced to external contractors.
In contrast to traditional outsourcing, where the allocation
of well-defined individual services is still the rule,
in collaborations there must be explicit common goals
and guidelines. The focus is on the pooling of knowledge
and resources and a fact-based performance distribution
with a concerted and coordinated approach. In order for
such collaborations to develop to their full potential, they
must be long-term and adequately taken into account the
partners’ interests and capabilities.
Comparing traditional outsourcing to a collaboration,
one recognises rather quickly that with outsourcing the pursuit
of higher goals is based more on the principle of hope.
With the collaborative approach, however, the opportunity
to fully achieve the planned targets is significantly higher.
Performance line
Collaboration barriers:
Know how drain
Loss of influence
dependencies
…
Value to the customer determines the intensity
Minimum activity level customer
Collaboration driving forces:
Specialization
Capacity peaks
cost advantages
…
Activity level supplier
Fig. 2: Performance line of collaboration extent
Collaboration extent
The benefit to the customer determines the extent of the
collaboration. As seen in Fig. 2 the ISO performance line
shows the collaboration extent; of which the curve is determined
by the impediments to collaboration and the incentives
towards collaboration. Along the ISO performance
line, collaboration is theoretically possible in any extent.
Focusing on your partner’s capability is what to strive
for, so that each partner can optimally bring his strengths
and resources to the table. It is also important to keep an
eye on the willingness of the customer’s staff to cooperate.
When there is a high level of external supplier activity,
operating personnel’s willingness to cooperate can drop
off significantly if they perceive the external suppliers as
competitors. This makes it clear that a shift in the activity
level on the ISO performance line in favour of external
suppliers may encounter significant resistance from the
operating personnel.
Therefore, an intensive shift in the provision of services
in a collaboration in the direction of external suppliers only
makes sense if this frees up internal resources. This can be
done for example to strengthen one’s own core competence,
or if the necessary internal resources or the necessary
expertise is lacking, and in this case one is dependent on
external assistance anyway.
The partner’s ability to participate must be the focus
of any collaboration agreement. This is true for any lack
of expertise, for the necessary resources, as well as for the
quality of services provided. Collaboration extent must
always focus on the respective participation capability.
Collaboration in maintenance appears in particular to
cover capacity peaks, as for example annual maintenance
but it also makes sense to be used for continuous process
improvement to optimise plant efficiency. Usually, in this
case, both the willingness to participate and higher value
can be expected.
Collaboration barriers and driving forces
Barriers to collaboration on the operator side, as shown
in Fig. 2, can lead to a know-how-drain, a feared loss of
influence or feared dependencies. However having only
subjective quality control of services is an obstacle that
should not be underestimated.
The driving forces for collaboration, however, are the
cost benefits expected by the customer. There is also
the growing realisation that the necessary knowledge
to maintain or increase plant efficiency is no longer
possible without collaboration from the systems manufacturer
due to the growing complexity of systems
engineering. Added to that are a lack of resources to
cover peak workloads, such as during yearly preventive
maintenance periods requiring the shortest possible
equipment downtime.
28 heat processing 4-2013

Heat Treatment
REPORTS
Collaboration objectives
In the end it is always a question of whether collaboration
can meet the necessary maintenance tasks and requirements
better than it is possible with classic outsourcing
or with its own internal maintenance.
At first glance, this approach seems correct. The comparison
may seem easy but then again, in contrast to classic
outsourcing, collaboration goals are typically long-term
and comprehensive.
Collaborations place their objectives in the forefront
above all, whereas working independently one cannot do
better than those who pool their knowledge and resources.
Examples include the improvement of plant availability,
the optimisation of life-cycle costs, efficiency improvements
or service-life extensions for the more expensive
equipment parts.
So if the focus is put on sustainability and greater utility,
i.e. on life-cycle cost and the overall equipment effectiveness,
then, the benefits are clearly in cooperative approaches.
Rules of collaboration
Rules are of fundamental importance for the success of
a collaboration. Within the rules can be found all agreements
and practices necessary for a smooth operation. It
is therefore all about: “Who does what, how and at what
time?” This applies in particular to performance distribution,
resource availability, the provision of spare parts and
consumables, interfaces, methods and tool usage, approval
procedures after processes have been carried out, as well
as any necessary remote assistance and last but not least
for communication policy.
Although initially this seems elaborate, collaboration
agreements have the following advantage compared with
individual transaction contracts: They usually span multiple
facilities and apply for long periods of time, which leads to
much less administrative effort at the end of the day and
hence they are easier to manage [1].
WHERE IS COLLABORATION IN
MAINTENANCE POSSIBLE?
Thermal processing plants involve complex systems that
in addition to understanding the process require furnace
engineering and automation techniques as well as extensive
safety techniques and ecological knowledge. Because
of this complexity, the pooling of knowledge between
operators and equipment manufacturers is usually the
starting point of any collaboration.
Operational maintenance is under high pressure to
keep the trouble-free and maintenance-related production
losses as low as possible because they can cause
immense follow-up costs.
The maintenance operations are often unprepared technically
for the complexities of thermal processing plants,
which creates additional pressure. Therefore, the plant
operators often seek outside for professional support. As a
partner in a collaboration, of course manufacturers provide
the thermal processing systems, so usually the required
solutions for potential problem solving exist already.
By means of three examples set out below one will see
that collaboration between operators and manufacturers
may already be the solution.
Collaboration in preventive maintenance
With well-designed, plant-specific maintenance concepts,
both the costs of PM and system failures can be significantly
reduced with collaborative preventive maintenance.
The basis, as shown in Fig. 3, is a manufacturer’s service
plan with coordinated division of labour between
operators and equipment manufacturers. In the service
plan, a distinction is made between basic maintenance,
condition-based maintenance, improvement, re-commissioning
and documentation.
Basic maintenance shall follow a predetermined work
plan provided by the manufacturer. This can be carried out
very well in a collaboration by following specific guidelines
with a high degree of involvement by the operator.
The advantage of collaboration arises from the pooling of
resources and the resulting time reduction.
In contrast, the condition-based maintenance requires a
great deal of knowledge and experience in this field. The maintenance
measures to be implemented depend in fact on the
deterioration conditions of the inspected components. This
requires a professional assessment of the condition of the components,
which are exposed to aggressive settings and high
temperatures inside the furnace. Depending on their condition,
repair or if necessary exchange then takes place. The higher
proportion of participation for condition-based maintenance,
for these reasons, is usually coming from the manufacturer.
Annual Preventive Maintenance
Basic Maintenance
Time based (TBM)
Re-Commissioning
Documentation
Collaborative maintenance
Condition-based
Maintenance
Improvement (CIP)
Reactive Maintenance with Remote Support
Fig. 3: Annual collaborative preventive maintenance
Supportive
Processes
Spare Parts
Logistics
• Remote Control
• Safety Checks
• Training
• Retrofit
• Modernization
• …
4-2013 heat processing
29

REPORTS
Heat Treatment
100%
System performance
Throughput performance increases
Reactive Maintenance only
Wear and tear reduce system performance
over time
Fig. 4: Effect of preventive maintenance and CIP
Interrupted information feed back after warranty period
A: Data Information
…
Z: Data
Operator A to Z
Feedback to Design
…
Information
+ Interpretation + Repetition
+ Application reference
Effect of CIP
Effect of preventive Maintenance
Explanation
Manufacturer
Knowledge Platform
+ Analysis
Fig. 5: Flow of knowledge in a collaboration to predict risk
Operating time
Knowledge
In particular the improving measures can be seen as the
centrepiece of collaboration in maintenance because the
manufacturer’s construction knowledge is combined with
the operator’s experience in an optimal manner! Particularly
important is the elimination of vulnerabilities at the facilities
or in the production process which were identified in
the previous production period. In relation to this point,
another example is given in the following paragraph.
Annual maintenance ends with the reopening of the
plant and especially the documentation of findings and
measures taken. A complete history of the system can
also be created by methodical reporting and the use of
databases that partners can use as background knowledge.
Not documented is like not done!
A prerequisite for the optimal success of a collaborative
maintenance is that plant operators and equipment manufacturers
share their specific knowledge and experience and
thus enable a continuous improvement process.
Even if, despite careful maintenance, a failure occurs which
requires immediate reactive maintenance, then the classic
cooperation of “remote support” by the manufacturer must
be engaged.
The repeated success made in practice justifies the
effort. Through cooperative maintenance over the long
term, not only life-cycle costs can be reduced, plant efficiency
improved and unplanned downtime avoided but
also the costs and the amount of time for annual maintenance
can be significantly reduced.
Collaborative improvements on thermal processing
plants
The supreme discipline in maintenance is the activation
of the plant’s reserve capacity and the increase in overall
equipment efficiency (OEE). While the performance reserves
in the first place and foremost are about raising the immanent
existing dormant potentials, the focus of overall system
productivity is on the elimination of inefficiencies, such as
downtime, power loss and reduction in quality.
If a system, as in Fig. 4 represented, is maintained only
with reactive maintenance, then plant performance will be
continuously reduced by wear and tear over the period of
use. Preventive maintenance counteracts this and tries to
maintain the system up and running. Through a continuous
improvement process (CIP), existing reserves can be used
to increase performance.
The fact that such improvements are better achieved
through collaborative methods than with simple outsourcing
goes without saying. If one considers the knowledge and
expertise that is necessary for raising reserves or eliminating
inefficiencies, it becomes apparent that operators and
manufacturers are usually very complementary:
■■
■■
The operator knows the weaknesses of his equipment
(error statistics with error evaluation) as well as the production
and technological processes.
The manufacturer has the latest equipment knowledge
and the necessary engineering expertise.
Throughput reserves are available in most thermal processing
systems. After the warranty period, these reserves
can be used cost-efficiently to improve performance, provided
you know how to do it.
If one combines operational expertise with the knowledge
of operators and manufacturers, quite amazing
efficiencies can be achieved. The authors have experienced
together with a well-known automotive supplier
that through a systematic application of continuous
improvement processes (CIP) efficiency improvements
of roller-hearth furnaces of up to 20 % can be achieved.
The condition for this is of course an open systematic
exchange of experience as well as a long-term cooperation,
because such processes need to mature.
Knowledge collaboration to predict default risk
Untapped potential for improvement are, as shown in
Fig. 5, data and exchange of information between opera-
30 heat processing 4-2013

Heat Treatment
REPORTS
tors and manufacturers. For example, the wear progression
and failure behaviour of critical components are often
not known. The system manufacturer cannot provide this
information, because information feedback usually ceases
after the warranty period. Critical components are therefore
often replaced too early, with unused wear, or too
late, which means the system fails. In both cases, there are
unnecessarily higher costs [3]. The much-touted “feedback
to design” (data flow from the operator to the manufacturer)
has therefore still considerable development potential.
Knowledge sharing is a new approach to overcoming
traditional borders. For example, more and more system
operators (operators from A to Z) record the data of critical
components with the help of the manufacturer’s standard
specifications. The manufacturer or a third party collects
this information anonymously and puts it at the disposal of
their collaboration partners who provides their knowledge
and proposed approaches on a platform.
Dynamic forecasting models are the aim of such knowledge
collaborations and with their help the lifespan of
important components can be predicted as precisely as
possible. Such forecasting models could then also be used
to evaluate decisions regarding maintenance, to evaluate
improvements, modernisation or replacement spending
measures [3].
CONCLUSION
Cooperation with external service providers is now natural
for much of operational maintenance. Subcontracting helps
to overcome capacity barriers and know-how deficits. So
far, collaboration is usually limited to individual transactions
with overall objectives often poorly respected.
In contrast, collaborations are created with sustainability
and a long-term approach in mind. Well-coordinated collaborations
with mutually agreed rules can attain the highest
objectives like, for example, focusing on the reduction
of life-cycle costs. The pooling of the partners’ knowledge
and resources are of special importance. It is important
to correctly assess the participation and performance of
partners and thus share the workload. If the work is divided
correctly and the existing knowledge and capacity gaps
can be closed through cooperation, it is possible to have
extraordinary success without any major friction.
LITERATURE
[1] Kuhn, A.; Schuh, G.; Stahl, B.: Nachhaltige Instandhaltung.
Trends, Potenziale und Handlungsfelder. VDMA Frankfurt,
2006
[2] Etter, C.: Nachgründungsdynamik neugegründeter Unternehmen
in Berlin im interregionalen Vergleich, Dissertation,
FU Berlin, 2003
[3] Vorausschauende Instandhaltung von Thermoprozessanlagen.
gaswärme international (60) Nr.3/2011, Vulkan Verlag
Essen, 2011
AUTHORS
Manfred Hiller
Aichelin Service GmbH
Ludwigsburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 7141 / 6437-103
manfred.hiller@aichelin.com
Dr. Hartmut Steck-Winter, MBA
Aichelin Service GmbH
Ludwigsburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 7141 / 6437-104
hartmut.steck-winter@aichelin.com
HOTLINE Meet the team
Managing Editor: Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Schalm +49(0)201/82002-12 s.schalm@vulkan-verlag.de
Editorial Office: Annamaria Frömgen +49(0)201/82002-91 a.froemgen@vulkan-verlag.de
Editor: Thomas Schneidewind +49(0)201/82002-36 t.schneidewind@vulkan-verlag.de
Editor (Trainee): Sabrina Finke +49(0)201/82002-15 s.finke@vulkan-verlag.de
Advertising Sales: Bettina Schwarzer-Hahn +49(0)201/82002-24 b.schwarzer-hahn@vulkan-verlag.de
Subscription: Martina Grimm +49(0)931/41704-13 mgrimm@datam-services.de
4-2013 heat processing
31

1 - 3 April 2014
Centro de Exposições Imigrantes
São Paulo/SP, Brazil
ALUMINIUM BRAZIL
2014
www.aluminium-brazil.com

Heat Treatment
REPORTS
MIM-Technology: Debinding
and sintering furnaces
by Gregory Matula, Ijaz Mohsin
Elino Industrie-Ofenbau GmbH has developed a new batch furnace technology for the powder injection molded process.
The first furnace has been developed for the complete one step debinding of MIM parts which includes catalytic
debinding, thermal residual debinding and pre-sintering steps up to 950 °C with changeable atmosphere during the
process. The second furnace is designed for absolute clean sintering i.e. free from contamination of carbon and can be
operated under different process gases and vacuum up to maximum sintering temperatures of 1,450 °C (max. 1,600 °C).
The main advantages of the new technology furnace are fast production, the avoidance of carbon pick up especially
in Mo, W, and Fe alloys, longer life time of hot zone and heating elements and much higher cost efficiency. These two
furnaces were tested with 316 L and 17-4 PH materials and the technology was approved with excellent findings showing
sintered density of 7.70 g/cm 3 and 7.65g/cm 3 respectively without any distortion in MIM parts.
The metal injection molding (MIM) process represents
an efficient method for high volume production of
complex shaped components from powders for high
performance applications. The MIM process consists of
mixing a small amount of organic material with the desired
inorganic powder (metals or alloys) to create a feedstock
that can flow like plastic under temperature and pressure.
Following standard polymer processing techniques, this
feedstock can be injection molded into a ‘green’ shape
that is an oversized replica of the final part. Generally, the
organic binder is removed during a step known as debinding,
usually carried out in at least two stages. After debinding,
the part is consolidated to high densities by sintering
at appropriate temperature. In this way the MIM process
provides designers and engineers with a powerful material
shaping technique that can form metals and alloys into
extremely complex shapes.
Usually the major binder component is removed in a
first stage, e.g. through solvent extraction or by catalytic
decomposition, resulting in the ‘brown’ part. The brown
part still contains but only a small amount of organic phase,
the so called back bone component that grants the stability
of the ‘brown’ part necessary for handling. Thermal debinding
is then a common method for the final removal of this
residual polymer from a MIM compact prior to sintering.
The current existing furnace technology does not provide
such one step complete MIM debinding technology.
Usual way in current technology is to remove first part of
the binder by solvent extraction or catalytical method in
one step and then the back bone binder is removed thermally
followed by sintering process in another separate
furnace, i.e. thermal debinding and sintering process are
done in the same furnace, resulting in a lot of drawbacks.
This process can result in difficulties to control the carbon
level especially in low carbon stainless steel alloy or other
alloys which have high affinity to carbon pick up resulting
in deterioration of mechanical properties of final products.
First time in the furnace manufacturers’ history, Elino
Industrie-Ofenbau GmbH developed the MIM-ECO CT one
step complete debinding furnace (Fig.1) along with MIM-
ECO VR sintering furnace.
Fig. 1: Debinding furnace type MIM-ECO CT
4-2013 heat processing
33

REPORTS
Heat Treatment
MIM one step debinding unit includes: catalytic debinding,
thermal debinding and pre-sintering up to 950 °C and
is designed with a convection system to allow for temperature
homogeneity of less than ± 5 °C. The special off gas
burner system is installed to burn out the un-environmental
gases into environmental friendly exhaust gases.
Different atmosphere (Ar, H 2 , N 2 , Air, N 2 -H 2 ) can be used
during thermal debinding process depending on selection
of the materials e.g. ceramic under air. One can switch to
different protective atmosphere during the process prior to
the pre-sintering step to have good metal-metal bonding
i.e. changeable atmosphere during process can be applied.
Water/solvent debinded parts can be dried in MIM-
ECO CT debinding furnace between 80-90 °C. Individual
temperature-time profiles can be defined for different
debinding steps with different atmosphere. Production
can be increased up to three cycles in a day with air cooling
system.
The thermal debinding step is beneficiary for the complete
removal of residual binder, i.e. when transferring the
parts into the sintering furnace they are pure and free from
hydrocarbons. And one can speed up the sintering cycle
in the MIM-ECO VR by using the fast heating ramp and can
increase the production up to three complete cycles in a
day (24 hrs) i.e. the process shows to be very cost effective.
Intrinsic results of the new technology of the MIM-ECO
VR sintering furnace are no condensation, no contamination,
no blockage (due to the burnout) in the vacuum
pump and long lasting life time of the muffle, which is
completely made of Molybdenum.
Charge carrier fit exactly the same way in MIM-ECO VR
sintering furnace as in the MIM-ECO CT debinding furnace,
so handling of the charge carrier will be easier. The main
benefit of splitting debinding and sintering is the avoidance
of carbon pick up during sintering in case of Fe, W and Mo
alloy sintering. Materials being reactive with atmosphere
like Ta, Ti alloy can be sintered with less impurities under
vacuum level from 10 -2 to 10 -5 and with temperature accuracy
of less than ± 10 K at sintered temperature. MIM-ECO
VR sintering furnace also can be operated under different
atmospheres e.g. H 2 , N 2 , Ar and N 2 -H 2 .
FURNACE DESIGN CHALLENGES
PIM parts are made of different metal powders ranging
from iron-nickel to stainless steel, from titanium steel to
super-alloys. Each of the materials requires the use of different
types of binders, which are removed by catalytic
debinding process from the products under atmospheric
pressure or partial pressure. The atmosphere of this process
is nitrogen as well as chemical acid additives, such as HNO 3
at a concentration of 98-100 %.
In the MIM-ECO CT debinding furnace the heating elements
are outside a hermetically sealed hot zone. In the
MIM-ECO VR sintering furnace, the heating elements are
inside a hermetically sealed hot zone. Both types of devices
are characterized by different properties from the point of
view of physics and thermodynamics of the process. The
first difference is the temperature distribution in the hot
zone. A device with a cold wall can reach ± 10 K of temperature
distribution while for comparison a furnace with
the hot wall can reach ± 5 K. For the selection of these individual
designs, experiences had been taken into account
showing the need for high temperature accuracy during
the debinding process combined with a sufficient high flow
of process gas. For the sintering phase under atmosphere
the temperature homogeneity is even better than ± 10 K
but for sintering processes under vacuum it showed that
at the applied high temperatures the radiation in between
the parts assures more than sufficient homogeneity.
Another important element for debinding and sintering
is the thermodynamic potential of a chemical reaction. It
depends on the characteristics of the process as well as
on the use of a device with a cold or hot wall. This consequently
leads to the requirement of a proper gas flow
which is necessary for the processes under consideration.
The thermodynamic potential drop is a measure of
chemical affinity of reacting bodies, which shows the tendency
of substrate to combine into a particular chemical
compound. The thermodynamic potential can be compared
to the potential energy of the mechanical system.
Therefore, while the reaction takes place, the ΔG must have
a negative value and be less than the equilibrium state. As
more negative the value of ΔG as easier the chemical reaction
proceeds. It is a general, however underlying approach
to the process of catalytic, thermal debinding and sintering.
Typical processes of catalytic, thermal debinding and
sintering may be carried out in gas pressures from atmospheric
1,010 mbar to a vacuum of 0.10 mbar. In exceptional
cases the vacuum can be much lower, around 10 -5 mbar.
Regardless of the chemical reaction of gases and acids,
at high temperature a phenomenon of selective sublimation
takes place of components of the processed materials
or a binder.
Relevant is the vapour pressure over a specific material
at a given temperature which can be determined by
considering the balance between the number of evaporating
and condensing particles. It is necessary to owe the
knowledge of pressures and temperatures of sublimation
in the selection of construction materials of the furnace
and in the selection of the vacuum for a given technology.
Therefore, a big challenge is to prevent this phenomenon,
which in the devices with a cold wall undoubtedly
has adverse influence both on the properties of thermal
insulation, electrical connections of heating elements, the
heating elements themselves and especially on the operation
of vacuum pumps.
34 heat processing 4-2013

Heat Treatment
REPORTS
Fig. 2: Technological process parameters of complete debinding and sintering of MIM parts
However, it should be added that a very important element
for the proper debinding process is a laminar flow
and for sintering a molecular flow of the gases used. The
proper way to prepare the furnace in order to achieve
these flows undoubtedly depends on the engineering
practice and a thorough understanding of aspects of the
technological processes.
Another challenge, though not the last one, to be faced
by an engineer is the atmosphere for the catalytic, the
thermal debinding processes and the sintering process, as
well as ensuring the accuracy of the individual processes.
Catalytic debinding requires the use of acids (HNO 3 ) at a
concentration of 98-100 % and a temperature
of up to 150 °C. Working with an
acid and hydrogen at high temperatures
up to 950 °C forces the engineers to find
the most sophisticated sealing solutions.
It is no longer only the process itself but
the security of people, too. It is best to
use polytetrafluoroethylene -[-CF2-CF2-]
n for the acids, but it cannot be used in
flanged joints exposed to temperatures
higher than 200 °C.
But these are exactly the joints used
in devices for catalytic debinding – for
example for supplying acid into the interior
of the hot zone. What can be used
here are inert gases and gas curtains
determined with CFD methods. But it
should be kept in mind that the type and
volume of the flowing gas has an impact
on the final result of the machined work
piece as well as on building-up of binder
on the colder parts of the device. This eventually causes
downtime and the need for service.
It all depends on well-chosen parameters of the technological
process. In Fig. 2 the complete debinding and
sintering process can be seen that indicate the use of the
MIM-ECO CT and MIM-ECO VR model, offered by Elino.
THE MIM-ECO CT DEBINDING FURNACE
Elino supplies to the world market a device for debinding
technology in five basic sizes. These values are chosen on
the basis of many years of practice and in accordance with
the “market standards” or customers. Table 1 shows the
Table 1: Standard unit sizes for one step debinding process
Type
MIM Eco Unit
Effective volume
(approx. litres)
Loading width
(mm)
Loading height
(mm)
Loading depth
(mm)
Max. batch weight
(kg)
Max. temperature
in °C (option)
Installed load at 3
x 400 V (kW)
CT 025-095 CT 050-095 CT 100-095 CT 150-095 CT 300-095
25 50 100 150 300
280 280 420 420 560
300 300 400 400 500
310 620 620 930 1,240
30 60 120 180 360
950
30 60 90 120 210
Nitrogen (Nm 3 /h) 5 10 10 12 15
Hydrogen (Nm 3 /h) 2 5 10 12 15
4-2013 heat processing
35

REPORTS
Heat Treatment
Fig. 3: Batch Debinding MIM-ECO Unit furnace type CT 050-085
basic specifications of the device. It is a typical device with
hot wall (Fig. 3). Heating elements are located outside the
gas-tight and acid-tight metal muffle. Inside the muffle are
all necessary connections for supplying gas and for draining
process pollution, for supplying acid as well as connections
of atmosphere sensors and necessary support elements
to put the work pieces inside. A muffle is floating, which
means that it has the property of thermal expansion in the
horizontal direction.
In addition the design of the metal muffle allows appropriate
orientation of process gas circulation enforced by a
fan located in the rear side of the device. Due to the acids
Table 2: Standard specifications of ECO-MIM devices for sintering process
Type
MIM Eco Unit
Effective volume
(approx. litres)
Loading width
(mm)
Loading height
(mm)
Loading depth
(mm)
Max. batch weight
(kg)
Max. temperature
in °C (option)
Installed load at 3
x 400 V (kW)
VR 025-145 VR 050-145 VR 100-145 VR 150-145 VR 300-145
25 50 100 150 300
280 280 420 420 560
300 300 400 400 500
310 620 620 930 1,240
1,450
(1,600)
30 60 120 180 360
1,450
(1,600)
1,450
(1,600)
1,450
(1,600)
and high temperature plus hydrogen the electric motor and
its connection to the rotor has a special construction solution
to thoroughly ensure basic heat treatment parameters
while preserving safety at work. A very important factor in
this part of the device is the configuration of steel materials
which allows for long-term work in this harmful environment.
It is the result of many hours of calculations and
optimization with the use of the software for CFD and FEM
calculations. Notwithstanding to mention that protection
is made by a three-stage gas curtain. It prevents both the
corrosion by the acid and the contamination of the cooler
parts of the device with binder. The gas flow from these
curtains is fully synchronized with the process parameters.
In addition to the gas system controlled by the MFC
valves a system of complete combustion of process pollutants
is located on the outside of the device. This system
operates with a fan which is also used for the cooling of
the device during the final phase. On average, the standard
device reaches a heating rate of 15 K/min and cooling
rate to 5 K/min. The system control allows adopting
these values dependent on the technological process.
The entire structure is CE-marked and meets the ATEX
requirements.
1,450
(1,600)
165 165 195 250 400
Nitrogen (Nm 3 /h) 2 3 4 4 4
Hydrogen (Nm 3 /h) 2 3 4 4 4
THE MIM-ECO VR SINTERING FURNACE
Elino supplies to the world market a device for MIM sintering
technology in five basic sizes, too. Table 2 shows the basic
specifications of the device. It is a typical device with cold
wall. Heating elements are placed inside a metal muffle – the
hot zone (Fig. 4).
The muffle itself is made of molybdenum screens or
– for an application of higher temperatures – a combination
of molybdenum and tungsten
screens. The metal muffle is
placed in a vacuum-tight housing
with a double-wall. The doublewall
design provides for the space
between the inner and outer
jacket in which water is circulating,
cooling the entire device. The
process gases supplied through
special collectors are fully monitored
by a set of sensors and also
the flow is controlled by MFC
valves. The device has a vacuum
pump installed in order to obtain
vacuum of about 10 -2 mbar. All
components being in contact
with explosive gases have ATEX
certifications. The device has a fully
safe hydrogen combustion system,
which is designed to prevent missuse
by an operator.
36 heat processing 4-2013

Heat Treatment
REPORTS
Fig. 4: Batch Sintering MIM-ECO Unit furnace type VR 050-145
CONCLUSION
A brief analysis preceded by many-month engineering
research shows that in the case of catalytic debinding and
thermal debinding there are no appropriate solutions today
to combine the two processes into a single device with a
straightforward economic approach of production. There
are few manufacturers in the world today who are trying
to connect all the processes into a single device but so far
it is a kind of a compromise. It should be noted that the
cost of purchasing a universal device is not much lower
than the cost of purchasing two devices dedicated strictly
to the given types of processes.
The MIM-ECO CT and MIM-ECO VR batch furnaces make
both possible, high product quality and economical operation.
Further development work is ongoing to even increase
cost-effiency in terms of total operational cost, reduction
in consumption cost of industrial gases and increase in
number of cycles per day.
The MIM-ECO CT and MIM-ECO VR batch furnaces are
supplementary to the existent product range of Elino in
continuous furnaces for MIM (Fig. 5). The product range
for continuous MIM furnaces consist of the continuous
catalytic debinding furnace and the continuous thermal
debinding and sintering furnaces.
The continuous catalytic debinding furnace is designed
as complete gastight system and operates at temperatures
up to 160 °C. It has a verified throughput rate as high
as 50 kg/h at 4 h effective debinding time. The design is
based on a patented system, provides for a special cross
convection system and has shown to use 50 % less in acid
and nitrogen consumption in production compared to
conventional systems. The continuous catalytic debinding
furnace can be linked to the succeeding continuous
thermal debinding and sintering furnace.
It is the basic concept for the continuous furnaces to
allow for a strict separation of each individual process step
Fig. 5: Continuous MIM furnace
4-2013 heat processing
37

REPORTS
Heat Treatment
and to assure absolute clean and complete exchange of
atmospheric conditions before the next process step is initiated.
The experiences out of operation of this continuous
furnace product range did lead to the new concept for the
above described batch furnace products.
The continuous thermal debinding and sintering furnaces
are separated by a gas-tight double-door lock chamber
with purging system. The thermal debinding furnace is
operated with high-velocity gas flow. The sintering furnace
has a fully muffled high temperature sintering zone. Both,
the thermal debinding and the sintering furnace can be
designed in form of a L-, Z- or U-shape configuration, giving
highest flexibility to fit in restricted production areas.
Due to the strict atmosphere separation and the therewith
linked atmosphere control schematic, the gas consumption
shows to be less than 5 m³/h with excellent temperature
homogeneity. The pushing system is designed such that
no vibration during the movement of the plates occurs and
has shown to be able for the transport of multi-layer stacks
with very small parts without any damage to the parts.
Beside the already mentioned features the continuous
thermal debinding and sintering furnaces can be equipped
with fast cooling unit, active and/or passive carbon control,
humidifier and a few other ancillary devices. The continuous
furnaces have a proven record of best ever achieved
corrosion resistance and highest quality of produced parts.
Different sensitive products are produced in such furnaces
like stainless steel MIM-parts, foam materials, ultra-fine
brazing products and even for standard sintering parts a
high-level quality can be achieved using much cheaper
alloys due to the sintering temperature above 1,250 °C.
AUTHORS
Dipl.-Ing. Gregory Matula
Elino Industrie-Ofenbau GmbH
Düren, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2421 / 6902-0
matula@elino.de
Dr.-Ing. Ijaz Mohsin
Elino Industrie-Ofenbau GmbH
Düren, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2421 / 6902-0
ijaz.mohsin@elino.de
Handbook of Aluminium Recycling
Mechanical Preparation | Metallurgical Processing |
Heat Treatment
Bestellung unter:
Tel.: +49 201 82002-14
Fax: +49 201 82002-34
bestellung@vulkan-verlag.de
The Handbook has proven to be helpful to plant designers and operators
for engineering and production of aluminium recycling plants. The book
deals with aluminium as material and its recovery from bauxite, the
various process steps and procedures, melting and casting plants, metal
treatment facilities, provisions and equipment for environmental control
and workforce safety, cold and hot recycling of aluminium including
scrap preparation and remelting, operation and plant management. Due
to more and more stringent regulations for environmental control and
fuel efficiency as well as quality requirements sections about salt slag
recycling, oxy-fuel heating and heat treatment processes are now incorporated
in the new edition. The reader is thus provided with a detailed
overview of the technology of aluminium recycling.
Editor: C. Schmitz
2 nd edition 2013, approx. 500 pages in colour, with interactive eBook (online read access),
hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-8027-2970-6
€ 130,00
Order now!
38 KNOWLEDGE FOR THE
heat processing 4-2013
FUTURE

Vacuum Technologies
REPORTS
Best practice in heat treatment
of large dies made of hot work
tool steels
by Maciej Korecki, Józef Olejnik, Piotr Kula, Emilia Wołowiec
Tool steels are a widely used material for construction of tools designated for shaping and forming of metal, plastic and
other elements in mass production. These elements include extruding dies, pressure casting dies, moulds, punches
and various other elements for plastic shaping of other materials preheated to temperatures in the range of 250-700 °C
(Fig. 1). Since shape stability constitutes the basic requirement any tool has to meet, the material it is made from is
expected to withstand loads without any plastic strain while maintaining high abrasion resistance. Additionally, a tool
should feature good hardness and strength as well as appropriate ductility and impact strength which condition crack
resistance, and these qualities are to be obtained at high working temperatures (up to 700 °C).
The ultimate mechanical properties of a tool are determined
by heat treatment which consists of a quenching
process followed immediately by temperings.
Austenitizing temperature is a compromise between the
need to control the growth of primary austenite grains and
the need to dissolve the alloy carbides. It also influences
temperature resistance and impact strength. Depending on
the tool size, the hardening process is aimed at obtaining
a martensite structure (for smaller elements) or martensite
with bainite (larger tools). That is followed by at least two
runs of tempering at or above the temperature of secondary
hardness effect in order to reduce the retained austenite,
increase ductility and resistance to thermal fatigue.
Sometimes other processes are introduced such as deep
freezing after hardening, application of various coatings
(CVD, PVD) or nitriding, the aim of which is to ensure additional
hardening of the working surface and to improve
resistance to abrasion and corrosion.
Properly performed heat treatment is decisive for
mechanical and operational properties of tools as well as
the economy of their use. Allowing any irregularities leads
to faster wear, deformation or defect of the working elements;
in extreme cases it may even lead to their damage
(cracking) as early as during heat treatment, which causes
notable financial loss. Needless to say, appropriate quality
and condition of the initial material also matters. Difficulties
ensuring quality of large-size tools (moulds and dies)
have led to the creation of their processing standards. The
most widely known and spread studies in that area were
published by the American association NADCA (North
American Die Casting Association) [1] and the leaders of
automotive industry, among others such concerns as Ford
[2], General Motors [3] and Toyota. These standards relate
mainly to steel X37CrMoV5-1 and X40CrMoV5-1 (DIN, EN)
Fig. 1: Hot working tools
4-2013 heat processing
39

REPORTS
Vacuum Technologies
and modifications thereof: they refer to quality inspection
of initial material, guidelines for conducting and controlling
of the heat treatment process and researching its results.
No such complex approach to tool manufacturing has
been recorded in Europe, nevertheless standards of that
kind are also developed on an industrial level, especially
by automotive concerns and steel manufacturers. It is not
a mystery that those standards are also based on NADCA
guidelines.
NADCA GUIDELINES
FOR HEAT TREATMENT
North American Die Casting Association got deeply
involved in the issues of manufacturing hot work steel
tools. As a result of that involvement, a guidebook was
produced titled “Special Quality Die Steel & Heat Treatment
Acceptance Criteria for Die Casting”. The study focuses on
the issues of initial material quality, vacuum heat treatment
and welding methods. Before heat treatment, the parameters
and quality of the steel have to be confirmed through:
■■
classifying steel grade with respect to the chemical
composition of alloy additions and the contents of sulphur
and phosphorus (grades from A to E),
■■
measurement of hardness after annealing (below 235 HB),
■ ■ analysis of the contents of microimpurities,
■ ■ checking whether there are no internal defects such
as: cracks, presence of oxides, porosity, segregation etc.
(ultrasound examination),
Fig. 2: Guidelines and progress of real austenitization and interrupted quench
with monitoring of furnace temperature and of die surface/core temperatures
(acc. to NADCA)
■ ■ defining grain size (above 7 acc. to ASTM E112),
■ ■ examination of microstructure (ferrite with evenly distributed
spheroidal carbides).
According to NADCA criteria, the heat treatment process
should be performed in a vacuum furnace with a high
pressure gas quench while monitoring and controlling
the surface and core temperature of the processed piece
(workload thermocouples have precisely preset locations).
Preheating to austenitizing temperature is done gradually
not to allow excessive temperature difference. The
first stop occurs at approx. 590-680 °C and continues until
temperature difference between core and surface is below
110 °C (much less in practice). The next stop is preset at the
temperature of 815-860 °C and continues until temperatures
are compensated with a difference not bigger than
14 °C. Finally, the austenitizing temperature of 1,030 °C is
reached at which the load is held for 30 minutes from temperature
compensation point (with allowable temperature
differences below 14 °C) or for maximum 90 minutes until
1,030 °C is obtained on the surface. These guidelines limit
thermal deformations and excessive growth of austenite
grain. Fig. 2 presents a graph illustrating proper heating
of a die according to those criteria.
Dies are hardened by quenching at maximum speed
down to the temperature of 150 °C in the core. The average
cooling rate for the surface from 1,030 °C down to
540 °C should be at least 28 °C/min. In the case of large
dies (cross-sections above 300 mm) interrupted quenching
(isothermal stop) at surface temperature of 400-450 °C is
applied when the core temperature diverges by more than
110 °C. The interrupted quench is completed when one of
the following conditions occurs:
■ ■ core temperature differs from surface temperature by
less than 110 °C;
■ ■ surface temperature drops below 400 °C;
■ ■ 30 minutes passed from the start of the interrupted
quench.
Interrupted quenching is presented in Fig. 3.
Ford and GM have similar requirements concerning
interrupted quench with the only difference being that
Ford shortens the time to maximum 15 minutes while GM
to only 5 minutes and at the same time accelerates the
quenching rate to 39 °C/min (28 °C/min for NADCA).
Quenching is continued until 150 °C is reached in the
core (50 °C on the surface) and then it is immediately followed
by tempering. The workpieces should not be cooled
down below the temperature of 33 °C. The required cooling
rate is significant due to the risk of excessive grain
boundary release of carbides, which results in worse
impact strength. Interrupted quenching limits the temperature
difference between surface and core and thus
40 heat processing 4-2013

Vacuum Technologies
REPORTS
reduces stress and deformations, protects the workpiece
against cracking while at the same time preventing creation
of pearlitic structure.
The first tempering is carried out at the minimum temperature
of 565 °C by holding for the time which depends
on tool cross-section (1h / 25 mm), though not less than for
2 h. This is followed by cooling down to ambient temperature
and second tempering at the minimum temperature
of 550 °C. Third tempering is not necessary and is applied
only for final adjustment of hardness. Tempering reduces
internal stress and ensure dimensional stability as well as
proper structure and required hardness, usually within the
range of 42-52 HRC.
VACUUM FURNACE FOR
HEAT TREATMENT OF TOOLS
The requirements concerning heat treatment of moulds
and dies, dictated by NADCA, Ford, GM and others, can be
achieved in a single chamber vacuum furnace equipped
with high pressure cooling system in inert gas (type HPGQ
– high pressure gas quench) [4-8]. Seco/Warwick offers a
type-series of furnaces named VECTOR which are especially
dedicated to heat treatment of tools. These furnaces meet
the most restrictive requirements in the branch and are
delivered to customers worldwide (Europe, USA, Canada,
Mexico, Brazil, China, India and even as far as Australia).
Furnaces of various dimensions of working space are available,
beginning from 400/400/600 through 600/600/900,
900/800/1,200, 1,200/1,200/1,800 [mm] and larger as well
as other of optional size, featuring horizontal and vertical
loading systems (Fig. 4). Those furnaces feature a compact
design and due to lack of emission of contaminants and
Fig. 3: Guidelines and progress of real interrupted quench with monitoring
of furnace temperature and of die surface/core temperatures
(acc. to NADCA)
other noxious substances may be installed and operated in
clean rooms and production facilities. They are equipped
with a graphite heating chamber which provides for heating
the workload to maximum temperature of 1,300 °C
with temperature uniformity of +/- 5 °C and better. This is
facilitated by circumferentially located heating elements
which work by radiation in vacuum and inert gas (convection,
system ConFlap), which ensures effective and uniform
heating also at low temperatures (tempering). The furnace
quenches in high pressure inert gas (15 bar) with closedcircuit
circulation enforced by a blower. The cooling gas
Fig. 4: Horizontal vacuum furnaces VECTOR line (Seco/Warwick) size 900/800/1,200 mm, 15 bar.
4-2013 heat processing
41

REPORTS
Vacuum Technologies
Fig. 5: Cooling gas circulation at quenching phase shown on crosssection
of VECTOR furnace
is accelerated in circumferentially located nozzles to the
velocity of 50-70 m/s and hence directly onto the workload
where the heat is transferred and collected to an internal
heat exchanger. The system ensures very high intensity of
cooling in nitrogen comparable to cooling in free oil (heat
transfer coefficient α up to 800 [W/m 2 K]) and uniformity
throughout the entire working space as well as very good
penetration potential in the densely packed load (Fig. 5).
This cooling system enables interrupted quenching by
controlling cooling intensity through blower rotation and
gas pressure, depending on the surface temperature of
a processed workpiece. In the case of tools of defined
shape it is possible to programme an adequate sequence
of directing the inflow of cooling gas – dynamic cooling.
The choice includes gas inflow from all directions, from top
and bottom, from both sides, 270 ° (4 options) and from the
front (Fig. 6). The process may progress statically or change
dynamically at optional sequence and time, thus allowing
practically unlimited number of combinations. The above
presented options permit adjusting the cooling system
operation depending on the geometry of workpieces and
configuration of the workload in order to improve cooling
uniformity and reduce deformations of quenched details.
Cooling with circumferential 270 ° inflow, dynamically
changed at appropriate time sequence, proved to be particularly
effective. A significant acceleration of cooling rate
was achieved as well as better equalisation of temperatures
on workpiece surfaces.
The effectiveness of gas quench in VECTOR furnaces
was proved on a reference steel block sized 400/400/400
mm (Fig.7) by obtaining surface cooling rates substantially
exceeding the minimum requirements for both NADCA –
28 °C/min and GM – 39 °C/min. Depending on the size of
furnace’s working space the following cooling rates of the
steel block surface were achieved quenched in nitrogen
at 14 bar:
■■
1,200 x 1,200 x 1,800 mm > 40 °C/min
■■
900 x 800 x 1,200 mm > 55 °C/min
■■
600 x 600 x 900 mm > 80 °C/min (over 200 °C/min
for 24 bar He)
A vacuum furnace provides for the entire processing to be
effected in a single piece of equipment without transferring
the workload, in a single work cycle, by performing
the sequence of: preheating for austenitization, interrupt-
Fig. 6: Basic gas inflow options during quenching in VECTOR furnace. Top pictures: all around 360°, side-side, top-bottom.
Bottom pictures: 4 options of 270°
42 heat processing 4-2013

Vacuum Technologies
REPORTS
ed quenching, mutiple tempering and also nitriding. The
process may be monitored by workload thermocouples
located at a critical place in the processed tool. Carrying
out the treatment in vacuum and inert gases facilitates
maintaining an ideal surface of the workpieces (Fig. 8).
TOOL STEEL QUENCH SIMULATOR
Defining interdependencies of structure, technological
process and operating properties is of key importance for
proper and optimum processes of tool manufacturing.
Today the traditional trial-and-error method of optimalizing
product properties and technological parameters is commonly
replaced with simulation and prediction methods
which permit having both the product and the technological
process designed by computer. It is also in the area of
thermal and thermo-chemical processing that we observe
an increased interest in the applications for modelling and
simulation of such phenomena. This pertains both to the
progress of the process and to the final properties of the
processed elements [9-15].
The G-Quench Pro software (Fig. 9.) which VECTOR
furnaces are equipped with, is meant for simulation and
control of gas quench of tool steels and reduces the need
for test runs. The mathematical basis of quench process
and the dependence of material hardness from cooling
time were drawn up following the research performed at
the Technical University of Lodz, Poland and Seco/Warwick
as well as available literature. A direct result of simulation
is determining the course of cooling curve in given conditions.
Determination of cooling curve is done on the
basis of the parameters of the material, the process
and the physical workpiece such as quenching
temperature, type and pressure of quench gas,
dimensions of the workpiece and its shape, workload
density in the cooling chamber. Combined
with individual phase diagram for the material, the
curve provides feedback on the phases through
which the steel passes in the course of quenching.
The ultimate effect of the simulation is defining
the quench rate and expected final hardness of
the material (at setup depth).
As mentioned earlier, the individual parameters
of the quench equipment largely determine
the actual progress of the process, thus causing
the same parameters preset on two different
machines to give different results. For this reason,
at the installation phase the software is configured
to suit a given physical piece of equipment. This
way the individual characteristics of a given furnace
is also taken into account when calculating
the final properties of the product.
G-Quench Pro provides for monitoring of the
quench process in real time (on-line monitoring).
Fig. 7: Quench rate test acc. to NADCA on a reference steel block
400/400/400 mm
In this mode the software is connected to the furnace
control system and draws on-line the cooling curve on a
phase diagram on the basis of actual temperature measurements
obtained from workload thermocouples. This option
permits assessment of correctness of quench process while
the latter is still in progress and allows appropriate amendments
to be introduced.
Fig. 8: A die in vacuum furnace chamber following complex
heat treatment
4-2013 heat processing
43

REPORTS
Vacuum Technologies
Fig. 9: Overall view of software for simulation and control of tool steel quenching process
CONCLUSION
Worked out by NADCA, the criteria and standards for production
and exploitation of hot working steel are commonly
applied or adopted in both American and European
industry. The guidelines cover an entire spectrum of processes
and process control referring to tool manufacturing,
beginning from raw material, then heat treatment to
application and repairs.
Heat treatment of hot working tools should be effected
in vacuum furnaces with gas quench and isothermal stop.
The treatment should be performed at appropriate heating
and cooling speed and should be monitored with workload
thermocouples to control temperature difference within
the material.
Vacuum furnaces by Seco/Warwick series VECTOR,
equipped with high pressure gas quench system (to
25 bar) with interrupted quench provide an ideal solution
to meet NADCA, Ford, GM and other requirements
concerning complex heat treatment of hot working tool
steel. They also have potential to meet more restricted
requirements in terms of cooling speed and uniformity
in the future. The system of dynamic cooling enables programmed
(sequential and temporal) defining of quench
gas inflow direction, which positively influences cooling
uniformity and reduces deformations. The G-Quench
Pro quench simulator provides prediction of process
results and optimum adjustment of cooling parameters
to a given workpiece and the equipment, which ensures
appropriate technological outcome.
LITERATURE
[1] North American Die Casting Association: Special Quality die
steel & heat treatment acceptance criteria for die casting dies.
Vacuum heat treatment, 2008
[2] Ford Motor Company, Advanced Manufacturing Development
- DC2010: Die insert material and heat treatment performance
requirements, 2005
[3] GM Powertrain Group DC-9999: Die insert material and heat
treating specification, 2005
[4] Olejnik, J.: Vacuum furnaces with high pressure charge cooling.
Metallurgy 3/2002
[5] Korecki, M.: Technical and Technological Properties of Gas
Cooling in High Pressure Chamber. IX Seminarium Nowoczesne
trendy w obróbce cieplnej. Bukowy Dworek 2005
[6] Kowalewski, J.; Korecki, M.; Olejnik, J.: Next Generation HPQ
Vacuum Furnace. Heat Treating Progress 8 2008
[7] Korecki, M.; Olejnik, J.; Szczerba, Z.; Bazel, M.: Single-Chamber
25 bar HPGQ Vacuum Furnace with Quenching Efficiency
Comparable to Oil. Industrial Heating 9 2009, 73-77
[8] Korecki, M.; Olejnik, J; Szczerba, Z.; Bazel, M.; Atraszkiewicz,
R.: Piec próżniowy Seco/Warwick typ 25VPT z hartowaniem w
44 heat processing 4-2013

Vacuum Technologies
REPORTS
azocie i helu pod ciśnieniem 25 bar i jego nowe możliwości
technologiczne. XIII Seminarium Nowoczesne trendy w
obróbce cieplnej. Bukowy Dworek 2010
[9] Korecki, M.; Kula, P.; Olejnik, J.: New Capabilities in HPGQ Vacuum
Furnaces. Industrial Heating 3 2011
[10] Dobrzański, L.A.; Madejski, J.; Malina, W.; Sitek, W.: The prototype
of an expert system for the selection of high-speed
steels for cutting tools. Journal of Materials Processing Technology
56/1-4 1996, 873-881
AUTHORS
Ph.D. Eng. Maciej Korecki
Seco/Warwick
Swiebodzin, Poland
Tel.: +48 (0) 683820506
maciej.korecki@secowarwick.com
[11] Dobrzański, L.A.; Trzaska, J.: Application of neural network for
the prediction of continous cooling transformation diagrams.
Computational Materials Science 30/3-4 2004, 251-259
[12] Kula, P.; Atraszkiewicz, R.; Wołowiec, E.: Modern gas quenching
chambers supported by SimVac Plus hardness application.
AMT Heat Treatment, Detroit 2007
[13] Kula, P.; Korecki, M.; Pietrasik, R. et al.: FineCarb - the Flexible
System for Low-pressure Carburizing. New Options and Performance.
The Japan Society for Heat Treatment 49 2009,
133-136
[14] Sitek, W.: Methodology of high-speed steels design using the
artificial intelligence tools. Journal of Achievements in Materials
and Manufacturing Engineering 39/2 2010, 115-160
[15] Wołowiec, E.; Małdziński, L.; Korecki, M.: Nowe inteligentne
programy wspierające produkty Seco/Warwick. XIV Seminarium
Nowoczesne trendy w obróbce cieplnej. Bukowy
Dworek 2011, 71-80
Eng. Józef Olejnik
Seco/Warwick
Swiebodzin, Poland
Tel.: +48 (0) 683820505
jozef.olejnik@secowarwick.com
Prof. Piotr Kula Ph.D.
Technical University of Lodz
Institute of Materials,
Science and Engineering
Lodz, Poland
Tel.: +48 (0) 426312279
piokula@p.lodz.pl
Ph.D. Eng. Emilia Wołowiec
Technical University of Lodz
Institute of Materials,
Science and Engineering
Lodz, Poland
Tel.: +48 (0) 426312269
emilia.wolowiec@p.lodz.pl
Powered by
INTERNATIONAL
THERM
PROCESS
SUMMIT
The Key Event
for Thermo Process Technology
All impressions and interviews
now available at
www.itps-online.com
Congress Center
Düsseldorf, Germany
Organized by
09-10 July 2013 www.itps-online.com

ITPS FLASHBACK
ITPS 2013 – A great success
Fig. 1: The organisers’ committee is represented by
Messe Düsseldorf, VDMA and Vulkan-Verlag
This year the ITPS – International Thermprocess Summit –
was held for the first time and took place in Düsseldorf
from 9 to 10 July 2013. The event, that was created to fill
the gap between two THERMPROCESS trade fairs, which
only take place every four years, proved very successful and
totally met the organisers’ requirements. The ITPS offered
a complementary platform for information interchange as
well as for meetings between thermo processing specialists.
It was organised by Messe Düsseldorf, VDMA (with the
German Thermo Process Technology Association, Frankfurt),
CECOF (European Committee of Industrial Furnace
and Heating Equipment Associations, Frankfurt) and “heat
processing” published by Vulkan-Verlag (Fig. 1).
Dr. Timo Würz, director of the VDMA Thermo Process
Technology Association, said about the first ITPS: “There is
obvious demand in the industry for intensive debate about
the issues that will have to be tackled in future and ITPS
met this need in every respect at its premiere.” The director
of Messe Düsseldorf, Joachim Schäfer, expressed his entirely
positive impressions by saying that the first ITPS was just as
successful as the organisers had hoped beforehand and that
participants as well as exhibitors used the conference as a
welcome opportunity to hold in-depth exchanges of ideas
and information. So the conclusion can be drawn that the
ITPS not only fulfilled the demands of supplying high-level
information but also had a networking function and established
contacts between the high-ranking representatives
of the participating companies.
But not only the organisers are very satisfied with
the premiere of their event, but so were the around 150
international participants from 16 different countries
who considered it worthwhile coming to Germany to
attend the two-day summit.
On the first day the visitors had the chance to hear
keynote speeches to topical subjects such as “The
global business of industrial furnaces and its current
challenges” by Dr. Hermann Stumpp (Tenova Iron &
Steel), “Energy: A steel industry perspective” by Dr. Hans
Fischer (Tata Steel Europe) or “The markets for thermo
process industry: Going east?” by Dr. Heinz-Jürgen
Büchner (IKB Bank) (Fig. 2). Highlight of day one was
without a doubt the panel discussion on the “Future
of energy intensive production”. Here the high-ranking
international representatives from industry and policy
examined the topic from various perspectives and a
lively and interesting discussion began.
Fig. 2: Keynote speeches held in front of a large audience
46 heat processing 4-2013

ITPS FLASHBACK
Fig. 3: The accompanying exhibition attracted many interested visitors
The second day of the summit started with a speech
about “North America’s energy future: A new Middle East”
by Mark Mills (Manhattan Institute). Such interesting lectures
as “Induction heat treatment – solutions for both alternative
energy and resource efficient automotive technology” by
Dr. Andreas Seitzer (SMS Elotherm) and “Developments and
challenges in hot dip galvanizing of advance high strength
steels” by Martin Norden (ThyssenKrupp Steel USA) followed.
The summit was accompanied by a concurrent exhibition
in the foyer of the Congress Centre CCD South at
Messe Düsseldorf where around 30 companies presented
their newest products and solutions (Fig. 3). Among the
exhibitors there were also the “Gold” sponsor LOI and the
three “Silver” sponsors of the event, ABP Induction Systems,
SMS Elotherm and Seco/Warwick Europe. The conclusions
drawn about the ITPS 2013 by the sponsors and exhibitors
were positive, too, even if Dr. Wolfgang Andree, director of
ABP Induction Systems was more measured in his review
of the summit: “I consider it to be very positive that ITPS
has been initiated; now we need to analyse this first conference
and make minor improvements. Then it will be a
thoroughly successful event in future, too.”
Altogether it can be said that the first ITPS was a great
success for all parties involved and that it helped to reduce
the waiting time until the next THERMPROCESS trade fair is
taking place. For further information about ITPS please see
the QR code below or visit: www.heatprocessing-online.com
Further information:
www.itps-online.com
“ITPS plays an important networking role
for the international thermprocess industry”
Dr. Hermann Stumpp
Chief Technology Officer Tenova,
Chairman of the Association for Thermal
Process Technology within VDMA
4-2013 heat processing
47

The international magazine
for industrial furnaces,
heat treatment plants
and equipment
The technical journal for the entire field of industrial furnace
and heat treatment engineering, thermal plants, systems
and processes.
The publication delivers comprehensive information,
in full technical detail, on developments and solutions
in thermal process engineering for industrial applications.
Select the subscription offer that you prefer:
• print
• e-paper
• print + e-paper
on the annual
Save 25% subscription
www.heatprocessing-online.com
heat processing is published by Vulkan-Verlag GmbH, Huyssenallee 52-56, 45128 Essen, Germany
KNOWLEDGE FOR THE
FUTURE
Order now by fax: +49 931 / 4170-494 or send in a letter
Deutscher Industrieverlag GmbH | Arnulfstr. 124 | 80636 München
Yes, I want to read heat processing on a regular basis. During the first year I will benefit from a 25%
discount on the annual subscription fees. I subscribe to the technical trade journal for at least one
year (4 issues)
as a printed magazine at the annual price
of € 127.50 plus shipping (€ 12.00 within
Germany / € 14.00 outside of Germany)
as an e-paper magazine (single user) at
the annual price of € 127.50.
as a printed plus an e-paper magazine
(single user) at the annual price of € 177.75
(within Germany) / € 179.75 (outside of
Germany) incl. shipping.
Special offer for students (proof of entitlement)
as a printed magazine at the annual price of
€ 63.75 plus shipping (€ 12.00 within Germany /
€ 14.00 outside of Germany).
as an e-paper magazine (single user)
at the annual price of € 63.75.
as a printed plus an e-paper magazine
(single user) at the annual price of € 94.88
(within Germany) / € 96.88 (outside of Germany)
incl. shipping.
Company/Institution
First name, surname of recipient (department or person)
Street/P.O. Box, No.
Country, postalcode, town
Reply / Antwort
Readers’ Service heat processing
P.O. Box 91 61
97091 Wurzburg
GERMANY
Phone
E-Mail
Line of business
Fax
Please note: According to German law this request may be withdrawn within 14 days after order date in writing
to Readers’ Service heat processing, P.O. Box 91 61, 97091 Wurzburg, Germany. After the first period the agreement can
be terminated in writing with 2 months notice to the end of each year. In order to accomplish your request and for communication
purposes your personal data are being recorded and stored.
In order to accomplish your request and for communication purposes your personal data are being recorded and stored.
It is approved that this data may also be used in commercial ways by mail, by phone, by fax, by email, none.
This approval may be withdrawn at any time.
✘
Date, signature
PAHEAT2014

Burner & Combustion
REPORTS
Development of a multi-fuel
burner for operation with light
oil, natural gas and low calorific
value gas
by Anne Giese, Eren Tali, Hüseyin Yilmaz, Jörg Leicher
In the course of the AiF research project "Development of a multi-fuel burner for operation with natural gas, light oil and
low calorific value gas (MSB)" (IGF Grant No. 16202 N), various burner concepts based on the principle of continuously
staged air were developed, analyzed by means of computational fluid dynamics, built, investigated experimentally and
finally tested at a real biomass gasifier (plant). This article describes the results of this research project.
In the course of liberalized energy markets, conservation
of resources and strict environmental policies,
the efficient use of fuels and the search for alternative
fuels become more and more interesting for industrial
gas consumers. Using state-of-the-art combustion technology,
it is today possible to burn a single fuel, e.g.
coal, gas, oil or waste materials, in well-designed burner
and combustion chamber configurations that achieve
satisfactory results in terms of pollutant emissions, heat
transfer and stable flame operation. It is a much more
challenging task to utilize a variety of gaseous, liquid
and solid fuels with a single burner system, a so-called
multi-fuel burner (German: Mehrstoffbrenner – MSB).
There are a number of reasons why such a system might
be an attractive alternative for many thermal processing
applications: fluctuating fuel prices, interruptible supply,
or the use of internally occurring by-products, to name
a few. The fields of applications of such burners are
primarily heating boilers, industrial boilers, air heaters
and drying plants, but also CHP and various thermal
process systems. Burner loads range from a few kW to
several MW.
The requirement to a MSB is to burn various fuels efficiently
in compliance with the applicable emission limits
and with a stable flame operation. Different problems of
different fuels have to be taken into account, such as soot
formation in the combustion of oil or combustion stability
for varying qualities and quantities of gaseous fuels. These
problems have not yet been solved satisfactorily.
In August 2004, the amendment of the German Renewable
Energies Act (EEG) increased the pressure to search
for technologies for the efficient use and recycling of
low calorific value gases. The sources of these gases vary,
from biomass gasification (manure, organic waste materials,
renewable resources), waste water (sewage gas) to
landfills and coal mines (landfill and coal mine gas) and
industrial processes (product gases). In Germany, an assessment
of the potential of biomass for energy production
amounts to an annual energy potential of about 12 to 60
million coal equivalent (German: Steinkohleeinheit), which
equals approximately 2 to 15 % of the country’s primary
energy demand [10]. Germany’s share of global landfill gas
is estimated to be approximately 8 %. This corresponds
to approximately 3.2 million tons per year of methane [9].
For the energy recovery of medium-calorific gas with a net
calorific value > 3 kWh/m N ³, there are already many solutions
available [1 - 8]. These gases may be burned without any auxiliary
energy. Low calorific value gases with a net calorific value
< 3 kWh/m N ³ represent a group of gases that can – for the
most part – only be utilized with the help of an additional fuel.
Numerous national and international projects [12, 13] demonstrated
that the concept of continuously staged combustion
[11] is very well suited for the combustion of low calorific value
gases. In an AiF research project (IGF-Grant No.: 16202 N), the
4-2013 heat processing
49

REPORTS
Burner & Combustion
Fig. 1: MSB variant 1 based on the principle of COSTAIR burner with quart block
Fig. 2: MSB variant 2 with conical air distributor and quart block
application of this combustion concept to a multi-fuel burner
was examined and extended. In the following, selected results
of the research project will be presented. The complete documentation
can be found in [14].
NUMERICAL INVESTIGATIONS
In a first step, different geometry variations for the continuously
staged air principle for use with natural gas, light oil
and low calorific value gases were investigated with the
help of numerical simulations (CFD) in order to achieve
low emissions and a stable combustion process. In addition
to the heat release and the flame shape, the practical
implementation was another criterion for selecting a suitable
geometry.
In Fig. 1 and 2, the geometries are shown which were
then built and evaluated experimentally. Fig. 1 shows the
MSB with the well-known version of the COSTAIR air distributor.
Two different series of gas nozzles were designed
for the combustion of natural gas and lean gas respectively.
The combustion of light oil is realized by four oil lances that
are positioned around the air distributor. The combustion
air is injected into the furnace through the air distributor via
50 heat processing 4-2013

Burner & Combustion
REPORTS
COSTAIR-Burner
Cone-Burner
Fig. 3: Temperature distribution [°C] in the mid-plane of the test furnace by the combustion of REW-lean gas
a multitude of orifices. The distribution of oil is somewhat
problematic in this implementation and is also associated
with increased costs. Therefore, the effect of a centrally
located fuel nozzle was investigated in a second geometry
variation.
To take advantage of the continuously staged air principle,
a second, so-called "cone" variant of the air distributor
was developed in which the air is fed around the fuel nozzles
to the reaction zone, see Fig. 2. By the distribution of
the air openings on the circumference and over the length
of the cone, the air can also be added continuously to the
reaction zone, ensuring a good mixing of fuel, oxidizer and
combustion products.
Fig. 3 shows the calculated temperature distributions of
both geometry variations for one investigated gas. The furnace
corresponds in its dimensions to the GWI test facility.
Based on the temperature distribution, the flame shape is
easily recognizable. In the case of the conical air distributor,
a central stretched flame is formed. In the conventional air
distributor, the flame is arranged around the air distributor
and at the quart block.
Depending on the application, both geometry types
have their advantages and disadvantages. With the
numerical simulations, the geometry variants were optimized
to reach the lowest possible NO x emissions for all
investigated fuels. These variants were subsequently built
and examined experimentally at the GWI test facility.
EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION
The aim of the experiments was to examine two multi-fuel
burner concepts based on the principle of continuous air
staging, for the flexible use of various lean gases, natural gas
and light oil. Here, the emissions and operating characteristics
of the two burner designs were in the focus of the experimental
investigations. As fuel, several gas mixtures were used
to emulate various lean gases, natural gas and light oil. The
compositions of these gases are listed in Table 1. To reach
the same test conditions for both burners, both combustion
concepts were studied in the same test furnace and under
nearly identical operating conditions (e.g. burner capacity
200 kW, air preheating temperature of 100 °C).
In experimental investigations of the two burner concepts,
burner exhaust gas concentrations, operating pressures
of the burners, temperatures and flow rates of both
fuel and oxidizer were measured. Furthermore, during the
combustion OH radicals were visualized in the reaction
zone of the flame with the help of a special CCD camera.
The construction of the test facility and the setup of the
measurement equipment for the burner tests are shown
schematically in Fig. 4. The compositions of the gas mixtures
were obtained by mixing the various components (CO, N 2 ,
CO 2 , CH 4 , H 2 ) in the gas mixing facility at GWI. In the tests,
the air ratio of the burner varied in the range of λ = 0.9 to 1.5.
Fig. 5 shows the schematic representation of the two
Table 1: Composition of investigated gases
Type of gas
Composition in vol.-%
CH 4 CO H 2 CO 2 N 2
natural gas 99 - - 0.20 0.80
sewage gas 35 0 0 55 10
lean gas from
REW product gas
12 35 25 25 3
landfill gas 30 0 0 0 70
mine gas 25 0 0 10 65
gas from biomass 5 20 15 10 50
wood gas 5 15 15 15 50
4-2013 heat processing
51

REPORTS
Burner & Combustion
1. air inlet
2. air preheater
3. gas supply
4. gas mixing facility
5. oil connector
6. pressure cell
7. multi-fuel-burner
8. quart block
9. combustion chamber
10. UV-camera
11. flue gas evacuation
12. exhaust gas probe
13. gas filter
14. gas cooler + condenser
15. flue gas analyzer
16. data acquisition
Fig. 4: Schematic diagram of the experimental facility
Fig. 5: Schematic description of the different variants of the MSB burner
burner concepts that were studied in the GWI test facility. Furthermore,
the different supply lines of fuel and air are visible.
As an example, Fig. 6 shows NO x emissions of different fuels
and gives an impression of the results for both burner variants.
For the MSB variant 1, NO x values of the studied natural
gases and lean gases are less than 50 ppm (@ 3 vol.-% O 2 )
in the dry exhaust gas over a wide range of air ratios. Only
the REW product gas achieves values of more than 50 ppm.
The values for light oil are slightly higher. An evaluation
of the flame stability during the combustion of light oil
showed that the flame shape in the combustion chamber
was negatively influenced by the radially staged air from
the air distributor. However, switching off the air duct to
the air distributor was not feasible technically because
this component would otherwise be destroyed due to
the high local temperatures. For this geometry design, a
low emission and stable operation could only be shown
for different gaseous fuels.
For MSB variant 2, the NO x values are less than 100 ppm
over a wide range of air ratios, except for the product gas
52 heat processing 4-2013

Burner & Combustion
REPORTS
from REW, whereas the values for light oil are lower than
the values for natural gas. Due to the continuous injection
of air along the length of the cone, the flame temperature
decreases and with it the potential for NO x formation. Fig. 7
shows images of stable flame operation for light oil. The
majority of the combustion air is injected in parallel to the
oil, thus a slim and compact shape of the flame is formed
(right hand image).
This shows that the geometry design with a central oil
jet and continuous air staging can be operated with oil in a
more stable manner and with lower pollutant emissions than
the MSB variant 1. The low NO x emissions of the investigated
lean gases for both burner designs can be explained due to
the low adiabatic flame temperatures. Since the lean gases
(except for REW product gas) contain high fractions of inert
gas species and relatively little CH 4 , there will be a dilution of
the reaction zone during combustion. The flame is cooled
further due to the presence of additional CO 2 in the fuel
gas. The reason is the higher specific heat capacity of CO 2 .
Fig. 6 shows a comparison of NO x emissions for all the
investigated fuels. They have similar NO x levels, except for
REW product gas and natural gas. Higher NO x emissions
from REW product gas over the entire range of air ratio
and in particular near the stoichiometric range of λ = 1.0
are conspicuous in the case of MSB burner with conical
air distributor.
Table 2 shows a comparison of the fuel properties such
as calorific value, Wobbe Index and adiabatic flame temperature
for the investigated gases. In spite of the lower
calorific value of the REW product gas compared to natural
gas, the adiabatic flame temperature is only slightly lower
than that of natural gas (the adiabatic flame temperature of
pure hydrogen is 2,088 °C). The REW product gas contains
25 vol.-% H 2 , 35 vol.-% CO and significantly lower fractions
of inert components. Therefore, temperature peaks occur
near the burner, which in the presence of sufficient oxygen
and nitrogen cause increased NO x formation. The availability
of more than 20 vol.-% of hydrogen also augments the formation
of thermal and prompt NO x , since the prompt NO x
reaction mechanism is dependent on hydrocarbon radicals.
The increase in NO x emissions of hydrogen-containing fuel
gases was confirmed by the industrial members of the committee
supervising the research project.
APPLICATION IN A REAL
BIOMASS GASIFIER
At the end of the project, the concept of continuous
air staging was tested in a biomass gasifier with using
different types of biomass under real operating conditions.
The biomass reactor (see Fig. 8) operates on the
principle of allothermic steam reforming. The product
gas contains H 2 and CO (syngas) and has an average net
calorific value of 3 kWh/m N3 . Fig. 9 shows the structure of
an external combustion chamber with the MSB variant 1.
The produced syngas is conveyed with a gas temperature
of about 250 °C through a cyclone with the help of a suction
fan to the burner, because the syngas in the biomass
reactor is slightly below atmospheric pressure. Different
biomasses such as wood chips, chicken manure (HTK),
digestate from a biogas plant, oat husks and mill scale
sludge were used as feedstock for the gasifier to investia)
MSB variant 1 based on the principle of COSTAIR
b) MSB variant 2 with conical air distributor
Fig. 6: NO x values of the studied burners in operation with natural
gas, lean gas and light oil
Fig. 7: OH-image (left hand side) und image of light oil flame for
an air ratio of 1.2 (right hand side)
4-2013 heat processing
53

REPORTS
Burner & Combustion
Table 2: Net calorific values, Wobbe indices and adiabatic flame
temperatures of the investigated gases
type of gas
net calorific
value H l,n in
kWh/m N
3
Wobbe-
Index W s,n in
MJ/m N
3
adiabatic flame
temperature
in °C
natural gas 9,871 47,48 1.971
sewage gas 3,496 11,81 1.683
lean gas from
REW product gas
3,122 12,51 1.931
landfill gas 2,987 11,73 1.741
mine gas 2,490 9,36 1.644
gas from biomass 1,649 6,38 1.678
wood gas 1,474 5,61 1.572
Fig. 8: Biomass gasifier manufactured by REW
Regenerative Energie Wirtschaftssysteme
GmbH
gate the emission and operating characteristics of the MSB
burner variant 1 at different lean gas compositions (see Fig.
10). The measurements were carried out for an air ratio
range from 1.05 to 1.5. Table 3 shows different materials
used for the biomass gasifier and their gas compositions
at 250 °C. In spite of the different compositions of the solid
materials, the syngas contains on average 30 vol.-% H 2 and
23 vol.-% CO. Natural and inhomogeneous consistency of
biomass and waste materials from industry influence the
gas quality during the formation of gas in the reactor and
the corresponding calorific values of the syngas. Before
pyrolysis, biomass and industrial wastes contain many large
mass fractions of nitrogen compounds such as ammonia
(NH 3 ) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). During the degassing,
this leads to an accumulation of reactive ammonia in the
syngas. During the combustion of product gases significantly
higher NO x emissions in the exhaust gas are found
due to nitrogen-containing compounds in the fuel, so
that compliance with emission limits specified in "TA-Luft"
(Technical instructions on air quality control) is difficult.
However, N-containing lean gases can be used efficiently
by adapted combustion technologies, as experience from
past research projects from GWI has been shown [15].
Fig. 11 illustrates the influence of fuel-bound nitrogen
in different biomasses on the NO x emissions. The combustion
of syngas from digestate and chicken manure due
to the nitrogen bound in the fuel causes very high NO x
emissions in the exhaust gas. However, syngas from beech
a) Mounting of the MSB burner variant 1 to an external
combustion chamber
b) Construction of the combustion chamber and the test plant
Fig. 9: Structure of the MSB burner variant 1 (a) und the combustion chamber (b)
54 heat processing 4-2013

Burner & Combustion
REPORTS
Fig. 10: Investigated biomass
Fig. 11: Comparison of NO x emissions of the investigated syngases in the gasifier for λ = 1.2
wood chips and oat husks resulted in significantly lower
NO x concentrations so that compliance with the emission
limits specified in "TA-Luft" is feasible. The combustion of
syngas from mill scale sludge is complicated because the
input material is a paste-like mixture of iron oxide, oil and
water. During the formation of gas, the syngas contains
moisture and tar, which caused a blockage at the gas nozzle
and air nozzle in the burner after prolonged operation.
fuels are added, the MSB variant 2 with conical air distributor is
a viable alternative. With this, the liquid as well as various gaseous
fuels can be used with low emissions and a stable flame.
The final practical evaluations in a real biomass gasifier
show that the use of biogenic syngas in combustion
processes is possible. Nevertheless, further research and
optimization are required for low emission combustion of
fuels that contain high amounts of fuel-bound nitrogen.
CONCLUSION
This article summarizes the results of an AiF
project, which was carried out by GWI in
cooperation with industrial partners. Based on
the continuous air staging principle, various
burner designs for the combustion of natural
gas, lean gas and light oil in a single burner
system were investigated and developed.
The investigated burner variants demonstrate
the difficulty to realize a "general purpose"
burner for a stable and clean operation
which can be operated with different fuels. In
conclusion, the studies presented here show
that the MSB variant 1 is mainly suitable for the
use of gaseous fuels. These gases with very
different calorific values can be burned in a
stable manner and with low emissions. If liquid
Table 3: Composition of the investigated syngases
biomass
50 % by weight chicken
manure / 50 % by weight
wood chips
composition
calorific
value
CH 4 CO H 2 CO 2 N 2 O 2 kWh/m 3 N
13,6 22,3 31,4 27,7 4,5 0,6 3,08
pure beech wood chips 15 24,3 25,7 30,1 4,1 2,72 3,12
30 % by weight oat husks /
70 % wood chips
22,2 22,3 27,3 25,9 12,9 0,4 2,72
100 % by weight digestate 10,3 23,8 30,4 25,3 10 0,2 3,71
100 % by weight mill scale
sludge
5,5 14,8 24,1 14,8 40,5 0,5 2,71
4-2013 heat processing
55

REPORTS
Burner & Combustion
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to take this opportunity to thank the
project partners for their cooperation and support. Thanks
also to the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations
(AiF) for financial support through the budget of
the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).
LITERATURE
[1] Diezinger, S.; Talukdar, P.; von Issendorff, F.; Trimis, D.: Verbrennung
von niederkalorischen Gasen in Porenbrennern.
GWI Int., 54 (2005), S. 187-192
[2] Steinbrecht, D.; Matzmohr, R.; Wolff, H.-J.; Didik, H.: Entsorgung
von heizwertarmen Deponie-Restgasen mit einer
Wirbelschichtfeuerung. Trierer Berichte zur Abfallwirtschaft,
Band 14 (2003), S. 245-255
[3] Waerdt, S.; Willenbrink, B.: Micro-Gasturbinen. Neue Wege
und Varianten bei der Nutzung regenerativer Gase. VDI-Berichte,
Nr. 1746, 2003. S. 559-573
[12] Al-Halbouni, A.: Entwicklung NO x -emissionsminimierter
Heizkesselfeuerungen. Habilitation, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität
Magdeburg, Shaker Verlag 2001
[13] MGT-Abschlussbericht zum AiF-Forschungsvorhaben (AiF-Nr.
13246 N): Neue Brennersysteme zur dezentralen Nutzung
von schwachkalorigen Gasen in Mikro-Gasturbinen (MGT),
Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e.V., 2004
[14] NGT-Abschlussbericht zum EU-Forschungsprojekt (Contract-
N°: ENK5-CT-2001-00564): New combustion systems for gas
turbines, Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e.V., 2004
[15] MSB-Abschlussbericht zum AiF-Forschungsvorhaben (IGF-
Fördernr.: 16202 N): Entwicklung eines Mehrstoffbrenners für
Heizöl-, Erdgas- und Schwachgasbetrieb (MSB), Gas- und
Wärme-Institut Essen e.V., 2012
[16] NBG-Abschlussbericht zum AiF-Forschungsvorhaben (IGF-
Fördernr.: 15533 N) Untersuchungen zur Minderung der NOx-
Emissionen bei der Verbrennung von N-haltigen biogenen
Produktgasen in Thermoprozessanlagen. Gas- und Wärme-
Institut Essen e.V., 2010
[4] Dielmann, K.; Peters, B.: Microturbine using different gases and
liquid fuels. Micro Turbine Workshop, Tarragona, Oct. 2002
[5] www.g-a-s-energy.com: G.A.S.: Nutzung von schwachkalorigen
Gasen: Deponiegas, Grubengas, Biogas, Innovationen
AUTHORS
[6] Al-Hamamre, Z.; Diezinger, S.; Talukdar, P.; von Issendorff, F.;
Trimis, D.: "Combustion of low calorific gases from landfills
and waste pyrolysis using porous medium burner technology",
Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 84, 4,
(2006), pp. 297-308
Dr.-Ing. Anne Giese
Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e.V.
Essen, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 201 / 3618-257
a.giese@gwi-essen.de
[7] Witton, J.J.; Noordally, E.; Przybylski, J.M.: Clean catalytic combustion
of low heat value fuels from gasification processes,
Chem Eng J, 91 (2003), pp. 115–121
[8] Paubela, X.; Cessoua, A.; Honorea, D.; Vervischa, L.; Tsiavab, R.:
"A flame stability diagram for piloted non-premixed oxycombustion
of low calorific residual gases", Proceedings of the
Combustion Institute, 31, 2, (2007), pp. 3385-3392
[9] Waerdt, S.: Deponiegasnutzung in KWK-Anlagen (2004)
[10] http://www.pro-2.de/pro2/de/Download/Deutsch/Konferenz_Berlin.PDF
[11] Kircherer, A.: Biomasseverbrennung in Staubfeuerungen –
Technische Möglichkeiten und Schadstoffemissionen. VDI-
Fortschrittsberichte, Reihe 6, Energietechnik 344, 1995
Dipl.-Ing. Hüseyin Yilmaz
Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e.V.
Essen, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 201 / 3618-249
yilmaz@gwi-essen.de
Dr.-Ing. Jörg Leicher
Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e.V.
Essen, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 201 / 3618-278
leicher@gwi-essen.de
Dipl.-Ing. Eren Tali
Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e.V.
Essen, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 201 / 3618-241
tali@gwi-essen.de
56 heat processing 4-2013

Burner & Combustion
REPORTS
Practical burner applications in
consideration of DIN EN 746-2
by Dirk Mäder, René Lohr, Octavio Schmiel Gamarra
Since October 2010, the new version of DIN EN 746-2 Standard, Issue 2011-02, has to be applied. Said version is still
indispensable for the constructive design of gas-heated thermoprocessing installations. However, it offers important
guidelines and instructions not only for manufacturers but also for the end-users. Amendments thereto were made, for
instance, as regards such topics as start-load limitation or outfit of each burner with two class A valves. In the following
report, practical applications and examples to meet the more stringent demands are introduced and compared one to
another under practical as well as safety-related aspects.
Owing to their intended use and connection media,
thermoprocessing installations necessarily entail
a considerable number of risks and hazards.
Although more recently built installations are particularly
safe, some personal and installation damages may occasionally
occur. Therefore, it is imperative to optimise the
safety standards on the basis of experience gained in the
past. Up-to-date burner applications provide the highest
degree of safety and reliability. Fig. 1 shows a recuperator
burner including jacket radiant tube, however, without
safety control elements in sectional view as typically
applied on furnace installations for indirect heating. Some
amendments to the standard will be explained hereinafter
and resultant practice-related burner applications derived
therefrom.
BURNER EQUIPMENT WITH TWO
AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF VALVES
The revised version of DIN EN 746-2 states that gas supply to
each burner or a burner group must always be safeguarded
by two automatic shutoff valves of class A pursuant to EN 161
connected in series and installed in the gas supply pipe [1].
As to installations heated by one single burner only and
already equipped with such a gas valve on burner and a
main gas valve in the gas-pressure control, measuring, and
safety system, nothing will change. The same applies to an
installation comprised of one single burner group where
all burners are activated and deactivated at the same time.
In both cases, however, the main gas valve must also close
upon every deactivation of a single burner. According to
the obsolete version of standard, it was admissible to provide
a main gas valve and a valve before the burner and, in
case of flame failure, shutdown by process control or fault
shutdown, to close the latter only.
Use of double valves has stood the test in practice to
meet the relevant demands. The manufacturer of thermoprocessing
installations very often prefers an all-around cycle
control system instead of an ON/OFF zone control as higher
temperature uniformity can thus be achieved in the furnace
chamber. Said cycle control offers further benefits for media
supply to the burners as, according to experience, minor
pressure fluctuations will occur in the piping systems.
To be noted: When using double valves, the maintenance
input for the annual leak test prescribed does not
Fig. 1: Sectional view of a recuperator burner including jacket
radiant tube for indirect heating
4-2013 heat processing
57

REPORTS
Burner & Combustion
necessarily increase as both valves can be tested simultaneously
for inner and outer leaks. The potentially higher pressure
loss of both valve seats must be considered accordingly
in the constructive design of heating unit.
START-LOAD LIMITATION
Ignition of a burner with quick-opening valves still offers
some special advantages that can be seen particularly in
gas consumption, emissions, ease of burner adjustment as
well as temperature uniformity in the combustion chamber
of thermoprocessing installation [2] but also in the
comparably easily feasible supervision of volumetric flow
rates stipulated in the standard as they are always constant.
Said advantages, however, can be exploited only when
burners with especially good ignition behaviour are used.
Plenty of burners available on the market can be ignited
only with a reduced start load i.e. limited. The Noxmat
burners are equipped with a patented ignition chamber
separately applied to the swirl disk where exactly uniform
conditions for a trouble-free ignition cycle are maintained
that ensures controlled combustion in the whole combustion
chamber i.e. the space between the inner side
of burner tube and the outer side of swirl disk inside the
burner within fractions of a second. These advantages
as regards ignition behaviour are particularly noticeable
upon cold start.
STANDARD APPLICATION: QUICK-OPEN-
ING VALVES ON GAS AND AIR SIDES
Fig. 2 shows a NOXMAT-HGBE cold-air burner in standard
configuration including gas and air supply as well as burner
control, depicted really on the left (without pressure controller)
and schematically on the right. The resultant volumetric
flow rates are qualitatively shown below on a V·-t-chart. This
application is also suited similarly for the use of recuperator
burners. Not shown therein, but optionally available, the
burner unit can be equipped with an additional cooling-air
pipe and an additional cooling-air solenoid valve offering
the opportunity to operate the burner as cooling unit. The
cooling-air quantity supplied can be selected significantly
higher than the proper combustion-air quantity.
As a consequence of standard revision, direct burner
ignition at full power was limited to a maximum of 120 kW.
As far as certain preconditions have been met, the aforesaid
advantages can also be used moreover. In any case, the
combustion chamber and/or useable space, waste-gas
tracts as well as piping system must be configured so that
the maximum pressure rise is considered [1]. The relevant
evidence thereto must be furnished by the manufacturer
of thermoprocessing installation. The peak values of safety
times must be taken into account as well.
If direct ignition at full power is not possible, the standard
offers some practical opportunities to limit the start
Fig. 2:
Standard application without
start-load limitation,
shown on the example of a
NOXMAT-HGBE high-velocity
burner (real and schematic
representation with V·-t-chart)
58 heat processing 4-2013

Burner & Combustion
REPORTS
Fig. 3: Variants to realise a limited start load (schematic representation with V·-t-chart)
load. This can be achieved by relevant modifications of
fittings and control elements.
VARIANT 1: GAS SOLENOID VALVE
A two-stage gas solenoid valve offers the possibility to
gradually run two preset power ratings so that, with a
higher burner power, ignition may take place at a start
load of max. 120 kW and, after elapse of safety time and
successfully detected flame, the second stage and, thus,
maximum power can be run. Unfortunately, the equipment
manufacturers hardly offer suitable air valves and/or said
valves are comparably expensive so that a single-stage air
valve is very often chosen. The air valve can be configured
both in damped (slow-opening) (Fig. 3, Variant 1) and in
undamped (quick-opening) (not shown) design. In both
cases, the gas-air mix is temporarily not optimal during
the start-up cycle, however, the demands set forth in the
standard are met. In the best case, this may only cause
an increased gas consumption and poor combustion on
burners with good ignition behaviour and, in the worst
case, malfunctions on burners with ignition problems as
the excess air ratio λ may extremely vary [3].
VARIANT 2: SLOW-OPENING VALVES
Slow-opening is normally realised by the equipment manufacturers
by a damping facility mounted to the solenoid
valve body, filled with oil. Under constant operating conditions
and upon selection of components harmonising one
with another, this is a comparably simple variant to meet
the relevant demands of the standard. When using a quickopening
air valve in combination with a slow-opening gas
valve, energy efficiency during the start-up cycle is not
satisfactory as compared to Variant 1. If both valves (on gas
and air sides) have been equipped with a damping facility
(Fig. 3, Variant 2), this disadvantage can be reduced or, in
the best case, completely compensated for. It is crucial
here that the volumetric flow rates of combustion gas
and combustion air rise to their set-point value at constant
excess air ratio (not shown in Fig. 3, Variant 2). In the
representation of volumetric flow rates, the valves will not
open synchronously as frequently encountered in practice.
That is why this variant implies a certain susceptibility to
faults, in particular, with varying ambient temperatures as the oil
viscosity in the damping facility is dependent on temperature.
Consequently, such a valve partly opens significantly faster
upon higher ambient temperatures than lower ones. On such
a variant, faults may frequently occur because, for instance, the
valves open in winter operation so slowly that a sufficient gas
quantity to ignite the associated burners is not supplied. When
damped valves are used both on gas and air sides, it is not at all
ensured that temperature variations may have the same effect
on both valve types i.e. the gas-air ratio may in part extremely
vary as a function of ambient temperature.
Adjustment of damping facility selected at low ambient
temperatures to realise a start-load limitation to below
120 kW may necessarily vary in summer operation so that
the burners are not ignited any more according to standard
i.e. with overload unless supervision by a suitable protective
facility was provided as stipulated in the standard.
VARIANT 3: GAS-SIDED AIR/
GAS RATIO REGULATOR
Unlike a balanced pressure regulator, an air/gas ratio regulator
used on gas side offers the excellent opportunity even
4-2013 heat processing
59

REPORTS
Burner & Combustion
Fig. 4: NOXMAT-
MB measuring orifice
with attached
pressure switch
for recuperator burners to realise a
constant gas-air mix as a function of
power and process temperature.
Air is the reference variable and
is controlled by an electrically
activated control valve. Variant 3
(Fig. 3) depicts such a configuration.
Varying gas-supply pressure rates
as frequently encountered in practice
can be largely compensated for therewith.
However, it is mandatory to have
adjustment done by accordingly qualified
and skilled personnel as it is more
complicated than that for the
standard application.
This application
offers the majority
of control variants
such as, for
instance, ON-OFF
(damped), HIGH-
LOW-OFF or even
continuous, each
with constant excess
air ratio. However, external
activation of actuator
may be necessary under some circumstances. Moreover, it
also features the comparably most expensive variant.
The variant not shown herein is significantly more favourable;
to combine a damped air valve (or actuator) with a
gas-sided balanced pressure regulator. The advantage to
keep the gas-air mix at least approximately constant even
with varying opening velocity of air control element occurs
only in the use of cold-air burners at a closer look. As to
recuperator burners where the back-pressure relationships
of media may vary due to the preheating of air, this variant
can only be used to a restricted extent as far as a constant
and, thus, energy-efficient gas-air mix has to be generated.
In this case, it is only useful for ease of ignition cycle.
MONITOR SUFFICIENT AIRFLOW
(Para 5.2.2.5.1) The standard defines very clear demands in
this respect. Therefore, installations must be equipped with
a facility to monitor sufficient airflow upon pre-purging,
ignition, and burner operation [1]. If the airflow is different
in any state of operation, this may be accordingly expensive.
This demand can be very easily met by the use of a
dynamic air-pressure switch combined with a measuring
orifice, installed on a single-stage air supply system. The
orifice assembly series developed by Noxmat in nominal
widths of DN 20 through DN 65 (Fig. 4) offers the possibility
to measure the differential pressure during operation. A
static pressure switch is frequently used in practice to do
this job. Static means that the absolute pressure and not
the differential pressure are measured. In case of improper
arrangement, maladjustment, maloperation or malfunction,
air lacks are very often not detected. Relevant safety is only
ensured here by dynamic pressure monitoring. Furthermore,
it is suited as retrofit variant for volumetric flow-rate
measuring and pre-purging monitoring.
CONCLUSION
Notwithstanding increased demands due to the revision
of DIN EN 746-2 standard, enough possible variations to
meet these demands are available in practice. The simplest
variant is still the use of quick-opening, single-stage valves
in gas and air supply pipes. However, only a few burners
are able to meet these demands. The standard application
with quick-opening valves on gas and air sides explained
herein will meet the demands for required supervision of
sufficient volumetric airflow rates in all operating states very
easily and safely thanks to the use of an orifice combined
with a differential-pressure switch. Even beyond the limit
of 120 kW, this variant can be implemented as far as certain
requirements set forth in the standard are met.
LITERATURE
[1] DIN EN 746-2: Industrial thermoprocessing equipment –
Safety requirements for combustion and fuel handling systems,
February 2011
[2] Mäder, D.; Rakette, R. and Schlager, S.: Process optimisation
on a bogie-hearth furnace by the use of ceramic recuperator
burners. Gaswärme International, Issue 3/2007
[3] Mäder, D.; Rakette, R. and Lohr, R.: Energy-efficient operation
of natural-gas burners. Gaswärme International, Issue 5/2009
AUTHORS
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Dirk Mäder
Noxmat GmbH
Hagen, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2334 / 442358
maeder@noxmat.de
René Lohr
Noxmat GmbH
Oederan, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 37292 / 650343
lohr@noxmat.de
Octavio Schmiel Gamarra
Noxmat GmbH
Oederan, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 37292 / 650361
schmiel@noxmat.de
60 heat processing 4-2013

Induction Technology
REPORTS
Tailor-made frequency converter
technology for induction
furnaces
by Frank Donsbach, Klemens Peters, Dietmar Trauzeddel
Starting out from a review of trends in the development of medium-frequency melting equipment and of techno logical
demands on modern frequency converter systems, this article outlines current developments in converter design. More
particularly, it describes circuit engineering options for controlling the bath movement and demonstrates these solutions
in detail for a specific example.
The technical and economic characteristics of induction
furnace technology, especially as based on coreless
furnaces, have led to an increasingly widespread
use of these systems in the foundry and semi-finished
products industries as well as in the metallurgical sector.
Growing levels of performance and economic benefits and
expanded utilization options have been key to this trend.
Along with an optimized furnace design and process management,
the advances achieved were contingent mainly
on more powerful, process-oriented frequency converter
solutions.
Apart from proven thyristor-based converters, the successful
development of IGBT converters has come to play
an ever more important role in electrothermal processes.
The large number of IGBT converter systems now successfully
in use testifies to the performance, reliability and
flexibility of this technology. The present article is intended
to look specifically at how given technology requirements
can be met through appropriate tailor-made frequency
converter designs.
DEVELOPMENT TRENDS
In general terms, it may be noted that the development
of medium-frequency melting furnaces and hence, of the
associated converter technology is characterized by the
trends outlined below.
On the one hand, we have been witnessing continuous
growth in the capacity and hence, in the power rating of
melting equipment installed. A few years ago, converters
delivering 10 MW were an exception as the average nominal
power level was at 6 - 8 MW. More recently, 15 MW has
become a common figure, and according to one press
release [1], melting furnaces with an electrical power rating
of 42 MW are already in production today. These data refer
to thyristor-based converter systems, but a marked rise in
nominal output has also been achieved with IGBT converters.
Where 2 - 3 MW marked the limit just a few years ago,
much more powerfuI IGBT systems are now available.
Along with this growth in nominal output, demands
on the grid compatibility of the systems employed have
gained even higher priority.
For both converter types, however, the increase has
been not in specific power density (i.e., power per tonne
of furnace capacity) but reflects growth in furnace size
alone. Needless to say, existing furnace designs could not
simply be “scaled up” to boost capacity; the higher nominal
outputs were achievable only through engineering
modifications, e.g., relating to yoke dimensions and cooling,
screening of the electromagnetic field, and the prevention
of mechanical resonance vibrations.
On the other hand, a growing number of new applications
has been developed over and beyond the classical
use of the coreless furnace as a melting and holding vessel
for common casting metals such as iron, steel, aluminium
and copper. Thus, coreless induction furnaces have even
been built for use as a metallurgical reactor.
At the same time, improvements in control, monitoring
and process management technology have increased the
availability rates and simplified the operation and maintenance
of melting furnaces. Through these and other
4-2013 heat processing
61

REPORTS
Induction Technology
measures, it has been possible to achieve further progressive
improvements in the cost and energy-efficiency as well
as the grid compatibility of medium-frequency melting
equipment.
TECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS
Medium-frequency furnaces have long evolved from a pure
“remelting” unit with ever-increasing outputs into a metallurgical
melting source. Applications range from melting
and recycling scrap, chips, dusts and fine-grained materials
through melting and refining processes for ferro-alloys and
new materials (e.g., silicon) to the separation of metals by
selective distillation.
But even in the field of “classic” metals, new sensitive
alloys call for the use of tailor-made equipment control and
metallurgical process management.
From a metallurgical point of view, demands placed
on the induction melting process now include the ability
to control both the input of thermal power and the melt
flow with a view to meeting specific technological needs.
Moreover, the power input and bath movement should
be mutually decoupled, i.e., the desired melt movement
in the furnace should be adjustable independently of the
respective power input so as to provide ideal conditions
for the metallurgical process to be performed.
Depending on the task on hand, it may be desirable
in one case to selectively control the surface flow of the
molten metal, whereas in another scenario it may be an
objective to ensure particularly thorough intermixing of all
molten metal present in the furnace.
While it is no problem technologically to control the
electric power and hence, the input of thermal energy
into the melt, it takes very special circuit engineering to
achieve control of the bath movement independently of
this energy input.
STATE OF FREQUENCY CONVERTER
TECHNOLOGY
Thyristor-based frequency converters still represent the
preferred technology for high-power equipment today,
and induction furnace engineering is no exception to this
rule. Here, too, the thyristorized converter has proven itself
as a mature and reliable subsystem.
Various circuit configurations have become established
over the years and can be realized in a very cost-efficient
manner by thyristor technology.
In the competing field of IGBT converter systems, the
ultra-high power levels which have been commonly
achievable for many years with thyristor circuits are still
an object of R&D. Nevertheless, there is much to indicate
that the thyristor-based converter is bound to be progressively
replaced by its IGBT-based counterpart which offers
additional benefits.
Indeed, development in the field of thyristor converters
has virtually come to a halt except for the aforementioned
trend towards ever-increasing outputs. Research addressing
new technological needs is very much focused on the
IGBT converter today.
The development of a new converter generation based
on IGBT semi-conductor components has already been
described in detail in a previous article in this publication
[2]. Let us therefore review only a few major process engineering
aspects at this junction.
In realizing the IGBT frequency converter series, the
parallel oscillating circuit principle was adopted. This is
because the alternative (i.e., a series resonant circuit) converter
type would have required the entire non-corrected
furnace power to flow through the inverters.
The new converter line-up involves the use of insulated
gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) instead of thyristors in the
inverter. One rectifier supports several mutually independent
inverters.In developing a suitable converter topology, the
challenge was to integrate proven drive system modules
while achieving a simple and maintenance-friendly configuration
that would deliver a sufficiently high output voltage.
In addition, this configuration offers the basic possibility
of realizing a further voltage increase by capacitive coupling.
High-power converters for induction melting and
heating applications are normally cooled by water. Since
the IGBTs are mounted on electrically isolated water-cooled
heat sinks there is no need for a cooling water treatment,
unlike with thyristorized converters. This feature significantly
diminishes the demands placed on the water recooler,
as well as the associated maintenance needs.
Otto Junker’s IGBT converters are noted for their standardized
modular design. The inverters and d. c. link circuit
capacitors form one integral unit which is suitable for use
in diverse circuit configurations. Typical examples are:
■■
■■
■■
■■
independent inverters serving several furnaces;
multiple inverters for the coil sections of one furnace;
parallel connection for increased power;
series connection for increased voltage.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
More powerful IGBT inverters
As noted earlier, the trend today is towards larger melting
furnaces with ever increasing power ratings. The IGBT
converter must keep pace with this development. Since
IGBT converters were first developed, engineers have
been relying on 1,700 V-IGBT modules. Inverter ratings
of 250 kW (and, subsequently, 400 kW) can be realized
on this basis. For higher outputs, multiple inverters are
connected in parallel to serve a common load. It is also
possible to build frequency converter systems for a wide
variety of applications with the aid of modular standard
inverter units.
62 heat processing 4-2013

Induction Technology
REPORTS
Otto Junker has developed inverter units for more than
1 MW (Fig. 1) on the basis of 3,300 V-IGBT modules. The
foundation has thus been laid for the fabrication in the next
few years of IGBT converter systems in a power range up
to and above 12 MW.
Converter control technology
For controlling frequency converters, the newly developed
“ZEUS” (central converter control) and “MERKUR” (measured
data acquisition and communication module for converter
control systems) are now available. Both afford substantial
benefits thanks to the use of advanced digital signal processor
technology, apart from being straightforward to install
and offering enhanced ease of maintenance.
Circuit design options
At the circuit engineering level, established solutions
such as multi-frequency technology or DUOMELT and
DUOCONTROL systems are available along with more
recent alternatives such as double-power and phase-shift
inverter technologies.
Thus, for instance, the phase-shift inverter technique
allows higher interior melt flow velocities to be created at
the centre of the crucible through application of a phase
shift between the upper and lower section of a split coil.
More detailed explanations on the subject of specific
circuit variants for bath movement control are given
below.At this point let us take a brief look at the double-power
technology, a solution which cuts costs and
reduces the space requirements of a converter system
for a two-furnace melting installation.Its basis is an IGBT
converter system equipped with, and dimensioned for,
two inverters serving one furnace each. However, the
inverter part is rated for the aggregate output so that
both furnaces can be run at full power simultaneously
(Fig. 2).
VISUALIZATION SYSTEMS
At the visualization level, too, the trend is moving away
from standard systems. The use of custom solutions is
becoming standard practice today.
Depending on specific furnace operating and
monitoring needs, diverse visualization systems can
be employed. These differ in terms of the scope and
contents of their graphic presentation and operator
control functionalities. The following alternatives are
available:
■■
BasicControl with 5.7“ touchscreen (Fig. 3);
■■
M2F interface with 15“ touchscreen (Fig. 4);
■■
JOKS (Junker Furnace Control System) comprising a 15“
PC with softkey control (Fig. 5).
Table 1 gives a detailed comparison of the individual systems.
Fig. 1: 1 MW IGBT inverter module
Trafo Gleichrichter
Zwischenkreis Wechselrichter Kompensation Ofen
Fig. 2: DUOMELT and Double Power circuit designs – the Double Power
system enables both furnaces to run at full load.
CIRCUIT CONFIGURATIONS SUPPORTING
CONTROL OF THE BATH MOVEMENT
At this point, let us briefly review the available alternative
circuit technologies. Based on R&D advances achieved over
the last few years, Otto Junker has established its Power-
Focus and Multi-Frequency technologies – two special
circuit systems meeting the above requirements which
have by now proven their merits in numerous installed
furnace systems.
The Power-Focus technology permits an automatic or
freely selectable concentration of power in that coil section
(top or bottom) in which it is needed most. Thus, when
the furnace is half empty, the power input can be focused
in the lower crucible area in order to increase the energy
input there. On the other hand, when the furnace is full
more power can be directed into the top coil section so
Imf
Imf
Upwm
Upwm
Umf
Umf
Uofen
Uofen
4-2013 heat processing
63

REPORTS
Induction Technology
Fig. 3: BasicControl with 5.7“ touchscreen
Fig. 4: M2F interface with 15“ touchscreen
Fig. 5: JOKS (Junker Furnace Control System) comprising a 15“
PC with softkey control
as to intensify the bath movement and hence, facilitate
stir-down of the charge (e.g., metal chips).
The Multi-Frequency technology enables switching
between different operating frequencies during the melting
process. For example, an appropriate frequency of
250 Hz will be used to melt down the charge material.
For the input of carburizing agents and alloying additives,
the system is automatically switched to a lower frequency,
e.g., 125 Hz. Practice has shown that this changeover to
a reduced frequency can greatly accelerate the carbon
pick-up in cast iron analysis adjustment (Fig. 6).
These options are substantially enhanced further
by the most recent innovations utilizing the technical
advantages of IGBT converter technology. As a result
of these developments, we have seen the advent of
process-focused IGBT converters addressing application
routes to be described below.
The technical prerequisites for controlling the bath
movement within a wide range are met by installing an
IGBT converter with two separate inverters and a system
ensuring a phase-shifted operation of the furnace coil
sections (Fig. 7).
In the charge melt-down phase the furnace can be
run at an appropriate nominal frequency of, e.g., 250 Hz,
while for increased bath agitation at low power the frequency
can be steplessly set to under 100 Hz. The phase
shift between the two coil sections is also adjustable in
order to provide a selective control of the flow pattern
(i.e., direction of rotation and velocity) in the central coil
area of the furnace. Thus, the region of maximum velocity
can be moved to the interior of the melt so that better
intermixing of the entire bath is achieved.
Under a recent contract, Otto Junker had to design
a coreless furnace for melt refining of a light metal
alloy via a plasma process. With the furnace filled to
its nominal full capacity, an active gas plasma was to
be applied to the melt surface in this scenario. The
furnace bath movement and hence, the exchange of
substances were to be raised to maximum intensity yet
without causing melt splatter. At the same time, the
temperature was to be kept as constant as possible over
a treatment cycle of several hours, taking into account
the heat input caused by the plasma burner.
Based on this specification, a furnace system with
a crucible capacity of around 100 litres was designed,
built and commissioned. Along with a conventional
melting mode (230 Hz, 300 kW), this system provides
a stirring mode at reduced heat input in which the
frequency and power input are steplessly adjustable
independently of each other The operating frequency
in stirring mode ranges from 33 to 100 Hz, i.e., starting
out from a bottom value below the mains frequency.
At the same time, this furnace system enables the user
64 heat processing 4-2013

Induction Technology
REPORTS
Table 1: Detailed comparison of the individual systems
JOKS modules JOKS M2F Interface BasicControl
Hardware / Display
Diagonal 15“ 15“ 5,7“
Operating system
(MUI = multilingual user interface)
Win7
Ultimate
(MUI)
Win XP
embedded
(English)
Win XP
embedded
(English)
Mass storage devices
>=250GB
hard drive 3,5“
8GB flash
CF card
Touchscreen (without keyboard) optional X X
4 GB flash
CF card
Data management Furnace/ batch logs 14 month 14 month none
Batch logs X X
Production logs (freely selectable time period) X X
Alarms 14 month 14 month 1 month
Current alarms X X X
Alarm log over freely selectable time period X X
Alarm statistics over freely selectable time period X X
Alarm log for the last hour/day/week/month
X
Analog values/ trends 14 month 3 month none
Time resolution
1 s
(in planning)
Diagrams X X
60 s
Melting mode Automatic X X
According to kWh setpoint
Power specification depending on content X X
Superheating (automatic) X X
X
Holding mode Automatic X X
According to kWh setpoint
X
Cold starting mode
(time/power)
X X X
Sintering mode Time/ power X X X
Temperature controlled
X
Weighscale Gross value indication X X X
Tare function X X X
4-2013 heat processing
65

REPORTS
Induction Technology
Table 1: Detailed comparison of the individual systems
JOKS modules JOKS M2F Interface BasicControl
Probe temperature
measurement
Indication
X X X
Acceptance into calculated temperature X X
Water recooler Overview screen X
Tabular view X X
Switchgear system Overview screen X
Tabular view X X
Frequency changeover
Stirring feature X X
Filter circuit X X
X
X
Furnace screen Maximum number of furnaces 3 2 2
Simultaneous indication of furnaces and their states X
Graphic view of furnace X X
Tabular view of furnace
X
Connection to
higher-order systems
Network parametrizing as DHCP client X X
Free definition of network addresses
X
Windows domain membership supported
X
ODBC interface to production data X X
USB data export X X
Parallel indication supported X X
Second operator supported
X
User management
(disabling of individual
screens)
X X X
Charge make-up
Interfacing
X
Analyzer
interfacing
X
Additives
weighscale
X
66 heat processing 4-2013

Induction Technology
REPORTS
to run the furnace’s two coil sections at different
phase angles in stirring mode. This design
provides hitherto unknown flexibility in terms
of independent control of the thermal power
input and melt flow characteristics. An illustration
of this is given in Fig. 8 to 11 taking the
example of an aluminium melting operation.
Fig. 8 illustrates the situation in melting mode
at a power input of 120 kW and an operating
frequency of 230 Hz. Fig. 9 to 11 show the situation
at 28 kW / 34 Hz and a phase angle of 0°,
+90° and -90°. A comparison between Fig. 8
and Fig. 9-11 impressively demonstrates the
influence of the operating frequency. Thus, at
34 Hz, a mere 28 kW of power suffices to produce
approximately the same flow velocity in
the bath as is achieved at 230 Hz and 120 kW.
Moreover, Fig. 10 and 11 clearly illustrate the
impact of the phase angle on bath movement.
This furnace system fulfils its intended operating
purpose in a fully satisfactory manner, yet
the technology employed here opens up much
wider perspectives. On the one hand, the lowfrequency
operating regime in conjunction
with a phase shift enables engineers to design
high-turbulence induction mixers providing
ideal conditions for metal-slag reactions. At the
same time, the increased magnetic penetration
depth obtained at the low frequency supports
the choice of a much thicker crucible wall compared
to conventional coreless furnaces, and
this is an indispensable requirement for metallurgical
tasks of this nature. Fields of application
include, e.g., secondary metallurgical operations
in steelmaking or copper refining steps
in making semi-finished products. In addition,
the technology offers all-round advantages in
recycling fines.
In total, the above-described technical solutions
for controlling the bath movement of a
coreless furnace now provide effective equipment
design options for specific metallurgical
tasks as summarized in Table 2.
CONCLUSION
Modern frequency converters based on IGBT
technology offer numerous technical advantages,
including the possibility to adopt innovative
circuit designs. As a result, new metallurgical
applications can be developed for mediumfrequency
melting furnace systems. Further
innovations support the increasing availability
of user-specific plant configurations.
L1
L2
L3
Fig. 6: Multi-frequency system
Gleichrichter
Zwischenkreis Wechselrichter Kompensation Ofen
Imf
Imf
Upwm
Upwm
Umf
Phase=90
°
Fig. 7: Circuit providing phase shift between coil sections
Fig. 8: 120 kW; 230 Hz, phi=0
Phase=0°
Umf
4-2013 heat processing
67

REPORTS
Induction Technology
Fig. 9: 28 kW, 34 Hz, phi = -90 °
Fig. 10: 28 kW, 34 Hz, phi=0 Fig. 11: 28 kW, 34 Hz, phi =+ 90°
Table 2: Control of the bath movement in a coreless induction furnace
Technical solutions
Multi-frequency technology
Changeover, e.g., between 250/125 Hz
Power Focus technology
Concentration of power in the upper or lower coil region
Low-frequency technology
Operating frequency of 100 Hz
down to below 30 Hz
Process-oriented IGBT technology
Variable frequency (e.g., 250 Hz, stepless adjustment from
100 – 33 Hz)
plus use of coil sections with phase-shifted power supply
Application examples
Carburizing cast iron
Alloying work
Chip melting with high throughput, e.g., of aluminium
chips
High-intensity alloying, e.g., of aluminium alloys
Chip melting, melting of fine-grained charge materials,
metal powder, etc. (e.g., Cr, FeMn, FeSi)
Surface reaction process for cleaning
Scrap recycling and upgrading
As for low-frequency technology
Combination of high throughput and intense intermixing
of the entire crucible at low power
Adjustment of the optimum operating point in terms of
heat input and flow velocity
LITERATURE
[1] elektrowärme international 03(2012), p. 14
[2] Peters, K.; Frey,T.; Trauzeddel, D.: elektrowärme international
02(2005) p. 69-73
AUTHORS
Dipl.-Ing. Klemens Peters
Otto Junker GmbH
Simmerath-Lammersdorf, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2473 / 60 10
pe@otto-junker.de
Dipl.-Ing. Frank Donsbach
Otto Junker GmbH
Simmerath-Lammersdorf, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2473 / 60 10
don@otto-junker.de
Dr.-Ing. Dietmar Trauzeddel
Otto Junker GmbH
Simmerath-Lammersdorf, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2473 / 60 10
tra@otto-junker.de
68 heat processing 4-2013

Research & Development
REPORTS
Potentials for saving energy in
Europe by the use of electrothermal
technologies
by Egbert Baake
This paper is based on a study [1, 2], which demonstrates future possibilities to save energy and CO 2 -emission by using
electrothermal technologies in the European industry (EU-27). A very important background and basis for this analysis is the
forecast of the future energy supply in Europe. In this investigation the main focus is set on the development of the primary
energy factor (PEF) and CO 2 -emission factor which is predicted for each year till to 2050. It can be expected that both, the
primary energy factor and the CO 2 -emission factor will decrease due to the increasing supply by renewable energies. Three
different transformation scenarios have been investigated for the calculation of the savings for the time horizon from now
till the year 2050.
The aim of this study [1, 2] was the investigation of future
saving potentials of energy and CO 2 -emission in Europe
(EU-27) by the use of electrothermal processes and EPM
(Electromagnetic Processing of Materials) technologies. Three
different transition scenarios starting from now till the year
2050 have been developed and investigated, where important
energy intensive industrial processes are transformed
from the actual situation to a situation with 100 % electrically
operating processes. The scenarios take into account both the
most energy intensive industrial thermal processes, which
could be replaced by electrothermal technologies and offer
obviously the biggest future potential in terms of saving of
primary energy and reducing of carbon emissions, but also
lower energy intensive heating processes, which are used
in many different industrial branches and require a more
detailed investigation.
Very important for this analysis is the forecast of the future
energy supply (energy mix) in Europe. In this investigation
the main focus was set on the development of the primary
energy factor (PEF) and CO 2 -emission factor which will be
presented for every year till to 2050. It can be expected that
the primary energy factor will decrease from 2.5 currently
to 1 due to the increasing supply by renewable energies.
The CO 2 -emission factor will decrease as well, which means
a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In this work the
savings of CO 2 -emissions will be calculated for a variety of
different energy intensive industrial processes.
For the calculation of the savings three different process
transformation scenarios are investigated and compared
(Fig. 1). The first is the reference scenario, which implies no
transformation from fossil fuel heated processes to electrical
processes. That means the current situation and the share
between the fossil fuel heated and electrothermal processes
will not change till 2050. This reference scenario shows clearly
the influence of the development of the primary energy factor
and CO 2 -emission factor.
Fig. 1: Illustration of the different scenarios for the
transfor mation to total electrical operating processes
4-2013 heat processing
69

REPORTS
Research & Development
Fig. 2: Developing of the primary energy factors (PEF) in the EU-27
for the generation of electricity till the year 2050 based on [3]
Fig. 3: Developing of the CO 2 -emission factors in the EU-27 for the
generation of electricity till the year 2050 based on [3]
The second scenario, so-called linear scenario,
assumes a linear increase of the share of electrical processes
from the current state up to 100 % electrical
operation processes in the year 2050. The third scenario
investigated in this study is named shock scenario. This
scenario implies, that the transformation from the current
share between fossil fuel heated processes to a
situation with 100 % electrical operating processes will
be very fast between the years 2020 and 2025. This
shock scenario is from economical and technical point of
view not realistic, but it should demonstrate the impact
of a very fast transformation to pure electrothermal
technologies in the European industry. Also it would
be possible to investigate other time periods for the
transition as well as non-linear transition scenario with
regressive or progressive transformation periods using
the existing data.
PRIMARY ENERGY FACTOR AND CO 2 -
EMISSION FACTOR
For the investigation and evaluation of the transformation
from fossil fuel heated processes to electrical operated
processes it is necessary to know the specific primary
energy factor (PEF) and CO 2 -emission factor of the different
energy carriers. In the next step it is possible to calculate
the possible savings of primary energy and CO 2 -emission
applying the different strategies. In case of fossil fuels these
factors are known from different data base and studies
[3, 4]. The primary energy factors and the factors of the
specific CO 2 -emission of fossil fuels, like gas, oil, coal etc.,
have not changed significantly over the last years, because
the energy process chains have been mostly unchanged.
It can be assumed that these PEF and CO 2 -emission factors
will have only small changes in the future till 2050. In
particular decrease of these factors for fossil fuels cannot
be expected, because the efforts for the exploitation of
fossil primary energy carriers will grow in future.
The factors for primary energy and CO 2 -emissions for
electrical energy depend on the composition of the energy
mix in Europe. Therefore the forecast of the energy supply
in Europe is an important factor of this investigation.
With an increasing share of renewable energy carrier, like
wind energy, in the energy mix in Europe both factors will
decrease. The development of the primary energy factor
and the CO 2 -emission factor from now till the year 2050
will be used to calculate the possible savings of primary
energy and CO 2 -emissions in Europe. The primary energy
factor is calculated by dividing the development of the
primary energy used for the gross electricity generation
by the gross electricity generation. Fig. 2 shows the calculated
primary energy factor for electricity, which means
that the specific primary energy input for the generation
of one kilowatt hour electricity will decrease from today
2.4 down to 1.2 in 2050.
The specific CO 2 -emission factor describes, how many
grams of CO 2 are emitted by the generation of 1 kWh
of electricity. Because the generation of electricity in
Europe consists of different types of power stations, like
coal and gas power stations, nuclear power stations as
well as renewable electricity generation using hydro
power stations or wind, solar and biomass, the resulting
CO 2 -emission factor has to be calculated taking into
account the energy specific CO 2 -emission factors of this
energy generation mix. This calculation has been done
for each year separately till the year 2050. The result of
this calculated prognoses of the CO 2 -emission factor for
the electricity generation in Europe is shown in Fig. 3.
It can be seen that the specific CO 2 -emission factor for
the generation of electricity in Europe will decrease in
future, from 400 g/kWh today down to 40 g/kWh in the
year 2050.
70 heat processing 4-2013

Research & Development
REPORTS
Consequently the possible future saving potentials of
primary energy and CO 2 emission due to the intensified
application of electrothermal technologies in Europe
can be predicted using the primary energy factor and
CO 2 -emission factor shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF THE
EUROPEAN INDUSTRY
The final energy consumption of the European industry
(EU-27) was about 3,133,762 GWh in the year 2009 [1].
The industry can be split up into 12 different main sectors,
as shown in Fig. 4. High energy-intensive industry
sectors are the iron and steel industry, the non-ferrous
metal industry, the chemical industry, the production of
glass, pottery and building materials and the paper and
printing industry, which were investigated in the frame
of this study as indicated in Fig. 4.
For each sector the share of the different final energy
carriers used in different processes has been identified
in order to determine the maximal possible substitution
potential for electrical energy used as final process
energy. This substitution potential is quite different for
the particular sector, e.g. in the plastic industry the share
of fossil fuels is 39 % but in the cement industry the share
of fossil fuels is around 89 % today [3].
In the following the approach for the determination of
the primary energy and CO 2 -emission saving potentials
is described exemplarily for the iron and steel production
in Europe.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF THE IRON
AND STEEL INDUSTRY
The energy consumption of the iron and steel industry
in Europe was 514,848 GWh in the year 2009 [3]. Therefore
the iron and steel industry is the sector with the
second highest energy consumption in Europe after the
chemical industry (Fig. 4). The percentaged share of the
different end energy carriers used in the iron and steel
industry is shown in Fig. 5. The most important end
energy carrier in the iron and steel industry is coke with
a share of 30 %, because coke is used in blast furnace
for the production of pig iron. Other important energy
carrier are gas (30 %) and hard coal (13 %). The share of
electrical energy in the iron and steel industry is today
21 % as indicated in Fig. 5.
As an example in the following the production of iron
and steel is discussed more in detail from energetic point
of view. It is assumed that the total production rate of
steel per year in Europe will be constant until 2050. The
consumption of the final energy and primary energy as
well as the CO 2 -emissions are calculated for each year
and for the three different process transformation scenarios
explained above. Based on these results the total
integrated savings of final energy, primary energy and
CO 2 -emissions are calculated and presented. Thereby the
primary energy factors and CO 2 -emission factor shown in
Table 1 and Fig. 2 and 3 are used for the different energy
carriers. Based on these results the total integrated savings
of final energy, primary energy and CO 2 -emissions
are calculated and described.
In the year 2009 the 27 European states produced more
than 139 million t of steel [5]. In principle there exist two
ways for the production of steel. The first is the production
of crude iron in a blast furnace that is subsequently transformed
into steel using oxygen blown converter. This is the
classical route of steel production and has a share of 56 %
on the overall output in Europe. The second technique is
Fig. 4: Final energy consumption of the EU-27 industry in 2009 subdivided
into industry sectors (Sum: 3,133,762 GWh) [3]
Fig. 5: Final energy consumption of the iron and steel industry in 2009 in
EU-27 (Sum: 514,848 GWh) [3]
4-2013 heat processing
71

REPORTS
Research & Development
a) b)
Fig. 6: Development of the final energy demand of the iron and steel production in EU-27 applying the different scenarios (a) and the
corresponding final energy savings in comparison with the reference scenario (b)
the production of steel in electric furnaces, mainly electric
arc furnaces. This furnace can be operated with steel scrap
as well as with direct reduced iron. The share of the electric
arc furnace on the cumulated steel production is today
about 44 % [5].
The feedstock for the blast furnace is iron ore that is
reduced to iron with the help of coke and lime. This is a
very energy intensive process. For the fabrication of 1 t of
crude iron a typical blast furnace needs 650 kg of iron ore
and 907 kg of sinter. Additionally 475 kg of coke, 800 MJ
of electrical energy are used. 18 % of the blast furnace gas
is recovered for the production of coke, which has to be
taken into account in the energy balance.
Directly after the furnace process the liquid iron is transformed
into steel in an oxygen blown converter. Nearly pure
oxygen is pumped through the melt to reduce the high
amount of carbon inside the volume. The oxygen converter
needs for 1 t of steel approx. 856 kg of raw iron, 65 m 3 of
oxygen and 287 kg of scrap to cool down the melt during the
process. Furthermore 29 kg carbon and 82 kg lime are used.
The electric arc furnace is charged with scrap or optional
with direct reduced ore. The volume is melted down by a
powerful electric arc that is burning between the carbon
electrodes and the charged material. For the production of
1 t of steel the arc furnace has to be filled with approximately
1,080 kg of raw material. The melting process requires
additionally 1,500 MJ of electrical energy, 30 m 3 oxygen,
14 kg coke and 38 kg lime. At the moment almost all electric
arc furnaces in Europe are operating with steel scrap as the
charged material.
In the frame of this study is was assumed to transform the
steel production from the current situation to a new situation,
where no blast furnaces are in operation anymore in order to
save maximum carbon emissions in Europe. Hereby the three
different process transformation scenarios, described above,
were used. In order to reach this aim the whole European
steel production has to be done by electric furnaces instead
of blast furnaces. Assuming that the amount of steel scrap
available cannot be increased significantly, the production
of direct reduced ore has to be enlarged. At the moment
a) b)
Fig. 7: Development of the primary energy demand of the iron and steel production in EU-27 applying the different scenarios (a) and
the corresponding primary energy savings in comparison with the reference scenario (b)
72 heat processing 4-2013

Research & Development
REPORTS
only 0.5 million t of this material are produced in Europe [5].
Therefore the production of direct reduced iron has to be
increased significantly. For the production of 1 t of direct
reduced iron approx. 1,500 kg ore, 376 m 3 of natural gas and
486 MJ of electrical power is needed in average in Europe [5].
Based on the above described mass- and energy balances
of the different charge materials and final energy carriers the
resulting final and primary energy as well as CO 2 -emissions
for the iron and steel production in Europe (EU-27) till the
year 2050 were determined in the frame of this study using
the three different process transformation scenarios. The
results are shortly described as follows.
Fig. 6 shows the calculated development of the final
energy demand of the iron and steel production in EU-27
applying the different scenarios (left) as well as the corresponding
final energy savings in comparison with the reference
scenario (right). It is obvious, that a process transformation
in the steel production from the classical blast furnace
production route to electrical processes offers big energy
saving potentials.
Fig. 7 shows the predicted development of the primary
energy demand of the iron and steel production
in EU-27 applying the different scenarios (left) as well as
the corresponding primary energy savings in comparison
with the reference scenario (right). The primary energy is
calculated from the final energy using the different primary
energy factors as described above. So the linear scenario for
example shows in comparison with the reference scenario,
that in total 5,680 PJ of primary energy will be saved in the
iron and steel production till the year 2050 even there will
be no transformation from fossil fuel heated processes to
electrical processes.
Fig. 8 shows the calculated development of the CO 2 -
emissions caused by the iron and steel production in
the EU-27 between 2010 and 2050 applying the three
different process transformation scenarios (left) as well as
Table 1: Primary energy factors and specific CO 2 -emission
factors for different fossil energy carriers [3, 4]
Final energy carrier
Primary energy
factor
Hard coal 1.072 406
Coke 1.115 473
Lignite 1.038 413
Petroleum products 1.095 301
Natural gas 1.073 227
CO 2 -emission
factor in g/kWh
the corresponding saving of CO 2 -emission in comparison
with the reference scenario (right). The CO 2 -emissions are
calculated using the described factors. A process transformation
in the steel production using an increasing
share of electrothermal processes offers big potentials
for saving of CO 2 -emission. For example using the linear
scenario in comparison with the reference scenario in
total 1.47 billion t of CO 2 -emission can be saved till 2050.
CONCLUSION
Based on the example of the iron and steel industry in
Europe (EU-27) it is shown, that a transformation from the
classical production route to a production chain using
mainly electrical processes offers big potentials for saving
of primary energy and CO 2 -emission in the future.
Beside the improvement of the total efficiency of many
industrial processes by applying electrothermal technologies,
the continuously increasing share of renewable
energy sources for the generation of electricity in
Europe leads to significant decreasing of the primary
energy factor and the CO 2 -emission factor. Therefore
the application of electricity in industrial processes will
a) b)
Fig. 8: Development of the CO 2 -emissions caused by the iron and steel production in the EU-27 between 2010 and 2050 applying the
three different process transformation scenarios (a) and the corresponding saving of CO 2 -emission in comparison with the reference
scenario (b)
4-2013 heat processing
73

REPORTS
Research & Development
offer increasing energy savings and environmental sustainability
in the future.
Emission industrieller Prozesswärmeverfahren. Vulkan-
Verlag, Essen, 1996
LITERATURE
[1] http://cdn.steelonthenet.com/pdf/EU-energy-savingsepm-technology.pdf
[5] World Steel Association (worldsteel) Steel Statistical Yearbook
2011. Brüssel, Juli 2011
[2] http://www.leonardo-energy.org/webinar/webinar-technologies-electromagnetic-processing-materials-energyand-carbon-savings
[3] Eurostat – European Commission. Energy Balance Sheets –
2008-2009. Publications Office of the European Union,
Luxembourg, 2011
[4] Baake, E.; Jörn, U.; Mühlbauer, A.: Energiebedarf und CO 2 -
AUTHOR
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Egbert Baake
Institute for Electrotechnology
Leibniz Universität
Hannover, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 511 / 762-3248
baake@etp.uni-hannover.de
Inductive Melting and Holding
Fundamentals | Plants and Furnaces | Process Engineering
The second, revised edition of this standard work for engineers, technicians
and other practitioners working in melting shops and foundries is to appear
in mid-2013. This new version of the title on inductive melting and temperature
maintenance originally published in 2009 is the result of the great
demand generated at that time, and includes coverage of the plant- and
process-engineering advances achieved during the intervening four years.
These relate, in particular, to the use of the induction furnace in electricsteel
production, a field in which this environmentally and mains-friendly
melting system has evolved into a genuine and advantageous alternative to
the electric arc furnace. Characteristic of this is the recent increase in inverter
supply power from its maximum of 18 MW at the time of publication of the
first edition of the book to its present 42 MW to permit supply of 65 t crucible
furnaces.
Editor: E. Dötsch
2nd edition 2013, approx. 300 pages, hardcover
Order now:
Tel.: +49 201 82002-14
Fax: +49 201 82002-34
bestellung@vulkan-verlag.de
KNOWLEDGE FOR THE
FUTURE
74 heat processing 4-2013

Business & Management
REPORTS
Furnace technology from the
rolling mill designer and builder
by Thilo Sagermann
In the steel and aluminium industries, it was standard practice for many years for investors to split orders for new rolling
mills or strip processing lines into three different packages, namely mechanical equipment, electrical equipment and
thermal treatment, and to award them separately. It was the task of the investor to coordinate the individual packages
and to assume responsibility for the interfaces arising from these. However, the customers are becoming increasingly
interested in plantmakers who are prepared to supply the overall integrated plant including process know-how and
who are technologically capable of doing this.
Some years ago, SMS Siemag gradually started to
change this long-established practice of splitting
orders into packages, firstly by combining the
mechanical and electrical equipment packages and, more
recently, the furnace technology, into one complete supply.
This serves to bring the manufacturing process into
the foreground. This results in major advantages for both
parties: The owners now need to be responsible for fewer
interfaces and, by emphasizing the process responsibility
of the plantmakers, are able to make the latter accountable
not only for the functioning of the plant but also for the
resulting product. This market development has provided
an opportunity to expand as a result of the expansion of
the business itself and, vis-à-vis the competitors, to exploit
the benefits offered by assuming the overall responsibility.
This trend commenced when SMS first began to supply
Fig. 1: Two Drever continuous annealing furnaces in the hot dip galvanizing plants of TKS in Alabama, USA
4-2013 heat processing
75

REPORTS
Business & Management
the drive engineering and control electronics on the basis
of its strong experience in mechanical plant engineering.
This rapidly led to the development of process models, for
example for ensuring constant strip dimensions and flatness.
Thus, it soon became possible to influence the geometry
of a rolled product and to guarantee this geometry.
The influences of the thermal treatment on the properties
of the rolled product, however, continued to be an open
question. The company regarded this deficit as a challenge
to be dealt with on the market and searched for a solution
that would integrate the heat treatment of rolled products
into its own portfolio.
NEW DIVISION “FURNACE TECHNOLOGY”
The decision to establish this new division was already
taken five or six years ago. This decision was triggered by
the acquisition of the Belgium-based company of Drever
International, which was already a long-established leader
in the construction of furnaces for continuous strip processing
lines such as annealing and galvanizing lines for carbon
and special steels. It continues to be a leader in this field.
The driving force for entering this sector came from
the Strip Processing Lines Division which, in earlier times,
had always awarded the furnaces portion of orders for
integrated plants to sub-suppliers or consortium members,
including Drever. Here in particular, it became evident to
SMS that the various types of processing lines for steel
strip all comprised an essential process step. This critical
step, which defines the material properties of the product
and requires a great deal of know-how, takes place in the
furnace and during the downstream cooling process.
At SMS the people are convinced that anyone who does
not understand the processes underlying the heat treatment
of strip will not be able to offer the customer any added
value. And this must go beyond a mere consideration of
the interfaces between the processes. Fritz Brühl, Executive
Vice President of the new Furnace Technology Division at
SMS Siemag, says: “Clients are increasingly tending to rely
on our expertise to achieve specific material properties. In
the long term, the only companies who will survive in the
marketplace are those which can reproduce the process in
its entirety. This applies, for example, to modern steel grades
such as TRIP and dual-phase steels. These materials cannot
be produced without using a well-targeted heat treatment.”
In the succeeding years, the market has provided an
ever greater number of new and varied tasks relating to
the heat treatment of semi-finished rolling products to be
dealt with by the company. At first, besides the continuation
of Drever’s successful business, that firm’s general
furnace know-how was utilized for new developments.
This resulted in SMS itself becoming increasingly knowledgeable.
Such knowledge was mainly developed in close
cooperation with the Strip Processing Lines Division, which
was responsible for the mechanical equipment. This process
of transition led to the formation of the new division,
Furnace Technology, at the beginning of 2011.
SMS Siemag is well known as a successful supplier of rolling
mills and strip processing lines for flat products. It was
therefore taken for granted that the new business unit would
likewise concentrate on the field of heat treatment for flat
products. Brühl expresses this succinctly: “There are two terms
that describe our product portfolio: One of these is called heat
treatment and the other is flat material. In our opinion, added
value and technological challenge are less likely to be found
purely in reheating, but more in heat treatment, i.e. heating
and cooling of the material in a targeted manner.”
The new division has positioned itself successfully on the
market within a very short time. Thanks to the many new and
further developments and to the close cooperation with the
Hot and Cold Rolling Mills and Strip Processing Lines Divisions,
a large number of orders have been obtained which are of
consistent importance of the future of the division. The division,
with headquarters in Düsseldorf, already has around 250
employees worldwide.
Thanks to target-oriented further development, the division
has until now been able to draw upon its Europe-based
resources to implement the following main areas of application
for the firm’s own furnace technology for flat products
made of carbon and special steel grades and for electrical
steel strip:
■■
■■
■■
■■
vertical and horizontal furnaces for continuous annealing
and galvanizing lines,
floater furnaces for coating and annealing lines,
heat-treatment facilities, roller hearth furnaces and
batch-type furnaces and
technology for CSP plants of the latest generation.
VERTICAL FURNACES FOR CONTINUOUS
ANNEALING AND GALVANIZING LINES
Vertical furnaces from the Drever heat treatment range, i.e.
for the annealing and cooling of steel strip, are an essential
constituent of the new Furnace Technology Division and are
a factor in its success (Fig. 1). The Drever furnace has been
further developed with new technologies. For the furnaces,
these developments primarily involve measures for enhancing
the energy efficiency and avoiding nitrogen oxides (NO X )
and, for strip cooling, the increasing of the cooling rate. The
latter aspect is important not only for reasons of efficiency
but also for the fulfilment of ever stricter requirements for
the manufacture of high-quality steel grades, such as for
automotive construction.
Cooling rates of 100 to 120 K/s per mm strip thickness
represent the widely accepted state of the art. By means of
a modified cooling system, Drever is aiming at an increase
to 150 K/s. To this end, highly promising tests are currently
underway on gas-jet cooling, which represents an enormous
76 heat processing 4-2013

Business & Management
REPORTS
further development. To implement this, Drever makes use
of especially long cooling boxes which extend on both sides
almost as far as the strip running through, and also of special
outlets which influence the impact of the gas on the strip.
Also of great importance in this context is the increasing of
the hydrogen constituent from 15 to 30 %, which has been
practiced by Drever for the past ten years. The critical question
as to the apparently higher hydrogen consumption is
pre-empted by Drever by referring to the special concept
whereby the hydrogen is not introduced via each cooling
nozzle but centrally and therefore very efficiently at only
three or four places in the cooling chamber.
Cooling of the strip with water, which could not be done
in a targeted manner 20 years ago, has today become a
possible alternative thanks to modern process handling and
new technology. SMS Siemag is currently commissioning a
continuous annealing line, which again is equipped with
a water quench, for the firm of Protec in the USA. Cooling
rates of > 1,000 K/s should be attained here. The situation
is different with special steel strips. For these, Drever uses
an efficient water spray-cooling system.
Whereas until now annealing and galvanizing lines have
been built as independent individual plants, SMS Siemag
offers a solution for applications in which profitability and
flexibility are of prime importance. In this solution, the two
tasks of annealing and galvanizing are unified in a combined
line. A fundamental aspect here is that the basic function of
the furnace is comparable for both tasks and thus the furnace,
as the most expensive
unit in the plant, is required
only once. SMS Siemag is
currently supplying the third
plant of this type, this time
to the South Korean firm of
Hyundai Hysco. The first combined
line has already been
operating since 2006, likewise
at Hysco, and a further
line since mid-2012 at MMK in
Russia. Their chief utilization is
the galvanizing of automotive
strip. The annealing process
is authoritative for the design
of the furnace. The heat treatment
during annealing and
galvanizing is performed in
a different manner in each
case and does not require
any alterations to the line
when changing over. It has
a similar structure to that of
the hot-dip galvanizing line.
Even so, following the annealing
process in the furnace, the strip can be further-processed
in two different ways. Firstly, as in the hot-dip galvanizing line,
the still hot strip can be routed through a zinc pot, coated
with liquid zinc and then cooled down. The other possibility
is to convey the strip into an overageing furnace. Here, it is
treated for up to 180 seconds at temperatures between 270
and 430 °C. This causes carbides to be dissolved out and the
danger of ageing is minimized. Annealing is completed by
final cooling and water final cooling. The combined line is
thus equipped with a furnace which allows the production
of the same high-quality grades as in a modern continuous
annealing line. The conversion of a hot-dip galvanizing line
into a purely annealing line takes only around 16 hours (Fig. 2).
A special status is held by heat treatment facilities for
grain-oriented and non-grain-oriented electrical steel strip.
Jointly with the Strip Processing Lines Division, the Furnace
Technology Division offers a complete range of equipment
for the complex manufacturing process for the above. This
comprises annealing and coating lines (ACL), annealing and
pickling lines (APL), and decarburization and coating lines
(DCL). In these lines, the annealing technologies of the Drever
furnace are combined with the operation of the floater furnaces
after coating.
The concept put forward by SMS Siemag is that in future
the plant owner will specify the mechanical and metallurgical
properties of steel strips to be produced. As the supplier
of the integrated plant, the company will then make
use of models which illustrate the most suitable process as
Kombinierte Verzinkungs- u. Glühlinien
Galvanizing Mode
Strip flow:
- Annealing & cooling
- Galvanizing section
- Final cooling
Bypass of the
overaging section
Fig. 2: Comparison between galvanizing and annealing
1
Annealing Mode
Strip flow:
- Annealing & cooling
- Overaging section
- Final Cooling
Bypass of the
galvanizing section
© SMS Siemag AG
4-2013 heat processing
77

REPORTS
Business & Management
regards temperature control during rolling and during the
subsequent heat treatment. In order to design this process
in a reproducible manner, it is monitored and controlled
by means of measurements of the mechanical properties
attained. A suitable measuring method, which is available
from the company group itself, is the “Impoc” system from
EMG. The corresponding trials currently being conducted by
SMS Siemag on a production facility in Belgium are expected
to lead to positive results. As a parallel activity, work is being
conducted on the modelling of mechanical properties and
on their measurability during the ongoing process.
FLOATER FURNACES FOR COATING LINES
Activities in the fields of heat treatment of thinner steel strips
and of the drying of surface-coated strips in what are known
as “floater furnaces” were commenced by SMS Siemag in 2011
upon the acquisition of the know-how and employees of the
firm of GATV, with whom a long-standing cooperation in the
steel field already existed. For example, GATV has supplied the
drying furnaces for strip processing lines (Fig. 3).
GATV contributed perfected technology for floater furnaces
and for free-loop furnaces for carbon and Si steels. A
floater furnace performs not only heating but also cooling,
which at GATV involves air and water. Only this way the high
cooling rates can be achieved which are essential for setting
the complex metallurgical properties of special steels.
SMS Siemag recently supplied two such floater furnaces
to ThyssenKrupp Steel in Eichen, intended for the drying and
hardening of the prime and finish coatings in an existing
strip coating line. What was remarkable here was the plant
shutdown of only four weeks, with only the terminal equipment
for strip running being retained. During this period,
Fig. 3: Principle structure of a GATV floater furnace
the existing furnace modules were dismantled and the fully
prefabricated new models installed and put into operation.
The SMS Siemag supply scope also included the gas cleaning
system and the electrical and automation package.
The gas cleaning system is highly important in coating
lines, not only for reasons of environmental protection. It also
has a strong influence on the energy efficiency of the furnace.
SMS Siemag thus pursues the strategy of designing the
gas cleaning system such that the volatile paint constituents
contained in the exhaust gas are returned to the combustion
process. The know-how here lies in the design of the flow
conducting system (Fig. 4). The heat in the exhaust air is
used for burning the paint constituents in the gas. This is so
favourable that under certain preconditions the plant does
not need to have any external gas fed to it, since it attains an
autothermic operating condition that naturally reduces the
energy consumption to a considerable degree and at the
same time ensures high cleanliness values in the exhaust air.
The hydrocarbon content thus lies below 10 mg/Nm 3 . For
carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, the value in each
case is less than 50 mg/Nm 3 . This argument has, for example,
opened the Chinese market for coating lines to SMS Siemag.
HEAT TREATMENT FOR HEAVY PLATE
SMS is working on model building, e.g. for the development
of metallurgical and flatness models. Here, Drever can draw
upon its own experience from plants already built. Within the
company an intensive dialog is taking place between Furnace
Technology and the rolling mill construction departments in
order to offer the customer a fully integrated process.
With regard to the heat treatment of heavy plate, the
corporate objective is to introduce a flexible process that can
be easily controlled and reproduced with a view to replacing
the current practice of achieving a rapid and high cooling
rate for the formation of a purely martensitic microstructure
by introducing the largest possible quantities of water over
a short stretch of only around 3 m in a process that is difficult
to control. As is the case with strip processing lines, this
flexible process should enable given material properties to
be attained precisely. The solution aimed at is inherent in
the overall process, i.e. it comprises the rolling process, the
heating and the cooling within an integrated procedure.
SMS Siemag is currently executing a demanding order for
the heat treatment of heavy plate made of special steel for
the Swedish works of Outokumpu Stainless AB. The remarkable
feature here is that the annealing does not take place as
usual in a roller-hearth furnace but in four large batch-type
furnaces arranged in parallel. One furnace unit is constituted
in each case by two chambers which are separate and thus
able to be heated differently. The plates, of length up to
16 m, are fed in and discharged via a roller table which is
situated in front of the chambers and which finally conveys
the plates into a common quench.
78 heat processing 4-2013

Business & Management
REPORTS
The advantage of this arrangement is to be found in the
enormous flexibility allowed by the possibility of simultaneous
individual heat treatment of single plates in very small
batch sizes. The lower space requirement in comparison
with a roller-hearth furnace was likewise an important
decision-making criterion in favour of this furnace plant.
For the Furnace Technology Division, this is the first
integrated heat treatment facility for heavy plate to be
designed, built and supplied under the division’s leadership
and responsibility. All of these plants are designed
and constructed according to a uniform standard specified
by the customer. Particularly for the water supply
and treatment system, there is no longer any need for
the “take-over points” which formerly had to be specified
between the supplier and the customer, because what
the customer is now buying is a cooling rate that determines
the material properties, i.e. an integrated process.
This integration is further emphasized by the fact that the
electrical and automation package, likewise supplied by
SMS Siemag, also incorporates a cold plate leveller that
has already been supplied..
CSP FACILITIES OF
THE LATEST GENERATION
SMS Siemag developed the CSP process 22 years ago and,
with more than 28 plants supplied worldwide so far, has
enabled an economically and technologically significant
alternative to the traditional hot strip production method
to assert itself on the market and then become the leader
on that market. Even if the investment boom of earlier years
has diminished somewhat recently, the demand not only
for new plants but also for modernization of the initial facilities
nevertheless continues to be so high that the company
is able to invest in the further development of the process.
This is true also for the roller-hearth tunnel furnace, which
performs an important role in the temperature control
between the casting machine and the rolling mill. These
furnaces have until now been supplied by an external firm
of furnace builders. In the future, they will be an important
product of the firm’s own Furnace Technology Division in
cooperation with SMS Elotherm.
The development of an own tunnel furnace makes
it possible for the company to incorporate the latest
findings with regard to energy efficiency and environmental
impact. This subject not only determines the
competition for new plants but is also a crucial driving
force in the revamping of existing lines. Thus, the energy
consumption per ton of material produced is today a
focal point of attention when deciding on investments.
It is a fact that the greatest degree of energy consumption
in the entire plant takes place in the furnace. Various criteria
need to be considered when it is intended to achieve a reduction
here. The degree of energy consumption is not only a
Fig. 4: TKS Eichen – supply lines
question of the furnace design but it is also very strongly influenced
by the process itself. Thus, between the cornerstone
aspects of increasing of casting temperature and reduction
of the roll-drawing temperature, the utilization of induction
reheating between the furnace segments is a route being
followed by the company.
The furnace rolls also have a strong influence on the energy
consumption of a furnace. The water-cooled rolls are subject
to a 25 to 30 % lower heat loss, and the development of
dry furnace rolls that is currently being pursued even raises
expectations of up to 90 % lower heat losses.
Further factors to be considered are the choice of refractory
material, the burner design and the structural design of
the exhaust gas system.
The future-oriented design of its own furnace in interaction
with the casting machine and the rolling mill allows
the company to envisage a new CSP concept as an answer
to today’s more stringent market requirements, relating of
course to energy consumption. Irrespectively of whether
electrical power or gas energy is utilized, the decisive factor
is always the kWh consumed per ton of steel produced. This
means that for SMS Siemag the CSP discussion has acquired
a new dynamism.
AUTHOR
Thilo Sagermann
SMS Siemag AG
Düsseldorf, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 211 / 8814449
thilo.sagermann@sms-siemag.com
4-2013 heat processing
79

Handbook of
Aluminium recycling
www.vulkan-verlag.de
Mechanical Preparation | Metallurgical Processing | Heat
treatment
the Handbook has proven to be helpful to plant designers and operators
for engineering and production of aluminium recycling plants. the
book deals with aluminium as material and its recovery from bauxite,
the various process steps and procedures, melting and casting plants,
metal treatment facilities, provisions and equipment for environmental
control and workforce safety, cold and hot recycling of aluminium including
scrap preparation and remelting, operation and plant management.
Due to more and more stringent regulations for environmental control
and fuel efficiency as well as quality requirements sections about salt
slag recycling, oxy-fuel heating and heat treatment processes are now incorporated
in the new edition. the reader is thus provided with a detailed
overview of the technology of aluminium recycling.
editor: C. Schmitz
2 nd edition 2013, approx. 500 pages, hardcover
Vulkan-Verlag GmbH, Huyssenallee 52-56, 45128 Essen
knowledge for tHe
future
order now by fax: +49 201 / 82002-34 or send in a letter
Deutscher Industrieverlag GmbH | Arnulfstr. 124 | 80636 München
Yes, I place a firm order for the technical book. Please send
— copies of Handbook of Aluminium Recycling 2nd edition 2013
(ISBN: 978-3-8027-2970-6 ) at the price of € 130,- (plus postage and packing)
Company/institution
first name and surname of recipient
Street/P.o. Box, No.
Country, Postcode, town
reply / Antwort
Vulkan Verlag GmbH
Versandbuchhandlung
Postfach 10 39 62
45039 Essen
GERMANY
Phone
e-mail
Line of business
fax
Please note: According to German law this request may be withdrawn within 14 days after order date in writing
to Vulkan Verlag GmbH, Versandbuchhandlung, Postfach 10 39 62, 45039 essen, Germany.
In order to accomplish your request and for communication purposes your personal data are being recorded and stored.
It is approved that this data may also be used in commercial ways by mail, by phone, by fax, by email, none.
this approval may be withdrawn at any time.
✘
Date, signature
PAHBAr2013

Edition 8
FOCUS ON
“Our name and reputation is
also a huge obligation”
Read all
interviews online
Dipl.-Ing. Jan Schmidt-Krayer is chairman and CEO of the Schmidt + Clemens group.
In this interview with heat processing he talks about the future of the energy industry
and technological challenges, revealing his own personal energy-saving achievement.
The energy mix of the future: Are you prepared to risk
a prediction?
Schmidt-Krayer: We are currently in the midst of an “Energiewende”
in Germany, a U-turn in energy policy that
has only been hastily cobbled together. It’s therefore difficult
to make a prediction. The energy mix will certainly
change, though. Already today, Schmidt + Clemens is
supplying state-of-the-art stainless steel components
for many different types of power plants. It is my firm
conviction, however, that we are currently not able to
manage without gas & steam and
coal-fired power plants. The economic
growth in the emerging
economies is leading to a worldwide
increase in energy demand
that we will simply not be able to
satisfy with wind and solar energy
alone.
Germany in 2020: How will people’s everyday lives
have changed as a result of changes in the energy industry?
What fuel will they be using in their cars? How
will they be heating their homes? How will they be
generating light? Risk a scenario!
Schmidt-Krayer: Recent years have seen developments
taking place at breakneck speed. Technologies that are
the latest thing today are out-of-date tomorrow. In the
medium term, though, I think that people will still be
fuelling their cars and heating and lighting their homes
with the same raw materials as today, only more efficiently.
And that, for me, is the point: We not only need
to think about alternative energy sources, but also about
how to make more efficient and more sparing use of the
existing raw materials.
"Our customers
expect us to deliver
first class products.”
Sun, wind, water, geothermal, etc.: Which regenerable
energy source do you see as having the greatest
future?
Schmidt-Krayer: That’s a difficult question; if I had a crystal
ball to look into, it would be much easier to answer. But
joking apart: I don’t believe that any of those forms of energy
by itself can cover the worldwide energy demand. In
the medium term, we will not be able to manage without
conventional energies, and we will need a mix of energies
to make us fit for the future.
With that in mind, which of the technologies
that are currently developing
would you invest in today?
Schmidt-Krayer: I would invest at
any time in our company. Our R&D
department is one of the biggest
by comparison with other companies
in our sector, and one of
its main focuses, among others, is the development of
innovative high-performance materials that will contribute
in future to enabling the world’s resources to be used
more efficiently. We are also working, for example, on the
qualification of materials for geothermal applications, as
well as materials that are capable of withstanding temperatures
exceeding 1,200 °C. So in this way, Schmidt +
Clemens is making its own contribution to the energy
sources of the future, and therefore represents a highly
worthwhile investment.
How do you assess the future ranking of fossil fuels
such as oil, coal and gas?
Schmidt-Krayer: Without fossil burning, it would not be
possible to cover the worldwide demand for energy. The
4-2013 heat processing
81

FOCUS ON Edition 8
huge fluctuations in electricity consumption levels make it
essential to have power plants that can go on line quickly
to manage energy peaks and prevent the mains networks
from collapsing. But as I said before, we must become
more efficient in how we use our fossil fuels.
And what about nuclear? What effects is Germany’s
latest position statement likely to have?
Schmidt-Krayer: In my opinion the German government’s
energy policy is misguided. Nuclear power is
one of the cleanest forms of energy available, and without
nuclear, the economy would currently be unable
to grow, and indeed, many important industrialized
countries are investing massively in this technology. We
certainly need to think about how to make this energy
source more controllable. But condemning it outright is
in my opinion the wrong approach.
Apropos the energy transition in Germany: What changes
would be necessary at the political (including the global
political), social and ecological level to enable us to talk realistically
of a “transition”?
Schmidt-Krayer: For us in
Germany, it means that
we need clear limits
on the electricity
prices. It is simply
wrong for us to be
required to accept
annual increases in
the levy under the
German Renewable
Energies Act that
put the very survival of businesses at risk or force managers
to think about whether it is still worth investing in
Germany at all. We need electricity prices in Germany
that are competitive, and not just compared to Europe
but to the whole of the rest of the world. Ultimately,
therefore, it is also wrong to speak of a “transition”.
So what do you expect from the German government
in this context?
Schmidt-Krayer: First and foremost: the immediate
abolition of the Renewable Energies levy! This levy is
costing our German operation no less than € 1.3 million
in the year 2013.
There are at least two problems with renewable energy
sources: the lack of infrastructure and the continuing
and persistent concentration of the established
channels on conventional forms of energy. Will that
change in the foreseeable future?
Schmidt-Krayer: What do you mean by “continuing and
persistent concentration of the established players”? The
fact is that today we simply couldn’t manage without the
conventional forms of energy! And there’s no way of getting
around that.
Irrespective of the form of energy and the technology
used, many people see “energy efficiency” as the key to
the energy questions of the future. How do you view this
topic? What do you see as the most important development
in this area?
Schmidt-Krayer: I think I’ve already made my position
on this particular point clear. Energy efficiency will be the
dominant issue of the future.
“We need to have
economic conditions
that allow us to
produce competitively
in Germany.”
82 heat processing 4-2013

Edition 8
FOCUS ON
RESUME
Jan Schmidt-Krayer:
1990 -1993 Mechanical Engineering, Clausthal Technical
University
1993 -1996 Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Technical
University, Aachen
04/96-11/96 Degree thesis at the Engineering Research
Center, Ohio State University, USA
Graduated with the degree of “Dipl.-Ing.”
[Engineering]
2001 - 2002 Institute of Economic Research and Education
at Distance University of Hagen
Career activities prior to Schmidt + Clemens:
01/97 - 10/97 Project engineer at the Engineering Research
Center of Ohio State University
11/ 97- 03/03 Krauss-Maffei Kunststofftechnik GmbH,
Munich
What role does your company currently play on
the energy market?
Schmidt-Krayer: Schmidt + Clemens currently
supplies components for all conceivable kinds
of power generation plants. Whether in gas-fired
power plants, biogas systems, coal-fired power
stations, tidal power stations or hydroelectric
power stations, S+C is represented through its
stainless steel solutions in many different forms,
making us an important partner to the industry.
And what role will your company be playing on
the energy market in 20 years’ time?
Schmidt-Krayer: We always try to observe the
market with the aim of looking ahead. With our
innovative material solutions, we are confident of
being able to further grow our share of the energy
market.
What will be your company’s most important
innovation or project?
Schmidt-Krayer: Our R&D department is working
on many different projects that will also be of
significance for the energy market of the future.
You will understand, though, if I would prefer not
to go into detail here about what exactly we have
in the pipeline.
What challenges do you see approaching you
(economic, technological, social etc.)?
Schmidt-Krayer: We have to contend with international
competition. That means we need to
have economic conditions that allow us to produce
competitively in Germany. And that brings
us back, for example, to the electricity prices.
How do the expansion of the EU and globalization
affect your company and its business?
Schmidt-Krayer: Globalization is both an opportunity
and a risk. It opens up new markets to us
throughout the world, especially when I think of
the energy-hungry countries India and China. On
the other hand, it means that competitors for us
are also developing there. But all in all, with our
know-how, our technology and our highly skilled
workforce, I am convinced that we will be well
able to cope with the challenges of the market.
How important is a trade name or brand for the
success of products in the industrial sector?
Schmidt-Krayer: The brand Schmidt + Clemens
stands throughout the world as a synonym for highquality,
innovative solutions in stainless steel, and has
4-2013 heat processing
83

FOCUS ON Edition 8
done so for over 130 years. Our name and reputation is also
a huge obligation. Our customers expect us to deliver first
class products.
Have you been unable to pursue developments, or
able to pursue them only with a delay, due to a lack of
qualified personnel?
Schmidt-Krayer: No! The issue of shortages of qualified personnel
is naturally also very high up on our agenda. However,
our response to this problem is to strive to make ourselves as
attractive as possible as an employer. For example, we have
been operating our own company day care centre for children
for five years now, we have introduced our own health
management system, and we operate our own fitness studio
for the personnel. In the coming year, we will be building
a modern new canteen. But attractive pay systems and
career opportunities also play an important role in combating
skilled labour shortages. This year, we opened our new
S+C Academy, where all our primary and further training and
personnel development activities are focussed. This is a milestone
for our enterprise.
What would you like to change in your company?
Schmidt-Krayer: Last year, we put a new organizational
structure in place within our group of companies; we
have revised our personnel development concept and
made many other changes besides. We are continuously
developing our company.
How important for your company is expansion abroad?
Schmidt-Krayer: Schmidt + Clemens already put itself on an
international footing in the 1970s. Today, in addition to our
parent plant in Germany, we also have production operations
in Brazil, Spain, the UK, the Czech Republic, Malaysia and Saudi-Arabia.
So let’s wait and see what the future brings.
Is your company receptive towards the renewable
energies?
Schmidt-Krayer: Yes, absolutely!
And how receptive is it towards new technologies?
Schmidt-Krayer: We are naturally highly receptive towards
new technologies.
How much does your company spend on investments
each year?
Schmidt-Krayer: That’s a figure that varies, and it also depends
on the economic climate. You can say that on average,
we invest around € 8 - 12 million per year.
What is your biggest energy-saving as a private person?
Schmidt-Krayer: Turning the heating off in summer.
How would you assess your dealings with the employees?
Schmidt-Krayer: I think that’s a question you should
ask them. I would see myself as a fair and approachable
partner who prefers to manage using the principles of
coaching.
Which is the most important moral
value in your opinion?
Schmidt-Krayer: Honesty!
How do you manage to be sure of
some time for yourself, and not to
be always dealing with internal
and external challenges?
Schmidt-Krayer: Being flexible.
The daily work schedule is indeed
becoming increasingly complex,
and you have to be prepared to
change your plans at short notice
and adjust them to circumstances.
But if you have that flexibility, you
can also find time for yourself.
Is there any good cause you would
sacrifice your last penny for?
Schmidt-Krayer: Both privately
and in my business capacity, I’m
involved in a variety of projects in
the educational, sport and social
84 heat processing 4-2013

Edition 8
FOCUS ON
fields. After all, you are also always part of the region you
live and work in and should be prepared to do something
for it.
is also very important for me; it helps me to switch off
and keeps me fit and able to handle the challenges of
everyday life.
What personal characteristics are
most important to you?
Schmidt-Krayer: Honesty and
openness are important, but so is
also a good dose of humour.
What things have shaped you in
particular?
Schmidt-Krayer: My childhood,
which I spent in the Oberbergisches region of Germany.
What things can you absolutely not do without?
Schmidt-Krayer: Eating, drinking and sleeping. Sport
“The German
government’s
energy policy is
misguided.”
What job or profession would you
like to have if you were free to
choose?
Schmidt-Krayer: I was always free to
choose and decided to manage the
business affairs of the Schmidt + Clemens
Group.
Where do you see yourself in 2023?
Schmidt-Krayer: Here in my office, in good health and
full of drive and energy.
Thank you for this Interview!
Handbook of Refractory Materials
Design | Properties | Testings
This new edition of the Handbook of Refractory Materials has been completely
revised, expanded and appears in a compact format.
Readers obtain an extensive and detailed overview focusing on design,
properties, calculations, terminology and testing of refractory materials
thus providing important information for your daily work. The appendix
was supplemented by following suggestions of readers. Consequently, the
handbook‘s usability was enhanced even further. With the great amount of
information this compact book is a necessity for professional working in the
refractory material or thermal process sectors. The e-book offers even more
flexibility while travelling.
Editors: G. Routschka / H. Wuthnow
4 th edition 2012, 344 pages, with additional information and e-book on DVD, hardcover,
ISBN: 978-3-8027-3162-4
€ 100,00
Order now:
Tel.: +49 201 82002-14
Fax: +49 201 82002-34
bestellung@vulkan-verlag.de
Order now!
KNOWLEDGE FOR THE
FUTURE
4-2013 heat processing
85

TECHNOLOGY IN PRACTICE
Electric arc furnace for continuous operation
The electric arc furnace (EAF) is the core
unit of an electric steelmaking plant
and has a decisive impact on annual production
and energy costs. Normally, EAF
operation is not continuous but interrupted
Fig. 1: Illustration of the steady EAF (S/EAF) with electrode slipping
system and optional launder for hot metal charging
Table 1: Comparison of EAF and S/EAF
by charging of scrap, changing the electrodes
or tapping steel, for instance. In
order to shorten this expensive non-productive
time, adequate technical solutions
have to be available.
Productivity EAF 2.2 m. tpy S/EAF 2.2 m. tpy Δ
Transformer capacity 250 MVA 200 MVA -20 %
Tapping weight 200 t 180 t -10 %
Vessel diameter 10,500 mm 8,700 mm -17 %
Electrode diameter 750 mm 610 mm -19 %
Tap-to-tap 41 min 38 min -7 %
Electrical energy consumption 420 kWh/t 400 kWh/t -5 %
Crane capacity 450 t 190 t -58 %
Fig. 2: S/EAF with connected energy recovery system
A new development from SMS Siemag,
Germany, is the ARCCESS® steady
EAF (S/EAF®), which allows real continuous
operation for up to one week. The
S/EAF® has been newly developed from
scratch and combines innovations with
proven technology. This technology arises
from SMS Siemag’s experience in the
fields of submerged-arc furnaces (SAF)
with over 300 references, electric arc furnaces
(EAF), with over 1,300 references
and CONARC® technology.
The S/EAF® is a new type of electric
arc furnace, yielding a 30 % higher productivity
with lower energy consumption
thanks to its reliable continuous process
(Fig. 1). In an exemplary scenario for the
use of 100 % hot DRI the specific energy
consumption is reduced by 20 kWh/t to
a value of 400 kWh/t.
Table 1 shows the advantages from
another point of view. Thanks to continuous
operation, an S/EAF® can be dimensioned
much smaller than a conventional
EAF with the same annual production.
This fact positively affects vessel diameter
and transformer rating. The required
crane capacity is reduced by almost 60 %
as the furnace vessel can be driven to
a maintenance stand. Thereby, heavyduty
gantry cranes with elaborate building
structures and foundations are not
needed. Investment costs for this equipment
can be reduced by 25 %. Savings
can be up to € 8 million.
The integrated energy recovery system
further improves the efficiency by
utilizing the thermal energy of the hot
furnace off-gas (Fig. 2). The off-gas is
routed through a steam generation unit
to use the thermal energy the best possible
way. In case the steam drives a turbine
generator module for electric power
generation, an average of 15 MW can be
recovered (for a 250-ton S/EAF®).
All components have been designed to
allow continuous power-on operation for
around one week. Uninterrupted operating
practice is made possible by a patented
system derived from SAF technology,
86 heat processing 4-2013

TECHNOLOGY IN PRACTICE
which allows the electrodes to be clamped
and slipped continuously. Whenever an
electrode has been used up, a fresh piece
of electrode is joined on at its end. Both
operations take place under “power-on”.
Similarly to the operation of a submerged-arc
furnace, the process takes
place in a uniform way and is almost free
of fluctuations since the S/EAF® is operated
continuously in the flat-bath phase
with liquid initial bath. The geometry of
the new furnace shell has been optimized
accordingly and comprises a flat lower
shell and a conical furnace roof placed
closely on top. The S/EAF® is continuously
charged with direct-reduced iron
ore (DRI/HBI), hot metal or scrap through
a material handling system that is also
rated for the use of 600 °C hot DRI.
In addition to the electrodes, watercooled
oxygen blowing lances are introduced
through the furnace roof. This technology
has been adopted from CONARC © ,
a furnace unit developed with the aim to
rapidly decarburize melts with high carbon
content. The lances are movable to adjust
the proper distance to the melt in order to
ensure a high decarburization speed.
The level of foaming slag is controlled
by a new, patented slag door system. The
steel is tapped slag-free and likewise
under “power-on” (Fig. 3).
Since the S/EAF® is not opened during
operation, no roof hood for the secondary
Fig. 3: Process sequence of the S/EAF compared to a conventional EAF
gas collection is needed. Primary gases
are directly exhausted through a duct.
This allows the connected gas cleaning
plant to be dimensioned much smaller.
The furnace enclosure (dog house) reduces
noise and fugitive dust emissions and
enables for an optimized design of the
secondary ventilation system.
The steady input of electrical energy
and the flat-bath process prevent negative
feedback on the electricity grid (for
example flickers). Steelmakers can profit
from cheaper costs for electric energy as
they can arrange better conditions with
their power authorities. Further advantages
are the protection of the refractory lining
and lower specific electrode consumption.
Contact:
SMS Siemag AG
Düsseldorf, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 211 / 881-0
communications@sms-siemag.com
www.sms-siemag.com
HOTLINE Meet the team
Managing Editor: Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Schalm +49(0)201/82002-12 s.schalm@vulkan-verlag.de
Editorial Office: Annamaria Frömgen +49(0)201/82002-91 a.froemgen@vulkan-verlag.de
Editor: Thomas Schneidewind +49(0)201/82002-36 t.schneidewind@vulkan-verlag.de
Editor (Trainee): Sabrina Finke +49(0)201/82002-15 s.finke@vulkan-verlag.de
Advertising Sales: Bettina Schwarzer-Hahn +49(0)201/82002-24 b.schwarzer-hahn@vulkan-verlag.de
Subscription: Martina Grimm +49(0)931/41704-13 mgrimm@datam-services.de
4-2013 heat processing
87

PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Gap flow burners for direct heating
Since the successful market introduction of
the gap flow recuperative burner series
Rekumat® S (input rating 10 kW – 400 kW)
by WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH, more
than 700 burners (as of July 2013) with various
input ratings have been implemented worldwide
in industrial furnaces, for a number of
heat treating processes.
In addition to the gap flow burners
used in the temperature range of 700 °C to
1,100 °C, WS has now introduced a low temperature
gap flow burners for direct heating
(50 kW – 100 kW) at temperatures from
200 °C to 700 °C. The significant savings
potential, compared to burners without
air pre-heat, which are mostly used in this
temperature range, is a logical extension
of the current product line of energy efficient
combustion technology. The proven
principle of the gap flow burner is identical
for both temperature ranges. The high
heat transfer is achieved by dividing the air
into many single heat exchangers, resulting
in increased energy transfer between the
exhaust and air flow streams. A modified
design of the burner nozzle
and other measures were taken, to
counter the differing CO and NO x
emissions compared to those seen
at 700 °C to 1,100 °C. However, independent
of the temperature range, the
unique property of the gap flow burners
is the substantial increase in burner efficiency.
Expressed in numbers, this means that
the gap flow burner has a 10-15 %, and
higher, increase in efficiency over a cold
air burner (at low temperatures) or a burner
with a finned recuperator.
It is not feasible to attempt a similar effect
with a finned recuperator, since doubling
the heat exchanger surface area requires
twice the heat exchanger length. However,
a significant improvement in efficiency
requires multiplication of surface area.
Even with the resulting high air preheat
temperatures at high temperature
processes of 700 °C and higher, NO x
emissions < 100 ppm, in special cases
< 50 ppm in radiant
tubes, can be achieved by utilizing
the WS flameless oxidation combustion
mode, a proven and successful technology
for over 15 years.
The one to one replacement capability
of Rekumat® M finned recuperative
burners with Rekumat® S burners without
modification of the furnace or the radiant
tube was one of the key development
requirements.
WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH
www.flox.com
Solutions for critical temperature control
In many ways the answer for numerous
industrial questions comes through the
control of chemicals, and a critical factor in
chemical control is the control of temperature.
Oven Industries’ 5R1-1400 temperature
controller keeps the ingredients at a steady
temperature and changes it at all.
“Cracking” is not typically a welcome term
in most industries as there may be obvious
implications of damage. That’s not true for the
Custom Energy Company (C-CON), located in
Craig Colorado, who uses a method called
“cracking” in the natural gas industry. Two very
critical categories, in the successful completion
of this process in achieving the desired result,
are the understanding of chemical reactions
along with constant control of temperature.
“Cracking” is a carefully controlled process,
which was invented by Russian engineer
Vladimir Shukhov in 1891, and eventually
modified slightly by American engineer William
Merriam Burton in 1908. A large number
of chemical reactions take place during the
procedure and depending on the application;
this can sometimes number in the hundreds,
if not thousands which have been proven and
tracked on computer model simulations. This
process is used worldwide in many industries
and applications.
In this particular purpose the desired results
are for producing Propane, Butane and Gasoline.
As mentioned earlier, temperature control
is a crucial factor in successfully achieving the
most consistent outcome.
Oven Industries Inc.
www.ovenind.com
88 heat processing 4-2013

PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Induction hardening machine premiered in the USA
Tech Induction premiered the EloScan
dual spindle induction hardening
machine at the 2013 Heat Treat show in Indianapolis,
Indiana (USA). A joint development
of Tech Induction (USA) and its parent company,
SMS Elotherm GmbH (Germany), the
EloScan meets American market demands
for a heavy duty version of SMS Elotherm’s
EloFlex vertical hardening machines.
The base model EloScan simultaneously
hardens two cylindrical workpieces, e.g.
axle shafts or camshafts, up to a length of
1,200 mm (48 inches) – easily upgradeable
to 1,500 mm (60 inches) and more – with a
maximum spindle load of 450 kg (1,000 lbs).
The 300 kW converter is integrated with Allen
Bradley controls, featuring an intuitive HMI to
control and monitor the hardening process.
The system’s robust modular design combines
a power supply, programmable scanner
controls, quench and water recirculation
system, and two heat stations on a common
base frame. This compact integrated
solution reduces floor space
and overall assembly by about
30 % compared to conventional
systems. Energy consumption is
also significantly lower due to optimized
electrical interconnections.
Flexible standard modules allow
the EloScan to be quickly and easily
configured (and reconfigured
if needed) according to changing
requirements over the life of the
system. “With lower investment costs and
total costs of ownership, the EloScan will
help customers compete now and in the
future.” says Torsten Schaefer, Vice President
Sales of Tech Induction. Moreover, the EloScan
can operate as a standalone machine
or as part of a fully automated cell.
Tech Induction has served North America
with induction tooling, engineering,
and aftermarket support for over 25 years.
By joining SMS Elotherm in 2011, the firm
can now offer a comprehensive line of
locally supported, world-class induction
technologies. The EloScan highlights SMS
Elotherm’s global approach of developing
subsidiaries into full-line induction OEMs.
Engineered and manufactured at the Tech
Induction plant near Detroit, the EloScan
is ready for export to quality-oriented customers
around the world.
SMS Elotherm GmbH
www.sms-elotherm.com
Controller series for simple applications
Compact, easy to use, and self-optimizing:
the new Jumo Quantrol controller
series. In many cases, the user does not
need a complex process controller for simple
applications. A compact device from
the new Jumo Quantrol controller series,
with its basic functions and ease of operation,
is the perfect choice. The devices are
operated using four buttons on the front
that have a defined pressure point. The
universal analog input for RTD temperature
probes, thermocouples, or current /
voltage signals can be programmed by
the user. The desired value, actual value,
and all parameters are displayed on two
seven-segment LED displays (red/green)
to one or two decimal places. The values
can be displayed in °C or °F. Up to five relay
outputs with a switching capacity of 3 A /
230 V can be available. The number of relay
outputs depends on the format. The switch
position of the relays is displayed using yellow
LEDs. These relays can be assigned different
alarm functions. An analog output
from 0 to 10 V or 0(4) to 20 mA can be used
to control valves or SCR power controllers.
Using the binary input, the Quantrol device
settings and operation can be gradually
locked, a ramp or timer can be activated,
or self-optimization can be initiated.
The new Quantrol series is available
in the three DIN formats 48 x 48 mm 2 , 48
x 96 mm 2 , and 96 x 96 mm 2 . The device
can be connected to host systems or
devices using the RS485 serial interface.
Instead of operating the device from
the front, the user can also program
the controller using a setup program
and USB interface. The controller does
not need to be connected to another
voltage supply during programming
because the power comes from a USB
interface. The Quantrol series, like all
Jumo controllers, is also equipped with
reliable self-optimization. This saves on
costly manual settings and subsequently
on time and money. The supply voltage
may be between AC 110 to 240 V or AC/
DC 20 to 30 V.
Jumo GmbH
www.jumo.net
4-2013 heat processing
89

PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Series of pyrometers for temperature
measurements of metals
LumaSense Technologies, Inc. introduces
the IMPAC IGA 6/23 Advanced,
a new digital infrared pyrometer specifically
designed for measuring metal processes
in low temperature ranges. This instrument
complements the Series 6 Advanced
pyrometers and was developed with a
range of 50 to 1,800 °C to give users additional
options for process control. Special
features of the IGA 6/23 includes manually
focusable optics for optimum adaptation
to the respective measuring conditions,
New high temperature
furnace launched
Linn High Therm, one of the leading
manufacturers of industrial and lab furnaces
since 1969, presents a high temperature
furnace for universal heat treatment
applications. The useful volume is up to 52 l,
the maximal temperature is 2,100 °C. The
new high temperature furnace contains a
vacuum tight furnace chamber with rotary
vane pump, roots pump or turbo-molecular
pump up to 5 x 10 -4 mbar. Protective
a user-friendly LED display, high accuracy
and repeatability, and a fast detection
time of 0.5 ms for accurate measurement
of dynamic processes or short temperature
peaks. Because it offers a wide temperature
range, this pyrometer is perfectly
designed for measuring temperatures
during metal processing such as induction
hardening, welding, soldering, annealing,
rolling, forging, sintering, etc. It can also
be used in heating and cooling processes
and advanced manufacturing processes for
ceramics, graphite, and other carbon materials.
The IGA 6/23 Advanced pyrometers
can be controlled using LumaSense’s Sensorgraphics
process intelligence software
to accurately detect, reduce and prevent
out-of-band temperature fluctuations that
can hamper the efficiency of, and contribute
unwarranted waste to, resource-intensive
manufacturing processes.
LumaSense Technologies Inc.
www.lumasenseinc.com
gases are forming gas, nitrogen and argon.
Comprehensive options allow an universal
utilization: also for H 2 -operation, gas feedingand
burn-off device, safety package, vacuum
pump systems, partial pressure control, condensate
trap, dew point measuring device,
multi-zone-control and heating elements.
Linn High Therm GmbH
www.linn.de
Launch of a portable cordless metal analyser
Oxford Instruments introduces a new
portable arc / spark metal analyser,
the PMI-MASTER Smart. It is the only true
portable and full range optical emission
spectrometer in the market, designed
for metal analysis especially in hard to
reach places. Despite its 33 lbs/15 kg
light weight and compact dimensions,
the PMI-MASTER Smart offers full analysis
functions and high performance. The
powerful rechargeable battery pack and
well thought-out transportation concept
complement the mobility.
Metal analysis, grade identification and
sorting – the PMI-MASTER Smart offers the
full range of analysis functions. In comparison
to other compact size OES analysers,
it offers a wide wavelength range at optimum
resolution. The patent pending optics,
made of carbon fibre, is the key. Mechanical
expansion and tension, triggered by temperature
changes and distortion due to
change of position are virtually eliminated,
guaranteeing stable measuring results.
Power connections are typically not available
in hard to reach places. Equipped with
a rechargeable and optional replacement
battery pack the analyser is truly cordless
and completely independent from mains
supply. The battery pack provides power
for the analysis of some hundred samples
in ARC and/or SPARK mode, and 7 hours in
standby. It also can be operated with the
external power supply / charger, with or
without battery and even during recharging.
The cases for the transportation of the
device and its accessories easily fit into a
car boot. Stacked up they can be dragged
with a foldable trolley.
Oxford Instruments Analytical GmbH
www.oxford-instruments.com
90 heat processing 4-2013

Handbook of
refractory Materials
www.vulkan-verlag.de
Order now!
design | Properties | testings
This new edition of the Handbook of Refractory Materials has been completely
revised, expanded and appears in a compact format.
readers obtain an extensive and detailed overview focusing on design,
properties, calculations, terminology and testing of refractory materials
thus providing important information for your daily work. the appendix
was supplemented by following suggestions of readers. Consequently,
the handbook‘s usability was enhanced even further. With the great
amount of information this compact book is a necessity for professional
working in the refractory material or thermal process sectors. the e-book
offers even more flexibility while travelling.
editors: G. routschka / H. Wuthnow
4 th edition 2012, 344 pages, with additional information and e-book
on DVD, hardcover
Vulkan-Verlag GmbH, Huyssenallee 52-56, 45128 Essen
knowledge for tHe
future
order now by fax: +49 201 / 82002-34 or send in a letter
Deutscher Industrieverlag GmbH | Arnulfstr. 124 | 80636 München
Yes, I place a firm order for the technical book. Please send me
— copies of the Handbook of Refractory Materials plus DVD ROM.
4 th edition 2012 (ISBN: 978-3-8027-3162-4)
at the price of € 100,- (plus postage and packing extra)
Company/institution
first name and surname of recipient
Street/P.o. Box, No.
Country, Postcode, town
reply / Antwort
Vulkan-Verlag GmbH
Versandbuchhandlung
Postfach 10 39 62
45039 Essen
GERMANY
Phone
e-mail
Line of business
fax
Please note: According to German law this request may be withdrawn within 14 days after order date in writing
to Vulkan Verlag GmbH, Versandbuchhandlung, Postfach 10 39 62, 45039 essen, Germany.
In order to accomplish your request and for communication purposes your personal data are being recorded and stored.
It is approved that this data may also be used in commercial ways by mail, by phone, by fax, by email, none.
this approval may be withdrawn at any time.
✘
Date, signature
PAHBrM2013

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Company Page Company Page
AICHELIN Holding GmbH, Mödling, Austria 9
SECO/WARWICK Service GmbH, Bedburg-Hau, Germany
front cover
ALUMINIUM BRAZIL 2014, São Paulo, Brazil 32
Bürkert GmbH & Co. KG, Ingelfingen, Germany 13
EUROGUSS 2014, Nuremberg, Germany 19
ifm electronic GmbH, Essen, Germany 11
Linn High Therm GmbH, Eschenfelden , Germany 15
SMS Elotherm GmbH, Remscheid, Germany
wire 2014 / Tube 2014, Düsseldorf, Germany
Calendar 2014
inside front cover
back cover
loose insert
Metal + Metallurgy China 2014, Beijing, China 17
Business Directory 93-115
Optris GmbH, Berlin, Germany 5
International Magazine for Industrial Furnaces,
Heat Treatment & Equipment
www.heatprocessing-online.com
your contact to the
heat processing team
Managing Editor:
Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Schalm
Phone: +49 201 82002 12
Fax: +49 201 82002 40
E-Mail: s.schalm@vulkan-verlag.de
Editorial Office:
Annamaria Frömgen
Phone: +49 201 82002 91
Fax: +49 201 82002 40
E-Mail: a.froemgen@vulkan-verlag.de
Advertising Sales:
Bettina Schwarzer-Hahn
Phone: +49 201 82002 24
Fax: +49 201 82002 40
E-Mail: b.schwarzer-hahn@vulkan-verlag.de
Advertising Administration:
Martina Mittermayer
Phone: +49 89 203 5366 16
Fax: +49 89 203 5366 66
E-Mail: mittermayer@di-verlag.de
Editor:
Thomas Schneidewind
Phone: +49 201 82002 36
Fax: +49 201 82002 40
E-Mail: t.schneidewind@vulkan-verlag.de
Editor (Trainee):
Sabrina Finke
Phone: +49 201 82002 15
Fax: +49 201 82002 40
E-Mail: s.finke@vulkan-verlag.de
92 heat processing 4-2013
www.heatprocessing-online.com

International Magazine for Industrial Furnaces
Heat Treatment & Equipment
www.heatprocessing-online.com
2013
Business Directory
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial
heat treatment processes ......................................................................................... 94
II.
Components, equipment, production
and auxiliary materials ................................................................................................ 104
III. Consulting, design, service
and engineering ............................................................................................................ 112
IV. Trade associations, institutes,
universities, organisations ......................................................................................... 113
V. Exhibition organizers,
training and education .............................................................................................. 114
Contact:
Mrs. Bettina Schwarzer-Hahn
Tel.: +49 (0)201 / 82002-24
Fax: +49 (0)201 / 82002-40
E-mail: b.schwarzer-hahn@vulkan-verlag.de
4-2013 heat processing
www.heatprocessing-directory.com
93

Business Directory 4-2013
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
thermal production
Melting, Pouring, casting
94 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 Business Directory
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
Powder metallurgy
Heating
4-2013 heat processing
95

Business Directory 4-2013
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
Heating
96 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 Business Directory
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
Heat treatment
More information available:
www.heatprocessing-directory.com
4-2013 heat processing
97

Business Directory 4-2013
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
Heat treatment
98 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 Business Directory
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
More information available:
www.heatprocessing-directory.com
4-2013 heat processing
99

Business Directory 4-2013
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
Heat treatment
100 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 Business Directory
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
cooling and Quenching
surface treatment
Joining
More information available:
www.heatprocessing-directory.com
4-2013 heat processing
101

Business Directory 4-2013
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
Joining
102 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 Business Directory
I. Furnaces and plants for industrial heat treatment processes
recycling
energy efficiency
retrofit
Powered by
INTERNATIONAL
THERM
PROCESS
SUMMIT
All impressions and interviews
now available at
www.itps-online.com
The Key Event
for Thermo Process Technology
Congress Center Düsseldorf, Germany
Organized by
09-10 July 2013 www.itps-online.com
4-2013 heat processing
103

Business Directory 4-2013
II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
Quenching equipment
Fittings
Burners
transport equipment
Your contact to
HEAT PROCESSING
Bettina Schwarzer-Hahn
Tel. +49(0)201-82002-24
Fax +49(0)201-82002-40
b.schwarzer-hahn@vulkan-verlag.de
104 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 Business Directory
II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
4-2013 heat processing
105

Business Directory 4-2013
II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
Burner applications
Burner equipment
Your contact to
HEAT PROCESSING
Bettina Schwarzer-Hahn
Tel. +49(0)201-82002-24
Fax +49(0)201-82002-40
b.schwarzer-hahn@vulkan-verlag.de
106 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 Business Directory
II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
Hardening accessories
More information available:
www.heatprocessing-directory.com
4-2013 heat processing
107

Business Directory 4-2013
II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
resistance heating
elements
casting and melting
accessories
inductors
108 heat processing 4-2013

Measuring and automation
4-2013 Business Directory
II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
4-2013 heat processing
109

Business Directory 4-2013
II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
Measuring and automation
Power supply
110 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 Business Directory
II. Components, equipment, production and auxiliary materials
cleaning and drying
equipment
refractories
HOTLINE Meet the team
Managing Editor: Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Schalm +49(0)201/82002-12 s.schalm@vulkan-verlag.de
Editorial Office: Annamaria Frömgen +49(0)201/82002-91 a.froemgen@vulkan-verlag.de
Editor: Thomas Schneidewind +49(0)201/82002-36 t.schneidewind@vulkan-verlag.de
Editor (Trainee): Sabrina Finke +49(0)201/82002-15 s.finke@vulkan-verlag.de
Advertising Sales: Bettina Schwarzer-Hahn +49(0)201/82002-24 b.schwarzer-hahn@vulkan-verlag.de
Subscription: Martina Grimm +49(0)931/41704-13 mgrimm@datam-services.de
4-2013 heat processing
111

Business Directory 4-2013
III. Consulting, design, service and engineering
112 heat processing 4-2013

III. Consulting, design, service and engineering
4-2013 Business Directory
IV. Trade associations, institutes, universities, organisations
4-2013 heat processing
113

Business Directory 4-2013
V. Exhibition organizers, training and education
Powered by
INTERNATIONAL
THERM
PROCESS
SUMMIT
The Key Event
for Thermo Process Technology
All impressions and interviews
now available at
www.itps-online.com
Congress Center
Düsseldorf, Germany
Organized by
09-10 July 2013 www.itps-online.com
114 heat processing 4-2013

the gas engineer’s
dictionary
www.di-verlag.de
Order now!
Supply Infrastructure from A to Z
The Gas Engineer’s Dictionary will be a standard work for all aspects of
construction, operation and maintenance of gas grids.
this dictionary is an entirely new designed reference book for both engineers
with professional experience and students of supply engineering.
the opus contains the world of supply infrastructure in a series of detailed
professional articles dealing with main points like the following:
• biogas
• compressor stations
• conditioning • corrosion protection
• dispatching • gas properties
• grid layout • LNG
• odorization • metering
• pressure regulation • safety devices
• storages
editor: K. Homann, r. reimert, B. Klocke
1 st edition 2013, 400 pages with additional information and complete
ebook, hardcover
DIV Deutscher Industrieverlag GmbH, Arnulfstr. 124, 80636 München, Germany
knowledge for tHe
future
order now by fax: +49 931 / 4170-492 or send in a letter
Deutscher Industrieverlag GmbH | Arnulfstr. 124 | 80636 München
Yes, I place a firm order for the technical book. Please send
—
copies of the The Gas Engineer’s Dictionary
– Supply Infrastructure from A to Z plus ebook.
1 st edition 2013 (ISBN: 978-3-8356-3214-1)
at the price of € 160,- (plus postage and packing extra)
Company/institution
first name and surname of recipient
Street/P.o. Box, No.
Country, Postcode, town
reply / Antwort
Vulkan-Verlag GmbH
Versandbuchhandlung
Postfach 10 39 62
45039 Essen
GERMANY
Phone
e-mail
Line of business
fax
Please note: According to German law this request may be withdrawn within 14 days after order date in writing
to Vulkan Verlag GmbH, Versandbuchhandlung, Postfach 10 39 62, 45039 essen, Germany.
In order to accomplish your request and for communication purposes your personal data are being recorded and stored.
It is approved that this data may also be used in commercial ways by mail, by phone, by fax, by email, none.
this approval may be withdrawn at any time.
✘
Date, signature
PAtGeD2013

COMPANIES PROFILE
Noxmat GmbH
Noxmat GmbH
COMPANY:
Noxmat GmbH
Ringstraße 7
09569 Oederan
Germany
BOARD OF MANAGEMENT:
Dr. Wolfgang Harbeck and Mr. Matthias Wolf
HISTORY:
The company Noxmat GmbH was founded under the name
Aichelin Development Center and Unit Construction plc on 26
February 1992 as independent subsidiary of Aichelin Industrial
Furnace Construction plc Korntal-Münchingen and has been domiciled
in Oederan (Saxony) since 1993.
GROUP:
Noxmat is part of the internationally operating Aichelin Group.
The Group, in turn, is a subsidiary of the Austria-based Berndorf
Group.
SHAREHOLDINGS:
Noxmat Energy Technique Beijing Co. Ltd. in China (75 %)
COOPERATION:
Cooperation with research institutes and universities in terms of
development.
NUMBER OF STAFF:
27
EXPORT QUOTA:
direct: 38 %
Contact:
Dipl.-Ing. Dirk Mäder
Tel.: +49 (0) 37292 / 6503-0
maeder@noxmat.de
PRODUCT RANGE:
The product range of Noxmat reaches from gas burners for direct
and indirect heating with and without recuperator, high velocity
burners, flame and flat flame burners over radiant tubes in ceramic
and steel design, burner control units and furnace components
up to spare parts, maintenance and reconstruction.
PRODUCTION:
Design, project planning and final assembly of all products including
shipping take place in-house.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
The company offers in-house research and development with
own comprehensively equipped Technical Center. On customer’s
demand, the burners are delivered with connecting lines, control
devices and control unit completely for new installation or replacement,
preset closely to operating temperature. Noxmat stands for
high reliability in operation, trouble-free direct ignition with instant
burning stability upon cold start of burners and compact and
modular design. Additionally the company offers in-house service.
CERTIFICATION:
ISO 9001, DVGW, DIN GOST and RTN for Russia, ČSN for Czech Republic
SERVICE POTENTIALS:
Assistance during runoffs, reconstruction and modernization of
complete heating facilities, burner maintenance, even in periodical
intervals in terms of maintenance agreements, burner training
courses in the in-house training center or at the customer’s, calibration
of thermocouples and measuring sensors.
INTERNET ADDRESS:
www.noxmat.com
116 heat processing 4-2013

4-2013 IMPRINT
www.heatprocessing-online.com
Volume 11 · Issue 4 · November 2013
Official Publication
Editors
Advisory Board
Publishing House
Managing Editor
Editorial Office
CECOF – European Committee of Industrial Furnace and Heating Equipment Associations
H. Berger, AICHELIN Ges.m.b.H., Mödling, Prof. Dr.-Ing. A. von Starck, Appointed Professor for Electric Heating at RWTH
Aachen, Dr. H. Stumpp, Chairman of the Association for Thermal Process Technology within VDMA, CTO Tenova Iron &
Steel Group
Dr. H. Altena, Aichelin Ges.m.b.H., Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Baake, Institute for Electrothermal Processes, Leibniz University of
Hanover, Dr.-Ing. F. Beneke, VDMA, Prof. Y. Blinov, St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University “Leti“, Russia, René
Branders, President of CECOF, Mike Debier, CECOF, Dr.-Ing. F. Kühn, LOI Thermprocess GmbH, Dipl.-Ing. W. Liere-Netheler,
Elster GmbH, H. Lochner, EBNER Industrieofenbau GmbH, Prof. S. Lupi, University of Padova, Dept. of Electrical Eng., Italy,
Prof. Dr.-Ing. H. Pfeifer, RWTH Aachen, Dipl.-Phys. M. Rink, Ipsen International GmbH, Dipl.-Ing. St. Schalm, Vulkan-Verlag
GmbH, M.Sc. S. Segerberg, Heattec Värmebehandling AB, Sweden, Dr.-Ing. A. Seitzer, SMS Elotherm GmbH, Dr.-Ing. P. Wendt,
LOI Thermprocess GmbH, Dr.-Ing. J. G. Wünning, WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH, Dr.-Ing. T. Würz, CECOF
Vulkan-Verlag GmbH, Huyssenallee 52-56, 45128 Essen, Germany
P.O. Box 103962, 45039 Essen
Managing Directors: Carsten Augsburger, Jürgen Franke
Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Schalm, Vulkan-Verlag GmbH
Tel. + 49 201 820 02-12, Fax: + 49 201 820 02-40
E-Mail: s.schalm@vulkan-verlag.de
Annamaria Frömgen, Vulkan-Verlag GmbH
Tel. + 49 201 820 02-91, Fax: + 49 201 820 02-40
E-Mail: a.froemgen@vulkan-verlag.de
Editorial Department Thomas Schneidewind, Vulkan-Verlag GmbH Sabrina Finke (Trainee), Vulkan-Verlag GmbH
Tel. + 49 201 820 02-36, Fax: + 49 201 820 02-40 Tel. + 49 201 820 02-15, Fax: + 49 201 820 02-40
E-Mail: t.schneidewind@vulkan-verlag.de
E-Mail: s.finke@vulkan-verlag.de
Advertising Sales
Bettina Schwarzer-Hahn, Vulkan-Verlag GmbH
Tel. + 49 201 820 02-24, Fax: + 49 201 820 02-40
E-Mail: b.schwarzer-hahn@vulkan-verlag.de
Advertising
Martina Mittermayer, Vulkan-Verlag GmbH / DIV Deutscher Industrieverlag GmbH
Administration Tel. + 49 89 203 53 66-16, Fax: + 49 89 203 53 66-66
E-Mail: mittermayer@di-verlag.de
Layout
Terms of subscription:
Daniel Klunkert, Vulkan-Verlag GmbH
heat processing is published four times a year.
Rates: Subscription (inside Germany): € 166,- + € 12,- shipping
Subscription (outside Germany): € 166,- + € 14,- shipping
Single copy (inside Germany): € 48,- + € 3,- shipping
Single copy (outside Germany): € 48,- + € 3,50 shipping
ePaper (as PDF): Subscription: € 166,- Single copy: € 48,-
Abo Plus (print + ePaper): Subscription (inside Germany): € 215,80 + € 12,- shipping
Subscription (outside Germany):
€ 215,80 + € 14,- shipping
Students: 50% reduction on normal subscription rate (proof of entitlement)
Orders may be placed at any time. Please address directly to our customer service or your local book shop. Subscriptions
continue for another year unless terminated in writing 2 months prior to the end of each year.
Subscriptions/
Leserservice heat processing . Postfach 91 61 . 97091 Würzburg
Single Copy Sales Tel. +49 931 4170-1616, Fax: +49 931 4170-492
E-Mail: leserservice@vulkan-verlag.de
Printed by
The magazine and all the contributions and illustrations contained therein are secured by copyright. With the exception
of the legally permitted instances, any utilisation without the express permission of the publisher will be punished at law.
The opinions contained in signed articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.
Druckerei Chmielorz GmbH
Ostring 13 · 65205 Wiesbaden-Nordenstadt
© 2003 Vulkan-Verlag GmbH
Huyssenallee 52-56 · 45128 Essen (Germany)
Tel. + 49 201 820 02-0, Fax + 49 201 820 02-40
ISSN 1611-616X
Mitglied der Informationsgemeinschaft zur
Feststellung der Verbreitung von Werbeträgern e.V. (IVW)

With their developments and system
solutions SMS Elotherm and the associated
IAS have set new standards in
induction technology for decades. The
medium-sized internationally operating
companies are part of the SMS group.
As technology leaders, SMS Elotherm
and IAS combine all competences when
it comes to induction.
■Induction heating of metals for
forging, rolling and extruding
■Induction hardening and
quench & temper
■Induction welding, annealing and
special technology for tubes
■Continuous induction strip heating
■Induction kinetics
■Induction melting
■Service worldwide
www.ias-induction.com
www.sms-elotherm.com
Induction Hardening
Induction Heating