Melting furnaces are the means through which metal is transformed from its base or basic value into something else. The ideal is a high performance furnace that operates at superior speeds, is energy efficient, versatile and safe to operate. Quality is essential and price needs to be reasonable. The furnace must be able to address the production needs of the company. In this case, furnaces generally are adept at melting any of the following:
1. Lead
2. Tin
3. Solder
4. Babbitt
5. Bismuth
6. Pewter
7. White metals
8. Aluminum
Yet, all melting furnaces are not created equal. This is true but essentially, a solid, quality melting furnace will consist of similar components.
Parts of A Melting Furnace
A melting furnace can be separated into several components. The major parts are:
1. The Metal Pot – This can be in different sizes. It may be composed of iron or steel
2. The Pot Lid – This cover must be solid and durable, as sturdy as the actual pot. It can be a single lid or come in two or more parts
3. Power source – external supplier to the actual heater. Two options are electric or gas
4. Heater – this may be a burner with the included burner pipe. It may involve, instead a coil or some other form of heat source.
5. Heater Mounts
6. Temperature regulator – to keep the heat at a specific level or within a set range
7. Temperature Measurer – to measure the temperature of the melting furnace
The ideal melting furnaces also feature safety devices as well as environmental controls. In addition, they may feature controls of various sorts to ensure the mix of air and gas in certain furnaces operate appropriately.
Melting Furnaces – Shapes
Essentially, while you may see a melting furnace in an octagonal or other shape, the two major forms are round and rectangular. Round melting furnaces are employed in the processing of soft metals such as bismuth and zinc. Rectangular melting furnaces handle the process of reduction for salts and other low-melting points substances including lead, solder, Babbitt and pewter.
Types of Melting Furnaces
As with the shapes and usage, the types of furnaces also are disparate. The most common include the following:
1. Blast: These are continuously running furnaces. In fact, they may operate without stopping for 4 to 10 years.
2. Cupola – Tall and cylindrical in form, this furnace is often called a Vault Furnace. It ranks among the oldest still in use. They are operative in high numbers in metal foundries. These tend to be smaller melting furnaces.
3. Electric Arc Furnace – This type is found frequently in steel mills and foundries. These are usually smaller than cupola furnaces.
4. Induction Furnace – This furnace uses alternating currents to melt both metal and non-ferrous substances. The induction process may be either coreless or channel induction.
5. Crucible Furnace – Two types exist: electricity resistance and Gas (oil) fired. These are among the earliest forms of melting furnaces and are employed mainly in the reduction of non-ferrous metals.
Melting furnaces must respond to the demands of the product and those who make it. While cost will always be an issue, perhaps more important are the characteristics of durability, responsiveness, efficiency and suitability. Understanding the nature of your business and the demands of your materials will go a long way to ensure the type of melting furnace put into place is the right one.
