Forge

The LISATHERM heating system results from several years of research with development centers and the close cooperation with universities. This system is based on a simple principle : each billet has its own heating inductor which is supplied by its own generator. This permits to heat "jerkily" according to the needs of the equipment located after the heater. It also permits to stop the heating when request is cancelled and to restart after having hold or not the temperature.

This easy principle required the development of  a specific generator that allows, whatever the filling of the inductor, to inject the whole power into the billet to be heated. The GTD generator that has been sold since the beginning of 2007 meets this requirement and offers, through the use of IGBT transistors, a high reliability level and an outstanding efficiency.

Inductors designed according to algorithms specific to this heating principle accept load variations and guarantee a good homogeneity in temperature.

To guarantee the billet radial as well as axial homogeneity, the billet ends its cycle in an homogenizing inductor. This inductor consists of a muffle, the temperature of which is regulated within 1 degree. This muffle is induction heated and the heat holding chamber is "inert" to reduce the formation of scale.

The main advantage of this process is the really high enthalpy with a surface temperature limited to the temperature set value. Such an enthalpy cannot be reached with a traditional induction heating process.

No mechanical devices are used. The feeding at the inlet and outlet is achieved by robots fitted to the dimensions of the billets to be heated. The installation working rate is very high and usually around 0,5% x the number of robots. The failsoft operation is automatic whenever a fault occurs (on an inductor for example). The installation reduces then its max. capacity in proportion to the operable equipment.

The energy efficiency of this heating process is much higher because no piece is reheated and no billet is recycled. Any billet introduced in the heating line is ejected only if it is requested by the press or the rolling mill. The whole scale production is lower and traceability is ensured.

Despite higher investment costs, this sytem is economically much more efficient in production.