EFD Induction

The process, the products and the people.

And how they are boosting industrial productivity.
in amazing ways.
Contents.
5 Putting the smarter heat to smarter use. 12 The differences are obvious.
What this brochure is about. What about the similarities?
Some of the applications and industries that use induction heating.
6 Faster. Better. Cheaper.
A survey of three key benefits of induction heating. 14 Meet the family.
An overview of EFD Induction products.
8 907.5°C in 3.4 seconds.
Time and again. And again. 16 In the heat business,
How induction heating works—and how it is superior the hardest part can be to stay cool.
to alternative technologies. An introduction to EFD Induction services—what they are
and how you benefit.
10 Apart from our superior applications knowledge, equipment technology,
coils capability, materials know-how and local presence, we’re pretty 18 “I’ll drive over right away.”
much like any other induction heating company. EFD Induction in the real world—a case story from our files.
The resources, experience and expertise that make EFD Induction
a world leader in its field. 20 A passion for heat.
The EFD Induction story.
Who we are. Where we came from. Where we’re going.

22 Glossary.
Key induction terms and concepts explained.
4
Putting the smarter heat to smarter use.
Welcome to EFD Induction.

In the following pages you’ll read how induction heating is superior to

alternative heating technologies.

You’ll read how induction heating, because it’s faster than these alter-
natives, increases throughput.

You’ll read how induction heating improves—and maintains—the quality

of whatever it is you make, mend or process.

And you’ll read how induction heating achieves the above while at the
same time cutting costs.

Just as important, you’ll read that we lead the world in finding new,
exciting applications for induction heating.

We’ve been developing, installing and maintaining induction-heating

solutions for almost 70 years. We still think they’re amazing. We hope
you’ll think so too.

5
Faster. Better. Cheaper.
The technical features of induction heating deliver three Costs
key benefits: improved throughput, better and consist- Costs go down because of shorter lead times and
ent quality, reduced costs. in­creased throughput. Integrated in-line induction heat-
ing means lower administration and logistics costs.
Throughput Production yields go up. Swift heat cycles, precise
Integrating induction heating into the production line delivery and accurate repeatability minimize waste and
improves production efficiency. You cut lead times, and scrap. Energy costs go down because you heat only
speed up throughput. The heating process itself is fast- what you need to heat—there are no costly heat losses
er than with open-flame and oven alternatives. Accurate as with conventional ovens. (EFD Induction frequency
repeatability means you get to be faster because you get converters are particularly effective at lowering energy
it right the first time. costs, as they have a proven higher efficiency and power
factor than competing converters.) And because induc-
Quality tion heating lets you abandon hazardous gas and open
Quality improves because you can apply pre-set tem­ flames, you can negotiate lower insurance premiums.
pera­tures to pre-set parts of individual workpieces. And
because induction coils are tailor-made for specific work
-pieces, you know, in advance, the delivered heat pat-
tern. Also, precise heat delivery means any adjoining
components and/or materials remain unharmed during
the heating process.

6
 Furnace Flame Induction
FA S T E R – T H RO U G H P U T
Ease of integration into production line • •• ••••
Ramp-up time • ••• •••••

B E T T E R – QU A L IT Y
Heat pattern control • ••• •••••
Temperature level accuracy •••• ••• •••••
Ramp-up time control • ••• •••••
Dwell-time accuracy • •••• •••••
Repeatability ••••• •• ••••

C H E A P E R – C OS T
Yield ••• •• •••••
Energy •• ••• ••••
Space •• •••• ••••
Safety •• • ••••

T OTA L 23 30 50

The scores used in this table are approximations only, designed as a general guide. The performance
rating of the three heating methods can vary from case to case, depending on the application involved,
workpiece characteristics, operator skills, etc.

7
 This is how it works.

907.5°C in 3.4 seconds. Induction heating takes power from the mains,
converts it into frequencies suitable for speci­
f­ic applications, then uses the power to create

Time and again. And again. controllable heat in any electrically conductive
material.

Power is applied to the workpiece by an in­duc­

tion coil. An alternating current flowing through
a coil (A) generates a magnetic field (B). Placing
Induction heating has numerous advantages over alter- Controllable a workpiece (C) within the field induces eddy
native technologies: Transistorized converters and process control software currents (resistance) in the piece. Heat is pro­
give you complete control over the entire heating process. duced where—and only where—these eddy
Quick Ramp-up and dwell times can be pre-set and repeated currents flow.
The produced heat from a frequency converter is instant. as often as you want. Equipment can also feature in-built
It takes less than one second to achieve a uniform surface tele­metry devices for remote diagnostics and off-site Different converters come with different power
temperature of 1,000°C on small metal components. monitoring. outputs and frequencies. Output power, the
shape of the induction coil and the character­
Accurate Repeatable istics of the workpiece determine the heat
Just the right temperature is delivered, just where it’s Induction heating lets you accurately repeat your desired pattern. The depth of heat penetration into the
needed to individual workpieces. And because of the heating cycle. (In fact, the produced heat from a frequency workpiece depends on the frequency: the lower
range of frequencies available, to just the right depth. converter normally varies as little as 1-2%.) You can the frequency, the deeper the penetration.
Heat distribution is precise, too. We can customize induc- duplicate all the key parameters: temperature, penetra-
tion coils to suit practically any shape or size of workpiece. tion depth, heat pattern, speed-of-temperature increase,
Customized coils ensure optimal heat patterns with mini­ etc. A
mum energy consumption.
Clean, safe, compact
B
No gas. No open flames. No noticeable increase in ambient C
temperature. No excessive floor space occupied by ovens.

Eddy current Alternating current

8
Some amazing facts about
induction heating.

• An EFD Induction frequency converter with

an output power of 100 kW can harden a
60 mm dia­meter shaft to a depth of 2 mm
(800°C at 2 mm) with a feeding speed of 1 m
per minute.

• Using one of our mobile converters, you can

heat 1 kg of steel from 20°C to 800°C in five
seconds flat. That’s a speed-of-temperature
increase of 160°C per second.

• Induction heating is ten times more efficient

than conventional ovens at curing the
ad­hesives in automobile hoods. To cure
one hood normally requires 220 kWs. As
induction heating uses 340 kWs from the
mains net, efficiency is 65%. Conventional
ovens use something in the range of 4,000
kWs per hood, resulting in an efficiency of
only 5.5%.

An EFD Induction solution in action. Custom-designed

induction coils harden two camshafts—both bearing
and lobe are hardened in a procedure that takes only
5.4 seconds at 950°C.

9
Apart from our superior applications knowledge,
equipment technology, coils capability, materials
know-how and local presence, we’re pretty much
like any other induction heating company.
What makes EFD Induction special?    areas are: tube welding systems and industrial heat pro- Materials know-how
cessing systems such as furnaces, and billet and bar end How will induction heating affect my metals? What happens
Applications knowledge heaters. to the adhesives? What about adjacent materials? These
To date, EFD Induction has more than 20,000 installations are just some of the questions customers ask our in-house
in 80 countries. A large number are customized heating Coils capability materials experts every day. And to ensure our metal­
solutions—unique installations for specific production A correctly designed, made and maintained coil is cru- l­urgists and engineers give fast, accurate answers, we’ve
needs. This experience has given us unrivaled know­ cial to the outcome of any induction heating operation. built our own research labs. As a result, we not only know
ledge of applications as diverse as hardening, tempering, After all, it is the component that actually delivers heat to more about induction heating than anyone else, we know
brazing, bonding, welding, annealing, pre-heating, the workpiece. EFD Induction has years of experience more about how the technology affects your materials.
post-heating, forging, melting, shrink-fitting, coating designing and supplying customized, long-life coils for
removal and straightening. the full spectrum of applications and materials. (We offer Local presence
advanced computerized coil simulation to make sure Wherever you are, there’s a good chance EFD Induction is
Equipment technology you get the optimal coil design for your specific needs.) somewhere in your neighborhood. That’s because we have
EFD Induction designs, builds, installs and maintains a We also have a well-proven logistics service that ensures a worldwide network of representatives, in addition to
complete range of induction heating equipment. In fact, the smooth delivery and installation of replacement coils. manufacturing facilities in Germany, Norway, France,
we pioneered—and continue to pioneer—the develop- Maximizing coil life times is an EFD Induction specialty, China, India, Poland, Romania and USA. We also have
ment of solid-state induction converters. Another key resulting in coils that are prized for their longevity.     sales and service companies in Austria, Brazil, Denmark,
area of our expertise is CNC-controlled multiple axes Finland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, South
machines for in-line integration. Our other equip­ment Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and United Kingdom.

10
EFD Induction has years of experience designing and supplying customized, long-life coils for the full spectrum of applications and materials.

11
The differences are obvious.
What about the similarities?
A can of peaches, a cruise liner’s hull, a tub of yogurt, Our hardening machines, for example, are widely used
power station turbines, cables under the ground, pipe­ in the automotive and automotive supply industries for
lines under the waves, and countless trains, planes and surface hardening and tempering of mechanical parts
automobiles. such as shafts, gears, axles and valves. You’ll also find our
converters curing the adhesives that join body panels in
What unites these different products is that induction doors, hoods and deck lids.
heating is used to make them, maintain them, repair
them and recycle them. (In case the yogurt tub intrigues Beyond the automotive and automotive supply segments,
you, induction heating attaches the foil lid to the plastic EFD Induction equipment is commonly found in the
container. As for canned peaches, induction heating electrotechnical, metal and foundry, tube and pipe, wire
helps coat the tin on the can’s inside so that conserved and cable, aviation, shipbuilding, white goods, glass,
foods remain untainted.) plasma and optical fiber industries.

Simply put, our induction heating solutions can be profita-

bly used in virtually any industrial application that requires
heat.

12
Heat treatment and pre/post heating. Brazing of compressor parts. Bonding Hardening and tempering of transmission Brazing and soldering of
Bonding and joint brazing. of fridge bodies. Paint curing. Tube and engine parts (shafts, valves, etc.). brass parts.
welding. Straightening during repairs.

Hardening and tempering of engine and trans­ Disassembly and shrink-fitting of wheel rings Brazing of copper parts in generators. Shrink- Hardening and brazing
mission parts. Curing of paint and brake-disc and bearing rings. Brazing of copper compo- fitting. Bolt expansion. Pre/post heating and of components. Welding
coatings. Bonding of body parts. Tube welding of nents. Straightening. brazing for high-pressure turbines. of frame tubes.
exhaust pipes. Brazing of components. Magnet
bonding in electric motors.

Longitudinal tube and pipe welding. Pre/post heating when coating sheet metal. Hull straightening during construction. Pre/post heating. Curing
Pre-heating. Annealing of welds. Re-melting of tin coatings. Straight welding of beams in double hulls. of insulation around wires.
Curing of coatings. Paint removal. Brazing of copper compo- Manufacturing of optical
nents. Hardening of large gears, winches fiber cable.
and chains. Heat treatment of shafts.
Pre-heating of valves prior to welding.
Meet the family.
Whatever your heating needs, it is almost certain EFD
Induction has the equipment to meet them. And in the
unlikely event we don’t, we can sit down with you and
devise your own customized induction heating solution.

This claim is backed by our range of equipment—and

our decades of experience in the induction heating HardLine HeatLine
business. EFD Induction products range from standard Industrial heat treatment Industrial heat processing
heat sources, through customized solutions to complete systems systems
manufacturing processes.
HardLine is a complete range of stationary HeatLine is a comprehensive range of
With EFD Induction you also gain the support of our systems for all types of workpieces re­qui­r­ heat processing systems. Included in the
experts in power electronics, metallurgy and pro- ing hardening, tempering and annealing. series are: billet heaters (for large and
cess-control software. Not to mention the rigorous test- HardLine offers vertical, horizontal and small billet sections); melting fur­naces
ing in our own and independent labs that ensure you tailor-made machine concepts with CNC- (tilting, double-axis tilting, roll-over, mov-
get the very best solutions possible.   controlled multiple axes, quality super­ ing coil and laboratory); bar end heaters
vision and fully automatic loading systems. (horizontal and vertical). HeatLine sys-
HardLine systems also feature serial and/ tems are also used in the precious metals
or parallel compensated induction power processing industry, and for laboratory
sources with a wide range of output power purposes.
and frequencies.

14
Minac Sinac Weldac
Mobile heat generators Universal heat generators High-output solid-state
welders
The Minac’s mobility and ease of use Sinac is our range of high-efficiency sta- Weldac is our range of solid-state welders
make it a versatile system—an all-in- tionary generators. Suitable for practically for longitudinal welding of tubes and
one-solution, ideal for jobs as diverse as all induction heating applications, Sinac pipes. It is a proven solution for welding
brazing, curing, shrink-fitting, harden- features serial and/or parallel compensa­ stainless steel, aluminium, low-carbon
ing, straightening, pre/post heating, ted induction power sources with a wide steel and high-strength steel, and is
annealing, etc. Available with low or range of frequencies and low, medium suitable for both induction and contact
medium output power, Minac can be or high output power. The Sinac range welding across a wide range of tube
used in workshops or in the field. All includes dual-frequency models. sizes. SiC inverters ensure more than
Minac systems allow fast coil changes. 90% efficiency from the mains to the
welding coil.

15
In the heat business,
the hardest part can be to stay cool.
Induction heating should just work, delivering what you Other service customers already use induction heating.
want, when you want it—leaving you free to focus on your Some opt for tailor-made spares delivery agreements.
core business. Some turn to us for equipment upgrades. Some take
advan­tage of our remote diagnostics service, where
That’s why we offer services that cover everything from advanced telemetrics prevents glitches turning into
early-stage computer simulation to spares delivery to expensive problems. Others rent our equipment to deal
one-off induction heating projects and comprehensive with one-off jobs or peaks in production. The list is endless.
maintenance contracts. (We even offer intensive training.
Send us some of your staff for a couple of weeks and we’ll But there is one common denominator behind all these
give you back certified induction experts.) services: our people. Each EFD Induction service engi-
neer is a graduate of our service boot camp. And to keep
Almost 70 years in the induction heating business has him on his toes (and abreast of the latest technical
taught us there’s no such thing as a standard customer. advances), each engineer must pass regular refresher
Some aren’t even sure induction heating is the right courses. We also have specialized service personnel
answer. In such cases, we often suggest our application with in-depth knowledge of particular industries and
engineering service. This is where we perform computer applications.
simulations to ensure induction heating is, in fact, the
best choice. We also get to work on the financial spread- Supporting our service people in the field is our network of
sheets, and examine the long-term cost implications of local service centers, factories and R&D units. This global
converting to induction heating. network guarantees you a swift response to any problem
our service staff can’t fix on the spot.

16
EFD Induction services range from pre-production planning and materials analysis
to full preventive and corrective maintenance contracts.

17
 Rescue at sea. When a North Sea oil and gas platform needed urgent repairs
they turned to induction heating from EFD Induction.

18
“I’ll drive over right away.”

It was noon, and Rune Asdal, a technician at EFD Induction “The problem,” explains Rune, “was pretty straightforward:
Norway, was about to leave for lunch. the pump’s bearing was defective and had to be replaced.
However, the risk of an explosion ruled out the use of gas
Then his phone rang. torches and other open-flame heating. Induction heating
was the only option. Well, not quite. They could have
A Norwegian customer had a problem with a master pump, brought the pump ashore, but that would have cost a
something to do with the roller bearing. Could Rune drop small fortune.”
by and take a look?
Once on the 210-meter-high platform, Rune had to work
“Sure,” said Rune. “I’ll drive over right away.” quickly. Without the pump, production could be threat-
ened—bad news when the Sleipner field’s daily produc-
“Ah, that could be a problem,” laughed the caller. “The tion is 90,000 barrels of light oil.
pump is on a gas platform out in the North Sea. I hope
you don’t mind helicopters.” “The job went without a hitch,” explains Rune. “I used
the Minac to heat the bearing ring prior to disassembly.
Within hours Rune was being whisked by chopper to the Then I used Minac to treat the new bearing before re-as-
gas and condensate (light oil) ‘Sleipner A’ platform, 240 sembly. I was back home within 24 hours. As for the
kilometers off the Norwegian coast. With him was an EFD pump, it’s been a couple of years since I fixed it, and last
Induction Minac 18/25 mobile induction converter. I heard it was still going strong.”

19
A passion for heat.
The EFD Induction story.
On September 3, 1950, craftsmen at a workshop in size as a result. Controllability was perfected. The range In January 1996, FDF and ELVA merged to create EFD
Freiburg, Germany, put the finishing touches to their first of frequencies—and thus the range of applications—was In­duction. (The two firms had already formed The Euro­
universal induction hardening machine. greatly expanded. pean Induction Heating Alliance in 1993.)

The craftsmen were anxious. Their company, the fami- In 1981, three Norwegian engineers founded ELVA Expansion was swift. One key step was the acquisition in
ly-owned firm of Fritz Düsseldorf Induktionserwärmung Induk­sjon. The new company had only nine employees. 1998 of Grenoble-based CFEI. A veteran induction heat-
(FDF), had previously focused on job hardening for local But it also had its Minac range of mobile converters, ing company, CFEI was the market leader in France.
Black Forest industries. But now they were entering a tough which was successfully launched in 1983. Workpieces Particularly strong in devising hardening solutions for
international market. Could they really make the grade? no longer had to be brought at great cost to a statio­na
­ ry
induction heater—the heater could now go to the piece.
They needn’t have worried. The machine was a success.
And before long FDF was exporting its equipment across Over the next few years, ELVA launched a whole series of
Europe. (In fact, FDF soon grew to become one of Europe’s transistorized induction heating products. Growth was
leading induction surface hardening companies.) swift; much of it driven by ELVA’s ability to deliver the
bene­fits of transistorized converter technology in cus-
The hot revolution tomized solutions.
While FDF was expanding in the 1970s, an induction
revolution was taking place in Trondheim, Norway. The Keeping the heat on
hot­bed of the upheaval was the local Technical University, In May 1991, the managing directors of FDF and ELVA met
where a group of engineers had figured out how to tran- by chance at a trade fair. They talked … and specu­lated.
sistorize frequency converters for induction heating. FDF was strong in stationary induction hardening
machines. ELVA was the agile innovator with a track
The advent of transistorized frequency converters was a record in finding new applications for induction heating.
crucial breakthrough. Frequency converters shrank in What if the two companies got together?
The pioneer—FDF’s first universal hardening machine awaits
20 shipping in late 1950.
all the major French automakers, CFEI was also active
in specialist applications such as plasma, glass and
optical fiber.

EFD Induction continued to grow. British and American

companies were acquired and integrated into the new
group. A manufacturing facility was opened in Bangalore,
India, in 1995. A greenfield manufacturing plant was set
up in Shanghai in 2001.

To date, EFD Induction has delivered more than 20 00

installations in 80 countries. It’s logical to attribute this
growth solely to outstanding products and services. But
we’re convinced the really decisive factor has been some-
thing less tangible: our passion for induction heating—
and what can be achieved with it.

More than half a century after that first hardening machine

In 1981, three Norwegian engineers founded ELVA Induksjon.
left the workshop in Freiburg, our enthusiasm for induc-
A year later, the Confederation of Norwegian Industry awarded
tion heating burns as bright as ever. If you’re curious about
them a prize for establishing “Norway’s best new industrial
what it might mean for the productivity of your company, company”. Here are the three (from left, Truls Larsen, Knut
give us a call. Induction heating is our passion. We’d like EFD Induction equipment has been used and trusted around Fosse Kersten and Leif Markegård) pictured at the award
to share it with you. the world for decades. This 1986 snap shows employees of ceremony in Oslo.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. in Calcutta,
India, testing their new ELVA TERAC 16 induction heating
machine. The system was used for straightening ship hulls.
21
Glossary.
Annealing is a heat treatment that alters the microstructure of a generates its own magnetic field, in opposition to the field gener- Stainless steel is a common name for steel alloys that are resistive
material, causing changes in its properties such as strength and ated by the coil, thus preventing the latter field from penetrating to corrosion and oxidation (rust). These normally include:
hardness. It is a process that produces equilibrium conditions by to the center of the heated object.
• Austenitic steel—the largest category of stainless steel, ac -
heating a material and maintaining it at a suitable temperature, Induction heating is a process of heating electrically conductive count ing for about 70% of all production. The austenitic class
and then cooling it very slowly. The process is used to induce material by electromagnetic induction, where eddy currents are offers the most resistance to corrosion in the stainless group, due
softness, relieve internal stresses, refine the structure and generated within the material and its resistance leads to the to its substantial nickel (Ni) content and higher levels of chromi-
improve cold working properties. heating. um (Cr). The steel is nonmagnetic and has no Curie point.
Bonding is structurally joining parts by adhesive cured under Induction surface hardening is the process of hardening the sur- • Ferritic steel—the second-largest class of stainless steel, con-
elevated temperature. face of steel or cast iron objects by heating only the surface to stituting approximately 25% of stainless production. Ferritic stain-
Brazing or "hard soldering" is a joining process whereby a produce martensitic microstructure in the heated zone after less steels are plain chromium (Cr) steels with no significant nick-
non-ferrous filler metal or alloy is heated to melting temperature quenching. el (Ni) content; the lack of nickel results in lower corrosion resis-
above 450°C (800°F) and distributed between two or more Magnetic flux is the integral of the magnetic field times the per- tance than the austenitic (chromium-nickel stainless steels). The
close-fitting parts by capillary action. pendicular area that it penetrates. steel is magnetic and has a Curie point.
Curie point (also called Curie temperature) is the temperature Normalizing means to heat ferrous alloy to a suitable tempera- • Martensitic steel—a small category of stainless steel character-
at which certain magnetic materials undergo a sharp change in ture above the transformation range and then cool it in air to a ized by the use of heat treatment for hardening and strengthening.
their magnetic properties. Specification: the temperature at temperature substantially below the transformation range. Steel Martensitic stainless steels are plain chromium (Cr) steels with no
which there is a transition between the ferromagnetic and para- is normalized to refine grain size, make its structure more uni- significant nickel (Ni) content. The steel is magnetic and has a Curie
magnetic phases. Above the Curie point, the ferromagnetic form, or to improve machinability. point.
material is purely paramagnetic.
Penetration depth is the distance from the surface to the depth Tempering is a reheating process that increases the ductility and
Eddy current (also known as Foucault current) is caused by a where current density has dropped to 37%. The depth of pene- impact strength of a hardened structure (martensite). The micro-
time-varying magnetic field intersecting a conductor or vice versa. tration increases as the frequency decreases. It is essential that structure of quenched and tempered steel is referred to as tem-
Electromagnetic induction is the production of an electrical the frequency is chosen with respect to the dimensions and pered martensite.
potential difference (or voltage) across a conductor situated in a electrical properties of the object to be heated. Tube welding is in this connection a method of longitudinally
changing magnetic flux. Post heating of weldments occurs immediately after welding, for welding steel and aluminum tubes, pipes and profiles by using
Flux is used in brazing to remove oxides, prevent oxidation and tempering, for stress relieving, or for providing a controlled rate of induction coils or electrical contacts. The raw material is coiled
wet the joining areas. Excess flux should be removed when the cooling to prevent formation of a hard or brittle structure. and sheared in strips in a width and thickness that correspond to
joint is completed. Flux left in the joint can lead to corrosion. Preheating occurs before a heating or mechanical process is the dimensions of the final product. The strip is fed into a forming
Frequency converter is the power source supplying the high- applied to the material. and welding line, and formed by rollers before the edges are weld-
frequency alternating current. Modern frequency converters for ed together. The welding process is done without using filler metal
Quenching generally means rapid cooling of metals and alloys to
induction are based on semi-conductor technology. or alloy as the edges are heated up to the forging temperature and
below the critical temperature range to harden them.
pressed together.produire une microstructure martensitique
An induction coil is a coil carrying high- or medium- frequency Soft soldering is a process of low temperature soldering using a dans la zone chauffée après le refroidissement.
alternating current and intended to induce eddy currents to heat solder with a melting point below 450 °C (800 °F).
objects placed in the interior of the coil. The induced current also

22
 PUTTING THE SMARTER
EFD Induction | www.efd-induction.com HEAT TO SMARTER USE