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Next, let me briefly introduce intermediate frequency. Steel-shell furnace The difference from aluminum-cased furnaces.

Steel-shell structure: Composed of an intermediate-frequency power supply cabinet, a compensation capacitor bank, a steel-shell furnace body, magnetic yokes, water-cooled cables, a hydraulic station, and a tilting furnace control box, among other components.

Steel-shell furnace It has a long service life (typically over 10 years under normal operating conditions) and excellent stability. Because it uses a magnetic conductor, the magnetic conductor serves two functions:

First, the magnetic conductor is securely fastened to the induction coil using set screws, ensuring that the coil and the magnetic conductor form a stable structure.

Second, the magnetic conductor can form a magnetic shielding barrier around the coil, resulting in energy savings. Furnaces equipped with magnetic conductors consume 3% to 5% less electricity than those with aluminum shells. The casting process is stable and precise, and the hydraulic tilting furnace mechanism allows for excellent control over the pouring angle and speed, ensuring high safety performance. Thanks to the inclusion of a molten-metal leakage alarm system and a refractory clay layer, this design—characterized by its outstanding features—is particularly well-suited for furnaces with capacities exceeding 2 tons, which typically adopt a steel-shell structure.

Aluminum-shell furnace: The aluminum-shell furnace is a simple structural design with a typical service life of around 5 to 8 years. It lacks magnetic conductors, a furnace lining ejection mechanism, and a refractory mortar layer, resulting in poor safety performance. It is generally used for capacities of 2T or less.

Steel-shell furnace Compared to aluminum-shell furnaces, steel-shell furnaces offer greater durability and aesthetic appeal. Particularly for large-capacity furnaces that require a robust structural rigidity, steel-shell furnaces are the preferred choice from a safety standpoint when tilting the furnace. The magnetic yoke made of silicon steel sheets effectively shields and directs the magnetic flux generated by the induction coil, thereby reducing magnetic leakage, improving thermal efficiency, increasing production output, and achieving energy savings of approximately 5% to 8%. The presence of a furnace lid further minimizes heat loss and enhances equipment safety. Steel-shell furnaces also boast a longer service life. In contrast, aluminum tends to oxidize severely at high temperatures, leading to metal fatigue and reduced toughness. At casting facilities, it’s common to see aluminum-shell furnace shells that have become badly worn and dilapidated after only about a year of use. Steel-shell furnace Due to its minimal magnetic leakage, the service life of this equipment significantly exceeds that of aluminum-cased furnaces. In terms of safety performance, steel-cased furnaces are far superior to aluminum-cased ones. During melting, aluminum-cased furnaces, subjected to high temperatures and heavy pressure, tend to deform easily, resulting in poor safety. In contrast, steel-cased furnaces utilize hydraulic tilting mechanisms, ensuring both safety and reliability. Moreover, in terms of market price, steel-cased furnaces generally command a higher price than aluminum-cased ones. In China, customers typically prefer steel-cased furnaces, whereas abroad, relatively more customers opt for aluminum-cased furnaces.

According to industry practice, induction melting furnaces with aluminum alloy structures that use a gearbox as the tilting mechanism are commonly referred to as "aluminum-shell furnaces," while induction melting furnaces with steel structures that use hydraulic cylinders for tilting are commonly referred to as "steel-shell furnaces."