Inductotherm Group Full Body Annealer Thermatool™

Thermatool™ Full Body Annealers support both in-line and off-line solid-state induction heating of many different varieties of tube, pipe, and bar. Precise induction heating, like that provided by Thermatool™ Full Body Annealers, is critical for post-processing applications such as paint curing or bending operations for small and large diameter pipe.

The full body heating of tube and pipe is generally an offline process, except for a few special processes. The power supplies (inverters) utilized are identical to those used for seam normalizing, since the product to be heat treated has generally the same dimensions. The major difference in full body heating verses seam annealing is the type of inductor; and since full body heating requires the product to be totally heated uniformly, a solenoid induction coil is used.

Applications for in-line full body heating systems include:

• Preheat for inline painting/UV coating
• Induction heating of tube prior to the galvanizing process. This is typically carried out at medium frequency (10 kHz). Galvanization may be required on both the inner and outer tube surface, hence the need for heat to penetrate throughout
• Annealing of condenser /refrigeration tube at mill speeds up to 150 m/min. The 150 kHz annealing process enables this type of tubing to be coiled prior to use
• Annealing of automotive brake line tubing is also carried out at around 150kHz. Annealing not only gives radial strength to the tube, facilitating high pressure containment, but it also enables tubing to be efficiently coiled prior to installation

Applications for off-line full body heating systems include:

• Normalizing and stress relieving for bar and heavy wall product
• Upset end pre-heating for drill casing

Thermatool™ in-line Seam Annealing / Normalizing equipment is designed to effectively Post Weld Heat Treat (PWHT) HF welded tube and pipe across a wide range of product diameters and wall thicknesses. To provide rigorous quality control and to ensure process repeatability, Thermatool^® Seam Annealers are available with closed loop temperature control and real-time temperature monitoring. These Annealers benefit customers producing API^® products meeting 5L, 5CT, and material grades P110, L80, N80, X80, X100 specifications by ensuring no untempered martensite remains in the weld Heat Affected Zone (HAZ).

Powered by VIP™ Series Power Supplies, Thermatool™ Seam Annealers offer the most comprehensive automation and control package available to mill operators today. Teach and learn automation provides operators an interface for precise inductor positioning for each product diameter. Complemented by SmartAnneal™ software and SeamScan™ software, Thermatool™ Seam Annealers will respond to changing mill conditions including rotating seams and changing heat characteristics. This control ensures that all products meet the strictest application requirements.

In addition to standard tube and pipe applications, Thermatool™ Seam Annealers can be fit to spiral products, engineered structural sections, and custom tubular profiles.

Features

• High 92% efficiency/0.95 input power factor for all conditions
• Mill-mounted carriage assembly for precise positioning of the inductor
• Quick-lift mechanism to rapidly raise the inductor from the pipe, away from any open seam conditions
• Automated seam-tracking capability option
• Tube containment for small diameter product
• Independent free-moving carriages allow simple off-line maintenance
• Single and dual inductor configurations available to meet wide variety of applications

Thermatool™ Quench and Temper lines can process 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 tons per hour for Austenitizing, Quench and Temper utilizing induction, gas, or electric furnaces coupled with the Thermatool™ Precision Quench™.

Thermatool™ Quench and Temper lines feature Solid State Induction power supplies and a patented high-technology modular PrecisionSlot™ Quench. To be effective, these lines require the ability to deliver uniformly heated material to achieve optimum product straightness and consistent metallurgical transformation according to application requirements. Our equipment utilizes SmartHeat™ closed-loop temperature control to provide industry-leading process control capabilities and recipe storage and retrieval. Backed by in-depth process and materials knowledge, Thermatool™ Quench and Temper lines are able to meet demanding application requirements for API^® products and proprietary grades of tube, pipe and bar in lengths over 1.8 m (8 ft).

Thermatool powers its heating systems with the rugged, reliable VIP Series Power Supply. These power supplies in conjunction with the iHAZ™ control system are designed for even, through heating and are precisely controllable to guarantee repeatable results.

The low-distortion PrecisionSlot™ Quench yields optimized hardness and often eliminates post-processing requirements for straightness and ovality control. Use of SmartHeat™ temperature control for tempering results in the highest elongation and toughness (Charpy impact) values after hardening. Real-time data logging software provides a data record for each tube, pipe or bar processed.

Features

• Variable Inductance Power Supply (VIP™) use one coil to heat a large diameter range of product without coil changeovers
• 0.95 input power factor under all operating conditions
• Inverter efficiency of 92%
• Full programmable speed control for all material handling devices
• End-to-end processing ensures minimal end effects
• Fully automated quick-change lines available
• Recipe driven algorithms enable low quantity orders and small batch processing
• Automatic induction coil change-over when required
• Instant on/off capability with induction heating equipment
• Optional upset end preheating stations
• Optional infrared camera upgrades
• High-velocity. low-distortion PrecisionSlot™ Quench with variable speed turbine pumps
• Capable of seamless and welded tube processing
• Wide variety of materials can be processed from low-carbon steel to martensitic stainless steels
• Software diagnostics provide specific troubleshooting assistance for maintenance technicians
• Local service and spare parts available worldwide
• Centralized operator pulpit with video monitoring available