The Insert Heater

The insert heater was designed to preheat the steel dies used in the forging and die-casting industries quickly, efficiently, and economically n (see Figure 1). The dies utilized in these processes must be preheated to 400 - 600¡F in order to maximize die steel properties and product quality. Fabricated by ORNL, the insert heater has been placed in the field for verification of industrial robustness and to quantify die life extension and energy savings. Initial results from an 8 month field test have been outstanding. The dies can be preheated utilizing the infrared insert heater in less than ten minutes, with an additional 10 minute soak, compared to four hours with gas or electric calrod heaters (see Figure). Also, the insert heater converts electric energy to infrared energy in excess of 90% efficient, almost twice that of conventional electric calrod-type heaters most commonly used. The field testing revealed that the heater is designed to survive the harsh environment of a hammer forge shop. Also, in addition to the reduced heating time and reduced scrap, the dies had increased in life of 1.5 to 2x.