VACUUM INDUCTION MELTING

Overview

VACUUM INDUCTION MELTING (VIM) by INTECO is developed as a modular multi-chamber furnace design providing advantages in vacuum performance, melting procedure, casting method and plant ergonomics. The system is offered in single- or multi-chamber configurations and includes a modular side charging chamber, trace alloy chamber and a temperature and sampling manipulator. Casting chamber designs include mould tunnel or turn table options for ingots and barstick production with bottom and/or top pouring and the ability to cast under vacuum, inert gas and atmosphere. The furnace supports hot crucible exchange and transfer, a separate sintering position, casting speed control and heat sizes from lab scale up to 30t. Technology features include a diagonal split design for melting and casting chamber access, a movable melt chamber bottom for open slag removal and maintenance, a highly efficient vacuum system adjustable to process needs (reduced pump-down time), vertical process vacuum valves, a shortest tundish design for reduced heat losses and an automated tilt pouring system for smaller sized systems. Digital and process tools include thermo-chemical or thermo-physical models, a cost-optimized charge mix calculation and optimization tool, and the IMAS production management system including cost optimized operation calculation. The VIM process is described as the primary vacuum melting technique for industrial production of high-performance special steels and superalloys for demanding applications. VIM-produced ingots are often used as electrodes in electro slag remelting (ESR) and/or vacuum arc remelting (VAR) processes. All operation sequences—charging, melting, alloying, sampling, temperature control, pouring and solidification—are carried out entirely under vacuum or controlled inert gas atmosphere, and the equipment supports heat sizes from lab scale up to 30t.