EuroWire September 2017

News Technology

Annealer for flat stainless steel wires and profiles

PLASMAIT GmbH from Austria is seeing an increasing demand for its high-output plasma heat treatment lines for stainless steel products. The next deployment of its PlasmaAnnealer will take place at wire Southeast Asia. Plasmait sold a 30kW plasma annealer to a renowned stainless steel wire producer, who wants to replace its traditional tube furnace for production of flat ferritic and austenitic product with widths up to 30mm. The HPA30 plasma annealer with output capacity of 100kg per hour will allow the manufacturer to halve the energy cost per kilogram of output whilst allowing for a considerable cost saving in terms of peak power consumption. Much lower power connection requirements of the plasma annealer also means cheaper cabling installation for connecting power. The new, compact, single-line production will have the same output as the old multi-line furnace and will take about one third of shop floor space. Single-line production will also reduce material manipulation and limit the investment into the associated take-ups, payoffs and transport system. A typical plasma annealer

▲ ▲ The PlasmaAnnealer HPA60 from Plasmait

Processed material does not touch the plasma chamber when at high temperature, which reduces the risk of surface scratching. This is different to the conventional strand furnace where tubes remain in contact with the furnace guiding supports during the maximum elevated temperatures, when they are most vulnerable to surface damage.

installation for stainless steel applications can substitute around ten traditional lines on a conventional strand furnace. PlasmaAnnealer allows accurate heat input and hence more uniform recrystallisation, which is reflected in homogeneous grain size in the longitudinal and transversal direction. The HPA30 annealer also features an extended tempering zone to allow for extended dwell time or slow cooling, which is necessary for selected ferritic grades of stainless steel.

Plasmait GmbH – Austria Website : www.plasmait.com

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September 2017