TPT May 2023

INDUSTRY

Inductotherm Heating and Welding continues long-standing relationship with Tata Steel

Tata Steel is one of the world’s most geographically diversified steel producers, with operations in 26 countries and commercial offices in more than 35 countries and is one of the largest steel producers in Europe. Tata Steel is founded on the principle that its activities should always benefit society, in a way that is safe for its workers and respectful to the environment, with special care to the surrounding communities impacted by its operations. Inductotherm Heating & Welding is part of the Inductotherm Group, which offers advanced technology for the engineering, manufacturing and service of thermal processing equipment used in the melting, heating, heat treating, forging, galvanising, coating, cutting and welding of metals. Inductotherm Heating and Welding www.inductothermhw.com

and repeatability in numerous metal processing applications. Inductotherm Heating and Welding is delighted to continue its long-standing relationship with Tata Steel by offering a turnkey solution involving uninstalling the old Radyne convertors and then installing and commissioning the six new Inductotherm 1.8 megawatt convertors with six off HV main transformers, 12 off induction heating coil assemblies, tubes drivers, water cooling systems and PLC controls. The new installation has a smaller footprint than the induction and gas furnaces it will replace, reflecting the development of the technology over time. After supporting the old Radyne units for more than 40 years, the upgraded units will offer Tata Steel a more technically advanced and energy efficient replacement to ensure continued reliable production and aftermarket support.

AFTER more than 40 years of consistent use at its site in Northamptonshire, UK, Tata Steel is upgrading and replacing six of its 1.8MW Radyne Power convertors, initially installed in the 1970s. Over that period the units have been the workhorse of the factory and are an example of the long-lasting quality of the Radyne brand. At the time the project was the largest induction heating installation in Europe, boasting both power and space saving features. The induction generators are an integral part of the steel tube processing site, which produces approximately 250,000 tons a year of thin-walled tube from steel strip for the construction, engineering and energy market sectors. Long known to be environmentally sustainable compared to gas, induction heating was then, and still is, a logical choice for the metallurgy industry. The induction process is well proven in the field and renowned for the precision

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MAY 2023