TPT September 2016

T E CHNOLOG Y

High-output annealer for stainless steel tubes PLASMAIT GmbH has introduced its largest annealer for stainless steel tubes to date. temperatures, when they are most vulnerable to surface damage.

therefore also three times smaller when compared to induction or conventional furnace. This alone could represent a considerable cost saving in terms of peak power consumption and cabling installation. Efficient energy coupling also allows accurate heat input and more uniform recrystallisation, which is reflected in homogeneous grain size in the longitudinal and transversal direction. The new annealer combines the advantages of high speed bright annealing and scratch-free surface finish. Processed material does not touch the plasma chamber when hot, which reduces the risk of surface scratching. This

A feature of plasma annealing is that heating is conducted in low-pressure inert atmosphere, for which a vacuum installation and accurate material guiding is necessary. The advantage of a vacuum system is that purging gas (usually hydrogen) is supplied at low pressure, which reduces overall purging gas consumption. The new facility occupies about one third of the shop-floor area that is required by a conventional multi- line annealing furnace of the same capacity. A single plasma line can substitute around ten traditional lines on a conventional strand furnace, which reduces the investment required for transport systems, take-ups and payoffs.

The new HPA60 annealer features 60kW plasma power and is able to anneal up to 250kg (550lb) of austenitic stainless steel tubes per hour. It is designed for OD range of 1 / 8 " to 1 / 2 ". The output of the annealer is comparable to the outputs of similar induction annealers, yet its power consumption is up to three times smaller for the same output. The required power connection is

is different to the conventional strand furnace where tubes remain in contact with the furnace guiding supports during the maximum elevated

Plasmait GmbH – Austria Fax: +43 3182 52 4754 Email: info@plasmait.com Website: www.plasmait.com

Plasmait’s HPA60 plasma annealer

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S eptember 2016