It is important to reduce energy costs without considering investment costs. The comprehensive use of furnaces is usually more economical. When the cupola is still used, it is very reasonable to use a trough induction furnace to store and buffer the molten metal in order to ensure that the cupola can continuously output the molten metal, and it can store enough metal until it needs it.
The trough induction furnace can be started at the best production rate the night before, and the metal it reserves can be used for one day, and the heat preservation during the day only consumes low power.
induction furnace
Another operation method is to continuously melt and refine in a small coreless induction furnace, and use a larger trough induction furnace to store all the molten metal required for casting during the day. This can minimize the size of the melting furnace and the total power of the equipment.
The most practical solution to the problem depends on the specific technical conditions. The technicians of our factory provided an example of a furnace that can be used 24 hours a day, working 5 days a week, and still only 50% utilization. Therefore, it advocates to seriously consider the maximum effect that the equipment layout (workshop design) and technical conditions can provide in terms of energy efficiency.
In all methods, the furnace can be operated most efficiently by pouring, rapid charging and continuous opening and closing of the properly positioned lid. The hot metal can be directly recycled back to either type of furnace.
In this article some typical cupola and induction furnace operating cost comparisons are given.