Induction Furnace and Cupola Furnace Information
Induction Furnace is
just one of the Foundry Furnaces that are available for Casting Projects. Learn
about the Induction Furnace and More.
In
Metal Casting, the type of furnace you have at your foundry, or workshop
determines a lot of the work you can or can not do. Many metal casters enjoy making
their own furnaces and have done so quite successfully. The plans for home made
furnaces are eagerly shared among the enthusiasts so finding blueprints and
instructions should not be difficult. But before you rush off to find the
blueprints you may want to take time to learn about the types of casting
furnaces available to help determine which one will suit your needs. This is
not saying that you should only have one furnace at any given time, but this
way you will know what project will work best for which furnace.
Cupola
Cupola furnaces are among the most popular with backyard foundries. Many
casters construct their own cupola which proves to be cost effective and highly
efficient if done properly. Since cupola furnaces can achieve high melting temperatures
they are primarily used for the melting of iron and bronze, though aluminum can
also be melted when attention is paid to keeping the temperature low. The
primary fuel source for cupola furnaces are coke using limestone for flux.
By not using a crucible, the Cupola furnace is able to melt the metal at a
faster rate. While individual designs of these furnaces differ due to varying
resources and design ideas, the basic component of a cupola furnace is the
same. The cupola furnace must be elevated above the ground and installed
with a drop bottom usually hinged, which will allow the excess metal, fuel
source, and other waste to drop from the furnace. The tap hole and shaft which
will allow the molten metal to flow from the furnace and into the ladle and air
shafts are also required. A slag tap hole can be placed on the furnace
usually in the back, higher then the tap hole, which will allow the slag to
flow out easily.
With most small home foundries, the cupola furnaces are preferred over that of
other furnaces for its high melting rates and for how easily the construction
of such a furnace can be.
Reverberatory
The Reverberatory Furnaces are commonly found in industrial plants but there
have been quite a number of home grown foundries that have used this furnace
type with much success. The basic idea of a Reverbeatory Furnace is to use the
heat reflecting off a surface, usually brick, to heat the metal, which is
aluminum in most cases. This way, the metal does not come into contact with the
fuel or the flame. This process is also used in Puddling Furnaces. The name
Reverberatory and Puddling are often used interchangeably. By placing the metal
in a shallow depression and then directing an intense flame over that
depression and to the wall, the heat rebounds to melt the metal. Many casters
will adjust the length of the flame since a longer path will mean that the heat
will be more intense.
There are many designs for the reverberatory furnace, all of which will include
exhaust ports and the rear of the furnace must be able to withstand the intense
heat and be able to bounce it back into the chamber.
Bronze, aluminum, tin, and many other ores can be melted in a reverberatory
furnace all depending on the construction of the actual furnace and the heat of
the flame. This type of furnace has been around since at least the Middle Ages
and was used primarily for bronze work.
Electric Arc
Electric Arc furnaces are normally used in Industrial foundries. Most hobby
casters do not use these furnaces due to cost, space issues, and a general
inconvenience. There are two forms of the electric arc furnace, the direct and
indirect.
The direct arc has three electrodes which are used to heat metal by way of the
arc. This creates an incredible amount of heat and so water jackets and other
cooling devices will be needed for operation.
The indirect arc just uses one electrode and works in much the same way as the
direct arc furnace.
Electric Induction
Electric Induction furnaces are becoming all the more popular with large
industrial size foundries that enjoy the clean burning and efficiency of an
electrical furnace. Copper coils surround the crucible with the metal inside
which can reach extremely high temperature suitable for melting most metals.
Rotary
The Rotary style furnaces are hailed for their ease of use being fully or at
the very least partially automatic. These furnaces tend to be harder to
construct though there are resources and companies online that sell rotary
furnace.
The different furnace types do affect the quality of the work being produced,
so it is important to keep that in mind as you cast. With a little trial and
error , you should find the perfect furnace to fit your needs so you can start
building one of your very own.
About the author
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Tags: aluminum, blueprints, coke, crucible, cupola furnace, design ideas, drop bottom, enthusiasts, excess metal, foundry, fuel source, furnaces, individual designs, induction furnace, ladle, limestone, metal casters, metal fuel, molten metal, shaft
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