Automotive Industry Induction Heating Systems
Induction has predominantly replaced torch brazing and ovens for many heat treating applications. In the automotive industry, our induction heating system applications include:
- Shrink fitting
- Aluminum brazing
- Annealing
- Metal & Surface Hardening
- Forging
- Induction Soldering & Welding Preheating
- Heat Treatment
Why Induction in the Automotive Industry?
Our induction heating systems for the Automotive industry offer key advantages over flame torch brazing/welding:
- No open flames, no more need for using Oxy-Acetylene torches or storing flammable gas tanks. Induction is clean, flameless, and safe.
- Localized heating: Precise “useful” heat can be focused only to the required joints to be brazed.
- Consistency & Repeatability: All brazed joints have heat applied evenly, and the brazed results are repeatable.
- Automation: Feeders, scanners, heating – all can be automated with cost-effectively.
- Quick/Instant On features make induction energy and cost-efficient.
- Can be done in an atmosphere for a nice clean braze – no post-cleaning required.
- Using our optional Master Controller V3+, you can control for Power and Temperature, or Power and Net Heating Time Presets for each braze joint diameter. Use the Controller’s “Quick Access” menu to pull up all the Presets for required braze joints prior to the day’s production run.
Induction Heating for Electric Vehicles
The expanding electric vehicle sector increasingly relies on induction heating for various operations, including heat expansion for shrink fitting and the installation of electric motors and stators. Applications of induction heating in the electric vehicle (EV) industry are diverse and crucial for efficient manufacturing processes and overall vehicle performance. Here are some key areas where induction heating is utilized in the EV sector:
- Induction Hardening
- Battery Production: Induction heating is integral in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, the primary power source for EVs. It assists in processes such as welding, brazing, and forming battery cells and packs
- Inudction Shrink Fitting: Bearings, Shafts, Rotors, Housings, Pulleys, Connectors
- Induction Curing
Case Study for Induction in the Automotive Industry – Shrink Fitting Application
It is a common technique in industries and mechanical workshops for assembly and disassembly of mechanical components and transmission units. This method involves the use of heat and along with the phenomenon of thermal expansion to overcome the dimensional interference of two components and create an extremely strong mechanical coupling between two parts.
The main advantages of using Inductronix Induction Heating Systems are remarkable. The process repeatability, the constant power output, the possibility of locating the heating area of interest, i.e. Selective Heating without heating the rest of the assembly, accurate control of the temperature, the ability to monitor the temperature by means of thermal imaging camera, the flexibility of use, speed of production, energy efficiency, and better quality control over the finished product.
Inductronix Thermal Imaging, Showing Heat Consistency & Uniformity Throughout the area to be heated
Power Cube SA/80 Series
One current application is an automotive manufacturer that is using the Power Cube SA/80 series induction heater to shrink fit electric motor housings.
Brazing of any material is an art, especially when using oxy-acetylene torches. Torch brazing requires a specialized skill set all its own. Brazing Aluminum is even more difficult than brazing other materials. Aluminum brazing applications are particularly heat-critical because the melting temperature of the brazing alloy is quite close to the melting temperature of aluminum.
Why Induction for Aluminum Brazing?
Brazing aluminum with induction can eliminate the guesswork and the need for a specialized skill set. Using a small, highly efficient, ultraportable 3KW or 6KW induction heater from Induction Technology Solutions ensures you can begin production brazing your Aluminum parts very quickly. We have the expertise and experience to get you the results you’re looking for, with induction heaters that provide very precise, efficient, stable output power and the tools to reproduce your results time after time.
Other brazing enhancements include brazing alloy manufacturers coming up with a lower melting temperature as well as making preforms, ring (some with flux) for easier consistent brazing – allowing you to use the same amount of brazing alloy each and every time!
Case Study for Induction in the Automotive Industry – Aluminum Brazing
One of our current customers was relying on an outside job shop for their application, brazing aluminum tubes to a base for mounting into engines. Parts were failing qualification, getting damaged in shipping, and they were concerned about maintaining the confidentiality of their specialized product. They decided to bring their induction brazing in-house, in order to have better control of quality and processes, maintain confidentiality, and reduce cost.
We provided a complete solution, a one-time investment to bring their aluminum brazing in-house. We presented our low-power 6 kW, small-footprint induction heating system (so small that the customer put the heater on a cart so it could be moved around the plant). We worked with them to find the best flux, designed and manufactured a specialized coil for them, and, to prove out the process, ran free qualification tests at our state-of-the-art lab. They were able to hit the ground running as soon as they received our induction heating system; they were in full production the day after receiving our system.
Using our unique two-headed system, they then added a second coil to our generator. This allowed them to braze one part while simultaneously preparing the next part in the second heating head. Using this method, they were able to almost double their production using just the one induction heating system.
Why Induction Technology Solutions?
- Extensive Application Experience
- ISO 9001 certified
- 50 years in business
- Support – we want to partner with you and fully understand your requirement, not just sell you a machine
- Dual remote heating heads
- Dynamic auto-tuning
- Highly Accurate Temperature Measurement & Control
- Automation – all our induction heating systems are pre-wired to be automation-ready:
- You can add an ethernet-enabled data logging card that keeps records all of your induction settings on-they-fly – you can see the graph being plotted real-time, as well as keeping history of all of your induction heating settings, so that you can always go back to your log and replicate your results.
- You can communicate with our induction machine – you can manage and control your induction heating process from a remote location, via Field and Bus protocol:
- Profinet
- EtherCAT
- EtherNet/IP
- Others upon request (DeviceNet, CC-Link, CompoNet, Modbus-RTU, and others)
- Field Bus and Network Compliance Certification
- You can control and monitor all our power supply settings using your own computer, in real-time, even remotely at a different location.
Try our free calculator
Check out our Induction Heating Calculator for running basic calculations to help you size your induction heating applications.
Why choose induction technology solutions?
Free Application Testing & Demos Available
Large In-Stock Inventory for Fast Lead Times
Lower Cost & Increase Productivity with Automation
Personable Customer Service
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