Lincoln Electric expands production and saves 25% on process atmosphere with the installation of a new roller hearth furnace
Lincoln Electric has updated their heat processing technology at their Cleveland, Ohio manufacturing facility with the installation of a SECO/WARWICK lamination annealing roller hearth furnace system to process transformer cores used in Lincoln’s arc welding machines. The furnace is used to lower carbon and anneal electrical steel to provide proper core loss and permeability characteristics.
Lincoln ordered the new furnace to replace an older, manual tray loading system and integrate newer technology into their plant systems as well as meet the increased production demands stimulated by record sales of their arc welding products.
Increasing Production Capacity while Reducing Atmosphere Costs
Lincoln wanted to increase their production capacity and improve the cooling rate of the cores, but the system had to fit into a predetermined floor space. An improved 4-tray position preheat was designed to improve the production rate. To conserve on process gas and improve process performance, an automated atmosphere supply system was provided that precisely controls the N2/H2 usage based on the furnace pressure, dewpoint, ratio setting and CO content. The furnace has been manufactured with advanced technology in the insulation, heating/cooling and PC/PLC control systems to accurately control heating and cooling cycles maintaining the specific temperature profiles while conserving energy and providing process integrity.
The Results, One Year Later
David Palucis, Mechanical Engineer for Lincoln’s Plant Engineering Department said that the new system technology was a better choice for Lincoln than rebuilding the old equipment because of the savings in process atmosphere, improved cooling of the final product and equipment automation.
According to Mr. Palucis, “Conservatively, we are saving 25% in atmosphere compared to the old system. The material is now coming out of the furnace cool enough that the operators can remove it without further handling. The control system is recipe driven with furnace start up and operation with the click of a mouse. In addition to process control, the control system has reduced operator-training time and virtually eliminated operator error. We have improved process repeatability, and can change our cycles in minutes to accommodate different types of electrical steels. We chose SECO/WARWICK for this project because we needed a custom engineered solution, the price and delivery were right, and the equipment was manufactured in-house in their Meadville, PA facility”.
About Lincoln Electric
Lincoln Electric is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc-welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment and holds a leading global position in brazing and soldering alloys. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio (USA), Lincoln has 35 plants, manufacturing alliances and joint ventures in 19 countries and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 countries. For more information about Lincoln Electric, its products and services, visit the Company's Web site at http://www.lincolnelectric.com.
