Inductotherm Supplying Super-Size Melt Shop

The Davy Roll Co. Ltd., an English producer of cast iron and steel mill rolls, has placed an order for what will be one of the largest induction-melting systems installations in the European market in recent years. Inductotherm Ltd. will supply three, heavy-steel shell furnaces to the Gateshead, England, foundry next summer.

The order involves two 33-t and one 16-t furnaces, all powered by a 7,000-kW Multi-Trak induction-power control unit. Inductotherm reports the new furnaces will allow Davy Roll to increase its current production capacity by up to 50%. Maximum size for individual castings will increase from 84 to 110 tons.

Inductotherm’s Multi-Trak system will incorporate a Meltminder 200 control system for monitoring and controlling power to each furnace. Inductotherm indicates this will maximize equipment utilization while increasing productivity and lowering energy costs.

“The new furnace system will give us much greater flexibility, reliability and much more efficient melting,” states Davy Roll director of engineering John Caffrey. “We looked at a range of options but settled on the Inductotherm Multi-Trak system because it gave us melting flexibility. Our experience with the three existing Inductotherm furnaces here gave us the confidence that the furnace design was rigid and reliable.”

The new furnaces will be part of an expansion and modernization program at Davy Roll. Installation will be carried out during a summer shutdown in 2009, in order to minimize downtime. “The installation window is key the successful implementation of the project as any delays will have a knock-on effect on planned work long into the future,” Caffrey emphasized. “In addition, with energy our biggest cost after labor and materials, and a very volatile energy market, the considerable increase in efficiency will bring further cost benefits to the company.”

“With foundries of any size it is vital that a new plant is installed with minimum disruption to the workflow – even if the equipment is as large and complex as this,” according to Inductotherm Ltd. sales director Steve Hill. “The beauty of the Inductotherm equipment is its modular construction. We can design, build, and test all the equipment in our factory before it is delivered to site. The furnaces, the Multi-Trak, and the transformers can be installed on the prepared foundation and interconnected with a minimum on-site time, and the fact that our units are tested prior to delivery will ensure the start-up proceeds with the least possible delay - a significant advantage for our customers.”