WCA January 2009

Furnaces & heat treatment Photocredit - QED Wire Lines Inc

New trends in bell annealers

HICON ® annealer technology from Ebner has been developed for heat-treating rod and drawn wire, claiming the shortest heating/ cooling times and the lowest operating costs. A Hicon bell annealer facility generally consists of at least two workbases, a heating bell and a cooling bell. Charges of material for cold heading and cold extrusion typically weigh between 20 and 80 tons. Today, around 300 Hicon workbases process more than four million tons of steel wire every year. ® bell annealer technology is attributable to key features such as the gas-tight workload space, Hicon impeller, diffuser and cylindrical baffle, large central recuperator and advanced burner technology. All key components are manufactured in Ebner’s own workshops. The absolute tightness of the workload space is a basic requirement for decarb-free heat treatment of cold heading and cold extrusion steels as well as ensuring completely safe operation when hydrogen is used as process atmosphere. HICON/H 2

Cross section of a Hicon/H2 ❍ ❍ ® bell annealer

A fully automatic control system includes advanced safety interlocks. Development of Hicon annealers is ongoing, and the newest facilities increase the economy of the technology. For example, due to a specially developed hot vent line direct from the plenum chamber in the workbase, both maintenance requirements and process atmosphere consumption have been further reduced. The installation of a gas analyser system also helps to minimise consumption with Hicon annealers using nitrogen as a process atmosphere.

Ebner has implemented workbase load plates and cylindrical baffle mountings that make the charging process easier, and software for the latest Hicon annealers supports furnace operators in ensuring the best annealing program is selected for each material. Automated charging of coil carriers is under development.

Ebner Industrieofenbau GmbH – Austria Fax : +43 732 6868 1000 Email : sales@ebner.cc Website : www.ebner.cc

In addition, user-friendliness has been increased.

Ecoquench, for economy and ecology FIB’s quenching fluid bed ‘Ecoquench’ is becoming increasingly popular on patenting lines for rope wire and steel cord. In combination with FIB’s popular open fire furnace, uniformity and wire structure makes ‘Ecoquench’ incomparable patenting equipment. Economy is offered by a lower cost of operation (compared to lead bath) and the lead free installation is ecologically friendly. The latest generation of ‘Ecoquench’ is already available.

FIB Belgium SA – Belgium Fax : +32 2376 3711

Email : info@fib.be

Website : www.fib.be

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2009