EuroWire September 2017

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September 2017 52
PLASMAIT GmbH from Austria is seeing
an increasing demand for its high-output
plasma heat treatment lines for stainless
steel products.
The next deployment of its PlasmaAnnealer
will take place at wire Southeast Asia.
Plasmait sold a 30kW plasma annealer to
a renowned stainless steel wire producer,
who wants to replace its traditional tube
furnace for production of flat ferritic and
austenitic product with widths up to 30mm.
The HPA30 plasma annealer with output
capacity of 100kg per hour will allow the
manufacturer to halve the energy cost per
kilogram of output whilst allowing for a
considerable cost saving in terms of peak
power consumption. Much lower power
connection requirements of the plasma
annealer also means cheaper cabling
installation for connecting power.
The new, compact, single-line production
will have the same output as the old
multi-line furnace and will take about
one third of shop floor space. Single-line
production will also reduce material
manipulation and limit the investment
into the associated take-ups, payoffs and
transport system. A typical plasma annealer
installation for stainless steel applications
can substitute around ten traditional lines
on a conventional strand furnace.
PlasmaAnnealer allows accurate heat input
and hence more uniform recrystallisation,
which is reflected in homogeneous grain
size in the longitudinal and transversal
direction. The HPA30 annealer also features
an extended tempering zone to allow for
extended dwell time or slow cooling, which
is necessary for selected ferritic grades of
stainless steel.
Processed material does not touch the
plasma chamber when at high temperature,
which reduces the risk of surface scratching.
This is different to the conventional strand
furnace where tubes remain in contact
with the furnace guiding supports during
the maximum elevated temperatures,
when they are most vulnerable to surface
damage.
Plasmait GmbH – Austria
Website:
Annealer for flat stainless steel wires and profiles
▲ ▲ The PlasmaAnnealer HPA60 from Plasmait