WCA January 2009

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2009 49
Furnaces&
heat treatment
Photocredit - QED Wire Lines Inc
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: Website:
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.
HICON/H2
® 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.
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.
In addition, user-friendliness has been increased.
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:
Website :
New trends in bell annealers
Cross section of a Hicon/H2 ❍ ❍ ® bell annealer