Plansee’s newest hot zones reduce energy consumption in high-temperature processes

EquipmentNews
June 6, 2023

June 6, 2023

Hot zones from Plansee are used in high-temperature furnaces (Courtesy Plansee)
Hot zones from Plansee are used in high-temperature furnaces (Courtesy Plansee)

Plansee High Performance Materials, a Plansee Group company, headquartered in Reutte, Austria, has announced its latest generation of hot zones for industrial furnaces. All versions of these new models are said to save a significant amount of energy, even at maximum performance, thus lowering both the customers’ operating costs and CO2 footprint.

The industry faces the challenge of saving energy on a large scale, explains Plansee, but this efficiency can’t be at the expense of quality. The demand for high-performance, sustainable solutions becomes a complex task, however, when industrial processes require particularly large amounts of energy. This is the case for high-temperature vacuum furnaces used for heat treatment in sectors such as aviation or medical technology, where working temperatures of 1,000-1,800ºC are reached.

THE WORLD OF METAL AM TO YOUR INBOX
Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter
Register now

Plansee supplies manufacturers of industrial furnaces with metallic hot zones made from molybdenum, molybdenum alloys, and tungsten, which are used in high-temperature processes and ensure that the temperature in the furnace is optimally distributed. The energy balance of these processes depends on the quality of the hot zones and if they are not optimised for the respective area of application, an unnecessary amount of heat (and, thus, energy) is lost.

Plansee’s new hot zone models reportedly save up to 27% of energy compared to the previous iterations, and the lightweight design of the support frame means that the new models weigh up to 15% less.

The constructions and materials used in the heating system are said to ensure that the batch is heated optimally, and issues such as short circuits or sagging of the heating element are almost impossible. Further, the heated parts of the furnace can be efficiently cooled using gas, with nozzles placed in optimal positions determined by simulations.

Another addition is the ‘FlowBox,’ which enables the smooth outflow of gas at the rear of the hot zone. Together, the nozzle and FlowBox work to ensure that the batch is cooled precisely, without the unintentional formation of further cooled areas in the furnace. Another feature highlighted by Plansee is the smart mounting of the front door which adapts to the temperature changes inside the hot zone and therefore prevents heat from being lost.

Plansee’s hot zones can be configured in advance for individual requirements via an online tool. If special individual parts made from molybdenum or tungsten are required to meet specific needs, Plansee can produce these independently via Additive Manufacturing.

www.plansee.com

EquipmentNews
June 6, 2023

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Aluminium Additive Manufacturing: How a new generation of alloys will fuel industry growth
  • Shaping a national Additive Manufacturing ecosystem: The strategic growth of metal AM in Türkiye
  • How metal Additive Manufacturing is transforming modern hydraulic systems
  • High-performance product development in the era of computational design: a case study with nTop and NASA
  • The Additive Manufacturing of record-breaking pure copper heatsinks for high-performance computing applications
  • The Additive Manufacturing of tool steels: how non-linear modelling enables precise hardness control

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
Find suppliers

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap