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More efficient induction heating with digital twins
Within the Vinnova-funded project Industrial adaptation of induction furnace simulation (MagnHeato), Swerim has taken important steps towards enabling digital twins for industrial induction furnaces. Through advanced simulation, industry can analyse and optimise heating processes in a virtual environment before implementing changes in production.
“With the MagnHeato project, we have created entirely new opportunities to understand and control induction heating through the development of digital twins, where real facilities are given a virtual counterpart. This means that industry can reduce costly trials, save energy and at the same time improve quality,” says Kalle Kalliorinne, Swerim.
Induction heating is a key process in many industrial applications, but the interaction between materials, electromagnetic fields and temperature is complex and often difficult to grasp. In the project, Swerim, together with industry partners, has conducted a pre-study to determine what is required to develop and adapt advanced digital solutions for industrial induction furnaces.
The results show that furnace-specific, physics-based models supported by sensor data are needed to enable digital platforms that allow processes to be monitored and fine-tuned with high precision. Digital twins also provide insight into critical process characteristics, such as temperature distribution, heat penetration and power concentration, which are otherwise difficult to measure. The next step is to use the knowledge gained from developing the digital twin of Swerim’s own induction furnace to create similar solutions for industrial induction furnaces.
Digital tvilling av Swerims induktionsugn (modell).
This opens up new opportunities to optimise both process parameters and coil design, regardless of material or component geometry. By moving development work and process evaluation into the virtual world, industry can reduce the need for costly trials, shorten lead times and make better decisions more quickly.
“With the MagnHeato project, Swerim is taking a clear step towards the industry of the future: more digital, more energy-efficient and better adapted for sustainable manufacturing,” concludes Kalle Kalliorinne.
Contacts
Kalle Kalliorinne, Swerim, kalle.kalliorinne@swerim.se
Stefan Marth, Swerim, stefan.marth@swerim.se
Top image: Swerim’s induction furnace, for which Kalle Kalliorinne, Swerim, and colleagues have developed a digital twin.