Development of design of an inductor for hardening a part of a complex shape

Abstract

Due to active process of import substitution, domestic industry starts producing the parts previously purchased abroad. These parts are necessary for stable and reliable operation of various technical objects and systems. Thus, the development of a technological installation for hardening a metal profile is topical. The task is complicated by the fact that the profile has very thin irregularly shaped walls, which should be hardened only from the inside, while the outer wall of the profile should be heated minimally to maintain strength. The studies have been carried out on simulation models of electromagnetic and thermal fields, which make it possible to reproduce the process of induction heating of the research object. Since the part has the same shape along the entire length, the simulation of the process of its induction heating is performed in two-dimensional space. The authors have developed a simulation model of the process of induction heating of a part of a non-standard shape, which includes calculations of thermal and electromagnetic fields. The design of the inductor is proposed, supplemented with ferrite inserts, which makes it possible to achieve the temperature regime necessary for the hardening process. The developed simulation model makes it possible to evaluate the distribution of the thermal and electromagnetic fields of the part, thereby predicting getting the temperatures required for its hardening when using various designs of inductors. The results of numerical experiments are consistent with the physical concepts of induction heating and prove the possibility to use induction hardening for thin-walled parts of complex shape instead of laser hardening used for this type of parts. The proposed model can be used in engineering practice to design inductors of non-standard parts.