Comparison of electric furnace and natural gas furnace in forging industry
Apr 24, 2023| The comparison of electric furnaces and natural gas furnaces is a common topic in the forging industry. In this field, both are widely used to heat metal materials for forging. They each have different characteristics and advantages, so there will be some different application scenarios in the actual production. This paper will compare electric furnace and natural gas furnace, discuss their advantages, disadvantages, application scope and so on.
1. Principle
Electric furnaces use electrical energy to generate heat, which is transferred to the workpiece for heating. The current passes through a resistive element in the furnace to generate heat, which is then transferred to the workpiece. The furnace body of electric furnace is generally made of iron resistance wire, which can withstand high temperature and has a long service life.
Natural gas furnaces use natural gas fuel to generate heat through combustion, which is transferred to the workpiece for heating. Combustion produces some exhaust gas, which needs to be disposed of. The furnace body of natural gas furnace is generally made of refractory materials, but the refractory materials need to be replaced frequently and the service life is short.
Step 2: Advantages
2.1 Advantages of electric furnace
(1) High temperature control precision: the electric furnace control temperature is more accurate, under the condition of mastering the process parameters, the processing of metal materials is more stable, can ensure the quality of products.
(2) Large degree of freedom of modeling: because of the particularity of the heating mode of the electric furnace, the workpiece of different shapes and sizes can be processed.
(3) High efficiency and energy saving: electric furnace will not produce waste gas when working, long service life, in the process of processing has the advantages of high efficiency and energy saving.
(4) Safety and environmental protection: electric furnace will not produce waste gas, will not pollute the environment, can also control emissions, purification and harmless emissions, easier to get the recognition and support of the environmental protection department.
2.2 Advantages of natural gas furnace
(1) Fast heating speed: the heating speed of natural gas furnace is faster, which can quickly reach the required process temperature and improve production efficiency.
(2) Wide range of application: Natural gas furnace is not restricted by the site, can be used outdoors, suitable for some factories far from the power grid.
(3) Low cost of raw materials: Natural gas furnace fuel uses natural gas, the price is cheaper, low use cost.
(4) Simple operation and easy maintenance: Natural gas furnace is simple to operate and low maintenance cost, which can reduce maintenance cost.
Step 3: Weaknesses
3.1 Shortcomings of electric furnace
(1) High equipment investment: electric furnace equipment investment is relatively high, need a lot of electric energy support.
(2) High energy consumption: electric furnace consumes a lot of electric energy, high energy consumption.
(3) The scope of application is limited by the power supply: electric furnaces need power support, the scope of use is limited, and it cannot be applied in areas without power or where the stability of the power supply is poor.
(4) The furnace body is vulnerable at high temperature: the temperature of the electric furnace is high, which is easy to lead to the deformation of the furnace body and cause damage.
3.2 Disadvantages of natural gas furnace
(1) Environmental pollution: some pollutants will be released when natural gas is burned, which will pollute the environment to a certain extent.
(2) Low energy utilization rate: the energy utilization rate of natural gas furnace is relatively low. After combustion, heat energy cannot be fully utilized, and part of the energy will be wasted;
(3) High maintenance cost: after the use of natural gas furnace for a long time, certain refractory materials need to be replaced, and more maintenance costs are needed.
4. Application scenario
4.1 Application Scenarios of Electric Furnaces
(1) Scenarios requiring high machining quality: Electric furnace can realize accurate temperature control and is not limited by the site, so it is suitable for scenarios requiring high precision machining and high machining quality.
(2) Scenarios with high environmental protection requirements: electric furnace will not produce waste gas, high utilization rate of heat energy, and will not pollute the environment. It is more suitable for scenarios with high environmental protection requirements.
(3) Scenario with high stability requirements: electric furnace heating is stable, and the operation requirements for workers with low technical requirements are not high, and the service life is longer, and it is not easy to malfunction.
4.2 Application Scenarios of Natural gas Furnaces
(1) Scenario with relatively low economic cost: The use cost of natural gas furnace is relatively low, especially in regions within regions.
(2) Large-scale and high-performance heating processing demand scenarios: The heating speed of natural gas furnace is fast, which can quickly reach the processing temperature and improve production efficiency. It is suitable for large-scale and high-performance heating processing demand scenarios.
(3) Processing under centralized heating and continuous production mode: Natural gas furnace is simple to operate and suitable for processing under continuous production mode; At the same time, the heat energy generated by the combustion of natural gas can be used for large-scale centralized heating, which is suitable for application in this scenario.
In general, both electric furnace and natural gas furnace are common heating equipment used in the forging industry, each has its own characteristics and advantages and disadvantages. The choice of heating equipment should be based on the actual situation.