Slag remelting furnace

bellelectric arcvacuum

In the 1960s Consarc’s engineers conceived a new approach to electroslag remelting, quite different from others in use at the time. The resulting improvements in the efficiency and performance of the process established Consarc as the leading manufacturer of ESR systems worldwide. What Consarc’s engineers did was to combine the use of a “high fill ratio” electrode (an electrode whose diameter approaches that of the crucible) with an AC line frequency furnace design in which the main power conductors were arranged coaxially around the melt zone. The high fill ratio electrode provides significant benefits, including reduced power consumption, increased ingot quality, and improved ingot surfaces. The coaxial conductor system allowed the use of smaller, more efficient power supplies and decreased undesirable magnetic stirring of the melt. Moreover, it virtually eliminated the stray field eddy current heating of surounding steelwork which had characterized all prior ESR furnace designs and allowed magnetic interaction between adjacent melts. The principles of this coaxial design are incorporated in all ESR furnaces produced by Consarc.