Furnace for melting aluminum. Crucible: purpose, principles of smelting, manufacturing, options, diagrams Do-it-yourself coal smelting furnace

A furnace for melting metals at home can also be used to quickly heat metal elements, for example, when tinning or forming them. The operating characteristics of the presented installations can be adjusted to a specific task by changing the parameters of the inductor and the output signal of the generating sets - this way you can achieve their maximum efficiency.

To make a muffle furnace for melting aluminum on your own, you need to become familiar with its basic elements, after which you can begin selecting materials, preparing tools, and the assembly itself. But first, it’s worth considering its purpose in order to understand whether it is suitable for achieving your goals.

Brief description of muffle furnace

The main purpose of a muffle furnace is to heat metal. Using such a device can help melt metals such as aluminum or copper, as well as other non-ferrous materials. In addition, it can be used to successfully carry out the firing operation ceramic products, dry them. Cremation can also be carried out. It is worth noting that there is a wide variety of muffle furnaces. They can be electric, gas, air and some other types. They also differ significantly in the type of construction. They are standard vertical or horizontal, as well as tubular.

The main difference between a muffle furnace and a conventional furnace for melting aluminum with your own hands is that it has a special section called the muffle. This area allows you to protect the metal that is being processed.

Basic structural elements and materials for assembly

The main element is, of course, the heater. It is best to choose an electric one. Its greatest advantage is that it is very easy to operate. In addition, there are such details as a heating chamber and a special heat accumulator. In order to successfully melt aluminum, heat control must be in place. This will help make the process continuous.

In case you have to melt several different materials, then the aluminum itself should be subjected to the process not just once, but several times. In this mode of operation, it is necessary to make sure that it also performs the function of a regulator. This is necessary in order to maintain desired temperature aluminum after melting.

In order to make a stove for melting aluminum, you need to prepare the following materials:

• grinder, wire and metal bucket;
• seven bricks;
• protective glasses construction type, several unnecessary metal pieces;
• hammer and other standard tools.

Start of assembly work

Assembling a homemade furnace for melting aluminum begins with the following:

• You need to take 7 prepared bricks, which will play the role of a temperature accumulator.
• Using a grinder, a compartment is built on each side of the brick. The result should be a space that will be used for the heater electric type. To increase the strength of the structure, you can take wire and wrap the entire structure with it.
• A metal bucket that has been prepared can be used as a fireproof chamber. If there is no suitable one, then you can make a camera yourself.

Housing assembly

Even a simple furnace for melting aluminum - such as a muffle furnace, for example - requires a housing. IN in this case it can be made from a piece of waste metal sheet, the thickness of which will be from 1 to 1.5 mm. It is worth noting that a layer of rust will be needed here. Another important point concerns the height of the bucket. This parameter should be with a certain margin, since the working chamber will be mounted on a layer of bricks plus thermal insulation. Next you'll have to turn a metal sheet into the pipe. This process is quite problematic, and therefore it is recommended to use special rings made of reinforcement.

Completion of oven assembly

To complete the construction of a furnace for melting aluminum with your own hands, you need to do the following:

• The prepared rings are put on a twisted sheet of metal and connected around the circumference.
• The bottom for the furnace body can be assembled from the same sheet of metal that was already used for the pipe. It is mounted by welding to the lowest ring.
• It is necessary to make a special hole in one of the bricks through which an electric heater can be placed directly inside the working chamber.
• For ease of laying out, you should immediately number the bricks, and then start laying them out. It is necessary that they fit very tightly to each other. The resulting design of a furnace for melting aluminum, made with your own hands, must be very stable.
• A heating coil must also be attached to the bricks.
• To install a spiral heater, you need to make several grooves and install bricks along them.
• Also, grooves can be sawed in in the right places using a grinder. It is recommended to use eye and respiratory protection during operation.
• Most often, the material for the spiral is either nichrome or fechral.
• The spiral must be wound very carefully and in such a way that the turns are close to each other. The distance is necessary to avoid short circuiting.
• The entire structure should be coated with the solution.

In this way, you can make a muffle-type furnace for melting aluminum with your own hands.

Small oven

The versatility lies in the fact that in this case the mini-oven is assembled from improvised materials.

A tin can of canned food, soup or anything else will be used as the stove body, that is, it is actually ready, unlike the previous type of device. The only thing that is important is to choose a jar in which the metal will be as thick as possible. A hole is made in the bottom of the jar through which, using a pipe, you can connect a hair dryer, acting as heating element. The diameter of the hole must be exactly equal to the diameter of the pipe. It can be square, but then there will be heat loss, and therefore it is better to tinker a little, but make it round.

As mentioned earlier, a household hair dryer is used as a heater. It is important that it has at least two operating speeds. Using tape, you can attach a pipe to the hair dryer, which will be inserted into the bottom hole of the can. It is important to check that there is no air loss at the joint. It is also worth noting that the cold air button must be pressed at all times. To do this, you can fix it with the same tape.

People who use these types of stoves are satisfied. Judging by the reviews, the stoves are quite compact and easy to assemble with your own hands. An electric heater works well to raise the temperature to the desired level. Muffle furnaces They are also good because they can melt a large amount of aluminum at once.

For many years people have been smelting metal. Each material has its own melting point, which can only be achieved using special equipment. The first furnaces for melting metal were quite large and were installed exclusively in the workshops of large organizations. Today, a modern induction furnace can be installed in small workshops when setting up jewelry production. It is small, easy to use and highly effective.

Operating principle

The melting unit of an induction furnace is used to heat the most various metals and alloys. The classic design consists of the following elements:

1. Drain pump.
2. Water cooled inductor.
3. Frame made of of stainless steel or aluminum.
4. Contact area.
5. The hearth is made of heat-resistant concrete.
6. Support with hydraulic cylinder and bearing unit.

The operating principle is based on the creation of Foucault eddy induction currents. As a rule, such currents cause malfunctions when operating household appliances, but in this case they are used to heat the charge to the required temperature. Almost all electronics begin to heat up during operation. This negative factor electricity is used at full capacity.

Advantages of the device

The induction melting furnace began to be used relatively recently. The famous open-hearth furnaces, blast furnaces and other types of equipment are installed at production sites. Such a furnace for melting metal has the following advantages:

It is this last advantage that determines the spread of induction furnaces in jewelry, since even a small concentration of foreign impurities can negatively affect the result obtained.

Depending on the design features, floor-standing and tabletop induction furnaces are distinguished. Regardless of which option was chosen, there are several basic rules for installation:

The device may become very hot during operation. That is why there should not be any flammable or explosives. In addition, according to technology fire safety close should a fire shield must be installed.

Only two types of furnaces are widely used: crucible and channel. They have similar advantages and disadvantages, the differences lie only in the method of operation used:

The most popular type of induction furnace is the crucible type. This is due to their high performance and ease of operation. In addition, if necessary, such a design can be made independently.

Homemade versions are quite common. To create them you need:

1. Generator.
2. Crucible.
3. Inductor.

An experienced electrician, if necessary, can make an inductor with his own hands. This structural element is represented by a winding of copper wire. The crucible can be purchased at the store, but a lamp circuit, a self-assembled battery of transistors, or a welding inverter are used as a generator.

Using a welding inverter

An induction furnace for melting metal with your own hands can be created by using a welding inverter as a generator. This option is the most widely used since the efforts made concern only the manufacture of the inductor:

1. Thin-walled copper tube is used as the main material. The recommended diameter is 8-10 cm.
2. The tube is bent according to the desired pattern, which depends on the characteristics of the housing used.
3. There should be a distance of no more than 8 mm between the turns.
4. The inductor is placed in a textolite or graphite housing.

After creating the inductor and placing it in the housing, all that remains is to install the purchased crucible in its place.

Such a circuit is quite complex in execution; it involves the use of resistors, several diodes, transistors of various capacities, a film capacitor, a copper wire with two different diameters and throttle rings. Assembly recommendations are as follows:

The created circuit is placed in a textolite or graphite case, which are dielectrics. Scheme, involving the use of transistors, quite difficult to implement. Therefore, you should undertake the manufacture of such a stove only if you have certain work skills.

Lamp stove

Lately, lamp-based stoves have been created less and less frequently, as they require careful handling. The circuit used is simpler compared to the case of using transistors. Assembly can be carried out in several stages:

The llamas used must be protected from mechanical impact.

Equipment cooling

When creating an induction furnace with your own hands, the biggest problem that arises is cooling. This is due to the following points:

1. During operation, not only the molten metal is heated, but also some elements of the equipment. That's why for long work efficient cooling is required.
2. The method based on the use of air flow is characterized by low efficiency. In addition, it is not recommended to install fans near the stove. This is due to the fact that metal elements may influence the generated eddy currents.

Typically, cooling is carried out by supplying water. Creating a water cooling circuit at home is not only difficult, but also economically unprofitable. Industrial versions of the furnace already have a built-in circuit, to which it is enough to connect cold water.

Safety precautions

When using an induction furnace, certain safety precautions must be followed. Basic recommendations:

When installing equipment, you should consider how the charge will be loaded and the molten metal will be extracted. It is recommended to set aside a separate prepared room for installing an induction furnace.

Nowadays, induction furnaces are widely used in the metal smelting process. The current produced in the field of the inductor contributes to the heating of the substance, and this feature of such devices is not only basic, but also the most important. Processing causes the substance to undergo several transformations. The first stage of transformation is the electromagnetic stage, followed by the electrical stage, and then the thermal stage. The temperature generated by the stove is used practically without any residue, so this solution is the best among all others. Many may be interested in a manufactured stove. Next we will talk about the possibilities of implementing such a solution.

Types of furnaces for melting metals

This type of equipment can be divided into main categories. The first has a heart channel as its base, and the metal is placed in such furnaces in a ring manner around the inductor. The second category does not have such an element. This type is called a crucible, and the metal is placed inside the inductor itself. It is technically impossible to use a closed core in this case.

Basic principles

The melting furnace in this case operates on the basis of the phenomenon of magnetic induction. And there are several components. The inductor is the most important component of this device. It is a coil, the conductors of which are not ordinary wires, but copper tubes. This requirement is imposed by the design of the melting furnaces itself. The current that passes through the inductor generates a magnetic field that affects the crucible inside which the metal is located. In this case, the material plays the role of a secondary transformer winding, that is, a current passes through it, heating it. This is how melting occurs, even if you make an induction furnace yourself. How to build this type of furnace and increase its efficiency? This is an important question that has an answer. The use of high-frequency currents can significantly increase the efficiency of equipment. For this, it is appropriate to use special power supplies.

Features of induction furnaces

This type of equipment has certain characteristic features, which are both advantages and disadvantages.

Since the distribution of the metal must be uniform, the resulting material is characterized by a good homogeneous mass. This type of furnace works by transporting energy through zones, while also introducing the function of focusing energy. Parameters such as capacitance, operating frequency and lining method are available for use, as well as regulation of the temperature at which the metal melts, which significantly facilitates the work process. The existing technological potential of the furnace creates a high melting rate; the devices are environmentally friendly, completely safe for humans and ready for use at any time.

The most noticeable disadvantage of such equipment is the difficulty of cleaning it. Since the slag is heated solely due to the heat generated by the metal, this temperature is not enough to ensure its full use. The high difference in temperature between the metal and the slag does not allow the waste removal process to be as simple as possible. As another disadvantage, it is customary to highlight the gap, due to which it is always necessary to reduce the thickness of the lining. Due to such actions, after some time it may become faulty.

Use of induction furnaces on an industrial scale

In industry, crucible and channel induction furnaces are most often found. In the first, melting of any metals in arbitrary quantities is carried out. Containers for metal in such variants can hold up to several tons of metal. Of course, induction melting furnaces In this case, it is impossible to do it yourself. Channel furnaces are designed for smelting non-ferrous metals different types, as well as cast iron.

This topic is often of interest to fans of radio design and radio technology. Now it is becoming clear that creating induction furnaces with your own hands is quite possible, and many people have managed to do this. However, to create such equipment it is necessary to implement the action electrical diagram, which would contain the prescribed actions of the furnace itself. Such solutions require the involvement of those capable of producing wave oscillations. A simple do-it-yourself induction furnace according to the circuit can be built using four electronic lamps in combination with one neon lamp, which gives a signal that the system is ready for operation.

In this case, the AC capacitor handle is not located inside the appliance. Thanks to this, you can create an induction furnace with your own hands. The device diagram describes in detail the location of each individual element. You can make sure that the device is powerful enough by using a screwdriver, which should reach a red-hot state in just a few seconds.

Peculiarities

If you are creating an induction furnace with your own hands, the operating principle and assembly of which is studied and carried out according to the appropriate scheme, you should know that the melting rate in this case may be affected by one or more factors listed below:

Pulse frequency;

Hysteresis losses;

Generating power;

The period of heat release;

Losses associated with the occurrence of eddy currents.

If you are planning to build an induction stove with your own hands, then when using lamps you need to remember that their power should be distributed so that four pieces are enough. When using a rectifier, you will get a network of approximately 220 V.

Household use of stoves

In everyday life, such devices are used quite rarely, although similar technologies can be found in heating systems. They can be seen in the form of microwave ovens and In the environment of new technologies, this development has found wide application. For example, the use of eddy induction currents in induction cookers allows you to cook a huge variety of dishes. Since they take very little time to heat up, the burner cannot be turned on if nothing is standing on it. However, special utensils are required to use such special and useful cookers.

Build process

Do-it-yourself induction consists of an inductor, which is a solenoid made from a water-cooled copper tube and a crucible, which can be made from ceramic materials, and sometimes made of steel, graphite and others. In such a device you can smelt cast iron, steel, precious metals, aluminum, copper, magnesium. Induction furnaces they are made with their own hands with a crucible capacity from a couple of kilograms to several tons. They can be vacuum, gas-filled, open and compressor. The furnaces are powered by high, medium and low frequency currents.

So, if you are interested in making your own induction furnace, the scheme involves the use of the following main components: a melting bath and an induction unit, which includes a hearth stone, an inductor and a magnetic core. A channel furnace differs from a crucible furnace in that electromagnetic energy is converted into thermal energy in the heat release channel, in which there must always be an electrically conductive body. To make the initial start-up of a channel furnace, molten metal is poured into it or a template made of a material that can be straightened in the furnace is inserted. When the melting is completed, the metal is not completely drained, but a “swamp” remains, intended to fill the heat release channel for future start-up. If you are going to build an induction furnace with your own hands, then to make it easier to replace the hearth stone for the equipment, it is made detachable.

Furnace components

So, if you are interested in making a mini induction oven with your own hands, then it is important to know that its main element is the heating coil. When homemade version It is enough to use an inductor made of a bare copper tube, the diameter of which is 10 mm. For the inductor, an internal diameter of 80-150 mm is used, and the number of turns is 8-10. It is important that the turns do not touch, and the distance between them is 5-7 mm. Parts of the inductor should not come into contact with its screen; the minimum gap should be 50 mm.

If you are planning to use an induction oven with your own hands, then you should know that industrial scale The inductors are cooled by water or antifreeze. When low power and short-term operation of the created device can be done without cooling. But during operation, the inductor gets very hot, and scale on copper can not only sharply reduce the efficiency of the device, but also lead to a complete loss of its performance. It is impossible to make a cooled inductor on your own, so it will need to be replaced regularly. You cannot use forced air cooling, since the fan housing placed close to the coil will “attract” EMF, which will lead to overheating and a decrease in the efficiency of the furnace.

Generator

When assembling an induction furnace with your own hands, the diagram involves the use of such important element, like an alternator. You should not try to make a stove if you do not know the basics of radio electronics at least at the level of a semi-skilled radio amateur. The choice of generator circuit should be such that it does not produce a hard current spectrum.

Using Induction Furnaces

This type of equipment is widely used in areas such as foundries, where the metal has already been cleaned and needs to be given a specific shape. You can also get some alloys. They have also become widespread in jewelry production. The simple principle of operation and the possibility of assembling an induction furnace with your own hands allow you to increase the profitability of its use. For this area, devices with a crucible capacity of up to 5 kilograms can be used. For small productions this option will be optimal.

The approximate melting point of aluminum is about 660 degrees Celsius, which makes it possible to melt it even at home. Of course, on gas stove it will not be possible to reach such a temperature, and it is extremely undesirable to carry out such work indoors. There are many videos on the Internet on how to do it yourself. In this article we will look at the most interesting, proven and reliable methods.

Kinds

Ovens, used in industry, are very expensive. Their price is thousands and tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, such units take up an prohibitively large amount of space. Aluminum is the most common metal on Earth, so the industry has made great progress in this direction. There are many types. For example, inclined cylindrical furnaces, furnaces with reverberation crucibles, rotary furnaces and others.

But what should you do if you need to make a part at home, but for one reason or another there is no way to order it? Excellent mini oven absolutely easy to make and with your own hands, and for this, basically, you will not need to look for any specific materials, parts and devices. Most of them can be found in almost every home, garage or country house.

In essence, the operating principle of all homemade stoves simple and same type. The differences, as a rule, are only in some of them design features. In some volumetric heat-resistant vessel are kindled charcoal (this is the most good option fuel for aluminum smelting) into or over which The crucible contains the metal itself. The crucible can be, for example, cut off fire extinguisher body, or even ordinary steel kettle. To increase the temperature of the coals, high-quality airflow from all sides is necessary (so that the aluminum is heated evenly in the container). Typically, oxygen is supplied through a pipe down the “well”. Cravings An ordinary vacuum cleaner, a motor from an old hood, a cooler, or even a hair dryer can create one. Basically this is the necessary conditions to create a kind of mini smelter with your own hands.

Read also: Homemade tent stove

Plaster is usually used as a mold for casting parts. If you need to cast an ordinary cylindrical blank from aluminum, a piece of trimmed steel pipe. Let's look at the most interesting and simple designs mini ovens.

Mini-oven made from a wheel rim

Making this model is very simple. Wheel rim of the desired diameter is dug into the ground so that its surface coincides with the horizon, that is, does not protrude above the surface of the earth. In the middle of the disk inside the resulting firebox there should be a hole through which we pass curved pipe, overlooking next to the smelter. Oxygen will flow through it into the mini-oven from below. Convenient to use as a blower small cooler, put on the pipe from the outside. However, with such an air supply, the blowing will be extremely poor quality and unidirectional. To do this, we will build something like a burner inside the boiler at the outlet of the pipe. Convenient to use for this car disc brake, welded on top of the pipe. After this, coals can be poured into the resulting mini-smelter and air can be supplied to raise their temperature. Aluminum scrap in a crucible is placed among coals.

Metal tank oven

It is not necessary for the stove to be sunk into the ground. Easy to make with your own hands and portable oven. Anyone can do this cylindrical tank made of heat-resistant metal, for example, a tank from an old one washing machine with vertical loading. From the inside, the diameter of the tank is reduced due to bricks and clay. Thus, the thickness of our oven will be 10-15 centimeters. Don't forget to install an inflation pipe at the bottom of the housing. Air can be supplied into it in any convenient way. Crucible with aluminum raw materials hangs inside the firebox. As you can see, there are no fundamental differences from the previous version. It’s just as easy to make it yourself, the only differences are necessary tools and details.