Induction heating has long been recognised as an efficient, clean rapid method of heating billets for forging, extrusion and other metal forming operations. A typical practical computer model is described, which continuously recalculates the transient temperature distribution throughout the heating cycle. Its validity has been confirmed by comparison between predicted and measured values. The use of such a model to optimise possible realistic production routes in the heating of magnetic and non-magnetic alloys is demonstrated, as well as some insights revealed into the induction heating process. While it is evident that where material properties are poorly defined, the absolute accuracy of the model is less predictable, and a sensitivity analysis using bracketing values shows how a sufficiently narrow range of operating conditions can quickly be predicted.
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