20th International Forgemasters Meeting - IFM 2017

High temperature furnaces are an integral part of the open die forging process and a sizable portion of capital expense for a new press project. What is most important to the production managers, finance department, HSE managers, and maintenance group must be considered. Conflicting furnace attributes such as energy efficiency, production, emissions and temperature uniformity make these considerations difficult. The Fives North American Combustion (FNAC) design strives to promote synergies between these attributes, easing the difficult decision making process. The most important issue to end users is operating their equipment to optimize overall economic performance. Three FNAC Regenerative Furnaces were recently installed at North American Forgemasters in New Castle, Pennsylvania to support the new 90 MN/10,121 ton open die press. The furnaces and accompanying combustion technology were tailored for the large ingots North American Forgemasters is producing. The combustion technology coupled with full furnace integration allows for significant fuel savings, improved temperature uniformity, reduced emissions and enhanced production. These in turn result in minimized carbon dioxide production, reducing the forge facilities’ total carbon footprint and impact on Eco-System Quality, while maximizing the production capability of the facility. Results are presented detailing the efficiency and enhanced uniformity of the North American Forge Furnace. Comparisons are made to competing technologies and industry standards, highlighting the efficiency of these furnaces for large ingot forging and heat treatment. Compared to other technologies and offerings, the FNAC furnaces at North American Forgemasters have less hardware, increasing its ease of use and decreasing maintenance. Aspects of furnace design and control systems will be emphasized and the advantages and disadvantages of certain design choices will be explained.