EPower – Kanthal Heat Manufacturer, Sweden

Intelligent Control.
An innovative partnership with world renowned Kanthal Heaters.

Kanthal have successfully tested a feature of the EPower™ controller in a novel way, alongside their world leading brand of Molybdenum Disilicide (MoSi2) heaters, known as Kanthal Super.

Kanthal is a world recognised brand in heating technology and is part of Sandvik Materials Technology, an international producer of advanced stainless steel, special alloys, and metallic and ceramic resistance materials. As such, Kanthal has access to world class resources including research and development and advanced processing technologies.

The Kanthal brand supports a global presence in segments wherever electricity is converted into heat, with a long history of developing and manufacturing electric resistance heating material and heating elements that provide the heat in a range of domestic appliances and industrial furnaces.

A key feature of MoSi2 heaters is the relationship between impedance and heater temperature. Our feature that has been successfully tested supplies information about heater impedance.

Record Impedance provides the temperature of the heater and if you know that then this can prevent overheating and ultimately extends the lifetime of the heater. Also, the
EPower unit is controlled by a 2704 over Master Comms. This enables the EPower Controller to supply all the raw data for calculations so adding even greater value to
our solution.

To ensure best performance the EPower unit will:

• Protect heaters from over temperature.Heaters are rated for max temperature typically 1700°C to 1850°C. Over temperature reduces heater lifetime. In extremes it can lead to immediate breakdown.
• Achieve maximum and consistent power.More power reduces process time and time reduction generally means cost saving. Heater temperature control enables the use of minimum margins for power demand while still preventing overheating. This keeps the process time and costs down.

Our longstanding trust and expertise with this company has unlocked this cutting edge testing and future innovation. The system has now been commissioned and was a great success. A fantastic partnership between two technologies that is unique in the marketplace.

This will add value across the heat treatment industry.

Solution

• EPower controller installed in conjunction with Kanthal Super heaters.
• EPower feature being tested supplies information about heater impedance
• EPower unit controlled by a 2704 over Master Comms

Benefit

• First to have this innovative technology
• Prevention of future overheating on all heaters by using EPower
• This will extend life of the heater so adding further value
• All raw data available in one technology means greater cost saving and simplicity for them and a greater offering to their end customer

A fusion of 50 years of technological development

• Simple thyristor load control matures to sophisticated EPower™ energy controller
• Reduces end user cost of energy with zero quality penalty
• Multi EPower systems provide reductions in CO2 emissions

Award Winning — Engineers’ Choice Award and award for Innovation from The Franco British Business Awards sponsored by Barclays bank, leading French business newspaper Les Echos, UK Trade & Investment and VisitLondon.

More Efficient Energy Production

The EPower controller’s ability to continually and accurately predict, monitor and adjust to demand means specifically in this case absolutely accurate supply of information about heater impedance.

Knowing this means the prevention of future overheating on all heaters with this solution installed.

That is a major advantage and will not only mean greater performance and less downtime but is creating more efficient energy production and distribution.

This solution could reduce energy costs by improving overall process efficiency and we hope to achieve a fully endorsed solution as the global industry standard because of the enormous and unrivalled benefits.

• Prevention of future overheating on all heaters with this solution installed
• Extends the life of the heater so adding further value
• All raw data available in one technology means greater cost saving and simplicity for them and a greater offering to their end customer