3D Inductors

A revolutionary solution for induction.
No brazed joints, no porosity.
The most profitable solution to reduce your part production costs.

Make your induction hardening more profitable

The 3D additive manufacturing era is here, and that applies to the induction world too. GH is the first induction heating group deploying hundreds of 3D printed coils since 2014.

Our induction experience and a field-proven and patented 3D printing coil technology (3DPCoil) based on EBM makes GH 3D inductors the safest investment.

Years of Experience

60

3D inductors

A unique pure copper 3D printing technology

PART PRODUCTION COST & TCO comparison

3D inductors

Traditional inductors

EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE LIFE

Total Cost of Ownership decrease
Lower Inventory
Minimized Stoppages

DESIGN FLEXIBILITY

Continuous improvement
Complex shapes
Cooling optimization

TOTALLY REPEATABLE

Simplified changeovers
Planned production
Identical inductors

Benefits

Progress is not an illusion...it happens

1

PART PRODUCTION COST REDUCTION

Extraordinary increase of heating cycles with the same inductor. At least double production volume.

The cost per part and the inductor stock are reduced. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of an induction installation is minimized.

 

EXTRAORDINARY LIFESPAN

Strengths compared to current coil manufacturing methods:

– 3D printing without brazed joints and leakages.
– Improved inner cooling due to the design flexibility.
– Pure copper raw material.

2

STOPPAGES & CHANGEOVERS MINIMISED

As the inductor life is much higher and the inductors are identical, the hardening machine stoppages are reduced, changeovers are simpler and the production planning is more controlled. Repairable as traditional coils.

 

TOTALLY REPEATABLE

Always the same coil:

– Industrialized process. No human influence.
– From CAD design file to direct printing.
– Without porosity.

3

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The original 3DPCoil design can be optimized after each changeover due to the industrialized process and coil design flexibility.

Strengthening of high intensity zones, profile adjustments, etc. are feasible.

 

DESIGN FLEXIBILITY

What the traditional brazed coils do not achieve:

– Powder melting instead of tube machining.
– Internal and external geometry modifications.

More than printing

We accompany you in the process of incorporating 3D inductors on your production lines.

With more than half a century of experience in solutions for induction processes we can help you beyond the supply of the inductor. We can simulate, design, manufacture, test and work with you on the continuous improvement for inductors and processes.

Solutions

Solutions for any induction application

Traditional Inductors

For any induction application: heat treatment, brazing, heating, shrink fitting, etc.

  • With or without field intensifier (flux concentrator with special treatment to increase its lifespan)
  • Quick-change systems.
  • RFID management compliance.
  • Ceramic coating.
  • PTFE coating for insulation.

3D Inductors

Inductors where the coil is 3D printed by EBM (3DPCoil).

They can include the same options as traditional ones.

  • Mandatory in large productions and complex applications.
  • Ideal for induction hardening.
  • Max. coil size W:180mm x L:180mm x H:350 mm volume.
  • 3DPCoil can be combined with other coils manufactured by other methods.

Traditional Quenches

During the hardening process the quench is a critical part in the process.

MIQ, post-heating and other type of quenches to the inductor are available.

High-technology plastic materials.

3D Quenches

The combination of 3D Printed Quenches with 3D Inductors is the perfect team for the perfect hardening process. Use of high performance 3D polymeric materials.

  • Complicated geometry managed.
  • Adaptation to the available machine space.
  • Repetition and continuous improvement.
  • Light weight.

Tooling

We design, manufacture and repair induction tooling, that is commonly used.

Included are bus bars, quick-change adapters and related elements.

How we do it

3D INDUCTOR MANUFACTURING METHOD

The original and unique additive manufacturing coils based on Electron Beam Melting (EBM) made of pure copper.

Such technology commonly called “3D printing” simplifies and shortens the manufacturing process with direct manufacturing from CAD design with extreme density material. This technology is deployed in other industries such as aerospace and orthopaedic implants using titanium or Cobalt-Chrome materials where achieving the material properties is crucial.

The method is composed of several phases where the objective is to guarantee the inductor quality using 3D printing technology.

When the coil has been printed previously the process is the same except the first phase that is not necessary because it is registered from the first application. Repeat coils can be reproduced quickly and with total accuracy.

3D Design Printing machine adaptation

Optimization of inductor design fromc customer CAD files.
Preparation for the coil presentation to the machine.

1

3D Printing by EBM patented

3d Coil printing in the Electron Beam Melting with copper.

2

Finishing

Coil and inductor tooling assembly.
Coil brazing to the inductor body, cleaning, ferrite installation, epoxy protection.

3

Dimensional vertification, testing protocols

Final verification of the inductor, its interconnection and clamping arrangement.

4

The EBM Printing process

1

The coils are built up, layer-by-layer of metal powder, melted by a powerful electron beam. Each layer is melted to the exact geometry as defined by a 3D CAD model.

2

First a thin layer of metal powder particles is deposited in the working plate and then flattened. Powder is preheated to very high temperatures.

3

In the next step the electron beam is focused and controlled in the X-Y dimension by means of an electromagnetic coil in order to selectively melt the powder particles on top of the working plate.

4

The result is the creation of the desired section and simultaneously it is fused to the previous layer. A new layer is then created, and the steps are repeated up to the completion of coil.

Optionally the coil surface could be improved with sand shot blasting, classical manual finishing or through mechanical post-processes.

Technical advantages

In comparison of other 3D printing techniques.

Material purity

The base material is 99.99% copper with higher purity than any electrolytic copper tube available on the market.
No additional elements.

Faster fabrication

The high energy density used for melting, allows less time to melt each layer, making this method faster than other additive fabrication methods.

Guaranteed no porosity or oxide

In the manufacture thanks to the vacuum atmosphere.

Very high mechanical performance

Melted material is preheated giving extremely mechanical properties compared with other additive technologies.

Reduction of internal stress

The uniform thermal environment ensures printed inductors are free of internal stresses.

Reactive materials

High chemical purity means greater conductive performances.

65% energy conversion efficiency

Most of the energy used by the beam is absorbed by copper. Greater efficiency than other 3D printing technologies.

Recycling

Most of the metal powder particles (97%) that has not been used in the process can be recovered and used again.

Customer cases

CRANKSHAFTS

Journals

HUB & SPINDLE

Inner Race
Outer Race

DRIVELINE

Ball Outer race
Inner Race
Stem

SLEWING BEARINGS

Teeth
Tracks

GENERIC

Complex geometry

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