INDUCTIVE HEATING USING PERMANENT MAGNETS FOR HARDENING OF GEAR TEETH AND COMPONENTS ALIKE

摘要

An apparatus (1) for heat treating the surfaces (32b) of gear teeth (32a) via magnetic inductive heating comprises a magnet assembly (40) and a workpiece (or gear) holder (30) operatively mounted on a base (12). The magnet assembly (40) is rotatable in a first plane about a first axis (A1), and the work-piece holder (30) (on which a gear (32) can be removably mounted) is rotatable about a second axis (A2) in a second plane. The first and second axes (A1, A2) are spaced apart from each other and the first and second planes intersect each other. The apparatus (10) includes a mechanism (16, 22) to move one (or both) of the magnet assembly (40) and the workpiece holder (30) relative to each other, such that the magnet assembly (40) and work piece holder (30) can be moved between a position in which the magnet assembly (40) and the gear (32) mounted on the work-piece holder (30) are in heating proximity to each other and a second position in which the magnet assembly (40) and gear (32) are out of heating proximity with each other.