摘要 |
A plurality of billets are inductively heated in a staged process wherein the output current of a power supply is repeatedly time shared among a plurality of induction coils within which the plurality of billets have been placed. The time periods of the applied current to each coil become sequentially shorter over the total heating time of a billet to allow magnetically induced heat to conduct to the center of the billet during the dwell periods between applied electrical current periods. This maximizes the efficiency of the output of the power supply while melting of the outer regions of a billet is avoided in a process wherein the billets do not have to be moved during the overall billet total heating time.
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