Aaron Rheams 5 Posted January 9 Ah, gotcha. AC current makes all the difference. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aiden CC 110 Posted January 11 (edited) On 1/9/2019 at 1:29 PM, Brian Dougherty said: Wow, I didn't realize that. I thought they were still using arc furnaces for big stuff. Neat stuff! It probably depends on how you define big. The mill I interned at last summer made a lot of long products (coils) and since most of them were over 15 tons, each melt was very large, and the melt was done with an electric arc furnace. I was in the hot mill, not the melt shop, so I'm not sure as to the exact size, but the melt shop gantry cranes which carried the ladles were rated for several hundred tons. Edited January 11 by Aiden CC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jerrod Miller 232 Posted January 11 Some might also find this interesting: The smallest arc furnace I have seen running in a production shop is 5 tons. I have seen a 3 ton in a shop, but not being used. Anything smaller than 5 tons is generally induction melted. Obviously this isn't a rule set in stone, just something I have observed to be generally accurate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Dougherty 421 Posted January 11 Jerrod & Aiden, thanks for the info. I suspect that there aren't too many folks with pacemakers working around those furnaces Although big arcs are potentially just about as disruptive to them... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewB 111 Posted January 11 12 hours ago, Aiden CC said: It probably depends on how you define big. The mill I interned at last summer made a lot of long products (coils) and since most of them were over 15 tons, each melt was very large, and the melt was done with an electric arc furnace. I was in the hot mill, not the melt shop, so I'm not sure as to the exact size, but the melt shop gantry cranes which carried the ladles were rated for several hundred tons. This is probably average sized for an arc furnace lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jerrod Miller 232 Posted January 11 4 hours ago, Brian Dougherty said: I suspect that there aren't too many folks with pacemakers working around those furnaces Although big arcs are potentially just about as disruptive to them... Generally no, but I do stand right next to them with my wallet and cell phone. My bank cards always work and never had a problem with the phone. 4 hours ago, AndrewB said: This is probably average sized for an arc furnace lol Nope, well below average. Average arc furnace is closer to 10 times that size. That is on par with the smallest I have seen running. 4 times that size is relatively common for foundries, but the steel mills are where the big ones are most common. 30 tons (or 6 times the one in that video) is about as small as you're likely to find there. 40 and 50 ton are pretty dang common, as far as one can say for steel production; it isn't like there is a steel mill in every town. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Dougherty 421 Posted January 12 The problem with pace makers is more that the lead wire stuck into the heart will have enough current induced into it to disrupt the heart rythm. The electronics will probably be fine, but it only take an extra hundred micro-amps or so going through the lead wire to screw you up pretty permanently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
