Together with partners, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA has developed a bivalent furnace that switches flexibly between electricity and gas and can therefore reduce energy costs in the production of cast parts. The innovative approach should enable companies to react to fluctuations in electricity prices and make their energy supply more efficient.
By combining electricity and gas, the stove can be switched to gas operation when electricity prices are high, for example, and vice versa. This switch can be made either manually or automatically. The oven has already been tested and is in operation, and further optimizations and adjustments are being planned.
The production of cast parts requires an enormous amount of energy, especially for the melting and holding furnaces. Metal ingots are melted down in these furnaces and then pressed into molds at high pressure and speed. This energy-intensive production makes energy costs a significant factor in this industry.
Source and further information: fraunhofer.de
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