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Reducing energy consumption in the forging process requires starting from multiple dimensions such as process optimization, equipment upgrading, heat recovery, and management improvement, combined with advanced technology and lean management, to achieve energy conservation and cost reduction. The following are specific measures and data support:
1、 Process optimization: reduce basic energy consumption
1. Accurate heating control
Replacing coal/gas stoves with induction heating
Induction heating efficiency reaches 60-70%, while traditional furnaces only have 30-40%, reducing energy consumption by more than 40%.
Case: After a certain enterprise switched to a medium frequency induction furnace, the gas consumption per ton of forgings decreased from 120m ³ to 65m ³.
Segmented heating process
Preheat the billet first (600-800 ℃) and then raise it to the forging temperature (1100-1200 ℃), reducing the total energy consumption by 15-20%.
2. Reduce heating time
Optimize billet size: shorten the aspect ratio (L/D ≤ 2.5) and shorten the heat transfer time.
Infrared temperature measurement+automatic temperature control: avoid overheating (energy consumption increases by 8% for every 100 ℃ over temperature).
3. Near net forming technology
Quasi dense forging (tolerance ± 0.3mm): reduces subsequent cutting volume and overall energy consumption by 25%.
Cold/Warm Forging Process:
Warm forging (700-900 ℃) saves 30% energy compared to hot forging and is suitable for medium carbon steel parts.
2、 Equipment Upgrade: Improve Energy Efficiency Ratio
1. Select effective forging equipment
Equipment type: Traditional energy consumption energy-saving solution to save energy
Steam hammer 500kWh/ton, electric screw pressure machine reduced by 60%
Coal fired heating furnace 1.2GJ/ton converted to regenerative combustion system (RTO) reduces by 40%
Hydraulic press efficiency 50% servo hydraulic press (efficiency 85%) reduced by 30%
2. Intelligent control system
Adaptive forging: Real time adjustment of pressure/speed based on material deformation resistance to reduce no-load energy consumption.
Load matching technology: Variable frequency drive motor to avoid the phenomenon of "big horse pulling small car" (saving 15-25% electricity).
3、 Thermal energy recovery: waste heat reuse
1. Waste heat recovery from flue gas
Install heat exchanger: Preheat the combustion air from 800 ℃ flue gas to 300 ℃, saving 10-15% of gas.
Waste heat boiler: recovers heat from flue gas to generate electricity, and 1 ton of forging can recover about 50kWh of electricity.
2. Waste heat utilization of forgings
Direct heat treatment after forging: using the residual temperature of the forging (≥ 800 ℃) for annealing, eliminating the need for secondary heating.
Case: A certain automobile connecting rod production line utilizes post forging waste heat quenching, saving 2 million yuan in annual natural gas costs.
3. Energy saving cooling system
Closed loop water cooling: saves 90% of water compared to straight water systems, and reduces pump power consumption by 50%.
4、 Production Management: Reduce Hidden Waste
1. Lean Production Scheduling
Continuous production mode: Avoid frequent start stop of the furnace body (energy consumption per restart ≈ 4 hours of normal operation).
Batch optimization: Single heating capacity reaches over 80% of equipment capacity, reducing unit energy consumption.
2. Energy monitoring system
Real time monitoring: Install smart meters, gas flow meters, and locate high energy consuming workstations.
Data: A certain factory discovered through energy dashboard management that 20% of energy consumption comes from standby devices, resulting in an annual electricity savings of 800000 yuan after rectification.
3. Maintenance and upkeep
Regularly clean the carbon deposits in the heating furnace: improve thermal efficiency by 5-8%.
Replace damaged furnace lining: reduce heat loss (furnace surface temperature should be ≤ 60 ℃).
5、 New materials and new processes
1. Low temperature forging technology
Nanocrystalline alloys: Some new materials can be forged at 700-900 ℃, saving 40% energy compared to traditional hot forging.
2. Lightweight molds
High strength titanium alloy mold: reduces weight by 30% and lowers equipment drive energy consumption.
6、 Industry benchmark comparison
Energy saving measures for traditional forging plants and advanced forging plants (such as JCFC in Japan)
Heating method: Gas stove (efficiency 35%) Induction heating (efficiency 65%) reduces by 40%
Waste heat utilization rate<20%>70% (power generation+preheating) with an additional 50% recovery
Equipment no-load rate of 30%<10% (intelligent start stop) reduces power consumption by 20%
Implementation path suggestions
Short term (<1 year):
Install waste heat recovery device+optimize production schedule → save 15-20% energy.
Mid term (1-3 years):
Eliminate steam hammers/coal-fired furnaces, replace servo presses/RTO heating furnaces → save 30-40% energy.
Long term (3-5 years):
Full process digital energy management+near net forming process → comprehensive energy saving of over 50%.
Key formula:
Total energy savings=process optimization (20%)+equipment upgrade (30%)+heat recovery (25%)+management improvement (15%)
Through systematic improvement, the energy consumption per ton of forging can be reduced from 1.8-2.5 tons of standard coal to 0.9-1.2 tons of standard coal, reaching the level of "Energy Efficiency Benchmark Values for Forging Industry" (GB 36888-2018).
