Regarding Cooling
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These machines REQUIRE water cooling, they absolutely will not function without it. You can make your own DIY cooler or buy a cooling system, either way you must account for some kind of water cooling when you're looking at buying one of these machines. There are really only 2 requirements for the water cooling system, sufficient pressure and a correct temperature range of the coolant. Without adequate pressure or the correct temperature the machine will alarm with a 'water fail' condition, meaning it will emit a loud tone and and it will not work. This alarm is a fail-safe to prevent you from damaging your machine. When I first set my machine up, I plumbed a garden hose with a ball valve at the 'water in' port on the back and ran the 'water out' line to another hose that drained into the yard. The ball valve only had to be opened about ' of the way for me to have sufficient pressure and since the water was only going through the machine once, it was perfectly capable of maintaining the proper cooling temperature. I think this garden hose/tap water solution would work as long as you don't have 'hard water' in your area that could cause deposits and buildup in the machine. At the time of writing this document I am now using a dedicated Tig cooler filled with 6 gallons/25L of distilled water. In the winter time, depending on your climate you may need to add some kind of antifreeze agent (see note below in December update.) The manufacturer of the Induction machine does not recommend it but many Tig coolers are also sold with an antifreeze agent so I'd imagine it's probably ok for periodic use during extreme cold. I am using this 25L unit because I wanted a 'self contained' system that I could mount on a cart and roll around, only having to worry about power cords, rather than power AND water lines running all over the shop. If that's not a concern for you, you can certainly just run a water line into the machine and out to a drain, again given that you have sufficient pressure to the machine.
Updates & Troubleshooting the DIY Machine
December Update As the weather has cooled, I've been concerned about the distilled water in the system freezing. Some people in the Induction Forge Facebook group have said that they add various kinds of antifreeze to their system in the winter. So far, I have not seen the water temp in the shop get below 40's inside the shop. One of the members of the Facebook group contacted US Solid who told them NOT to add an antifreeze agent to the system. For now, I don't know that I'll need to worry about that but if you live in extreme cold, you will likely need to research what is the best way to keep the system from freezing up. I have heard of some guys keeping small space heaters nearby during the coldest times. I've now had the Tig cooler up and running since August, in use almost daily and so far I believe that I am safe in reporting that the 25L Tig cooler seems to be an adequate cooling system. Since I've added the thermometer I've been able to see that the water temperature in the Tig cooler stays around 85-90 degrees during late August temperatures before ever turning the machine on and in the 50-60 degree range in these cooler months. I did several longer forging sessions in the late summer and never saw the water temps go over 110-115 degrees. Most of the time, I'm only running the machine for about a minute or so to get a heat and then there's a break while I forge. I believe during that break the Tig cooler is able to cycle water adequately enough to keep the system working, even during summer months in Mississippi. I think the alarm trips at 130 degrees on most 15kw induction forges.
January Update The weather has gotten into the 20's here a couple of times now, however my shop is lightly insulated and seems to keep the machine from ever getting down below freezing. The lowest I've read the water temp now is in the low 40's on the coldest days so far. I don't think I will need an antifreeze agent but I have spoken to a few guys who suggest other water additives that may be a good idea like algicides, etc.
July Update - PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED and resolved with the cooling system. Bottom line, DO NOT USE STANDARD ANTIFREEZE in these machines, even temporarily. If you feel you need an antifreeze agent, use a dedicated Tig Coolant. I have also heard that 'RV antifreeze' can work but I don't have experience with it. Find a coolant that is labeled "Low Conductivity Antifreeze/Coolant." These apparently contain a base of ethylene glycol and deionized water, 50/50. Back in January, I did decide to add a bit of antifreeze to try and avoid having any water freeze inside the machine and possibly result in damage. Looking back now, I believe that was a mistake because I did not immediately flush the system and re-install clean, new distilled water. I tried to use the induction machine yesterday and noticed that it kept beeping a warning and the 'water fail' alert LED was blinking and would it not heat material. After determining that the Tig cooler was still pushing a good flow of water I decided to investigate the water flow system in the induction heater itself. I started by removing the heating coil from the front of the machine and the tubing from the 'water out' ports on the back. I blew compressed air in both sides of the coil-connectors at the front of the machine. One side allowed air to freely flow all the way through the machine while the other did not. Once I established that one side was blocked I decided to pull the cover off of the machine and I found 4 areas where copper limescale had built up and caused blockages in several of the water tubes. To fix the blockages it was a simple manner of disconnecting the tubing, clearing it and re-installing it. I then drained the entire system of the old, dirty water, flushed the system with a vinegar mix (not sure if that helped anything or not) and then re-filled the Tig cooler with 6 gallons of new distilled water. The pictures below show what I found when I opened the case on the induction heater:
The price of induction forging machine varies greatly depending on the combination of power and frequency.
The most common high frequency 15 kW induction forging machine for sale on the market usually costs between $800 and $, and its frequency is usually between 30 kHz and 100 kHz. Its price varies by dealer, but their quality is not much different. If you buy it directly from China or eBay, you'll also need to pay for shipping on it, which can be an extra $50 to $100 or so. The shipping cost is not fixed, it will fluctuate over time.
We've noticed there are sub-$600 machines on eBay, but we wouldn't recommend buying it. Because after our research and investigation, these machines cannot work stably for a long time. If you buy it, you'll probably pay more to fix it in the future.
The price of large induction forging machines is more expensive, which is inevitable. A 160 kW induction forging machine can cost over $10,000 depending on its frequency.
As we all know, when you use an induction forging machine, you should also equip it with an essential water cooling system. You can use low-cost simple water cooling system, or use industrial chiller.
When you look at many induction forges from e-commerce sites like eBay, you will find that they almost have similar shapes. Yes, most induction heaters for forging come from China, although they use local brands. Various dealers simply changed the color and brand of the machine. One possible potential benefit of buying from eBay is that you may receive the machine sooner. Of course, sometimes you also need to wait for the dealer to import the machine from China.
It is also a good idea to buy Induction Forge from Chinese manufacturers and suppliers. You can directly get more professional technical support and after-sales support from Chinese manufacturers. What's more, you can get the induction forging machine at an affordable factory price, and your cost is only to wait for 2 or 3 weeks.
The power of the common small induction forge is 15 kW, and the maximum power exceeds 200 kW. If you're going to be heating large billets, then you might even need a machine with over kW.
You can choose high frequency 15 kWh or 25 kW induction forge when you heat small metal parts, such as blades, sickles, kitchen knives, hoes, files, awls, scissors, drills, wrenches, etc.
If you are going to heat relatively large parts, such as steel bars or iron bars with a diameter of more than 20mm, then a medium frequency induction heating machine is more suitable. Its frequency is between 1 kHz and 10 kHz, and it can heat directly on the steel rod core, with better heat penetration and fast heating speed.
induction forge for steel bars
A 15 kW induction forging machine with all the necessary equipment costs between $930 and $. You can choose the machine according to the size of the part you want to heat. But before buying, please confirm with the dealer or manufacturer that the machine is suitable. Whether buying an induction forge on eBay or from China, be sure to check with the seller how soon you can expect to receive the machine.
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