Induction furnaces benefit gold smelting industry

1 of 1Electroheat Induction's smelting furnace. — photo courtesy of Electroheat Induction

Electroheat Induction, based in New Jersey, has made the process of melting metals quicker and more efficient, which could greatly benefit the gold smelting industry. The company provides high-quality custom induction melting furnaces, induction heating and hardening equipment, and pipe heating products. Its customers include manufacturing industries, steel companies, foundries, engineering industries, mining companies and more.

Charlie Parsana is the project engineer at Electroheat Induction and has been project manager there for three years.

“There are lots of advantages to the induction furnace compared to the conventional furnace,” said Parsana. “Many mining companies are using the induction furnace for its advantages. Mining companies who are using conventional furnaces can move to induction furnaces because of the limitations of the conventional furnace.”

Induction furnaces are smaller in size and are replacing traditional furnaces because they have proven to be more efficient when dealing with melting metals in batches. For gold smelting companies, this could be a new, innovative technique for smelting gold.

According to Parsana, the following are the main benefits of induction furnaces:

Induction furnaces can completely empty their contents after a melting procedure has taken place. This ensures proper separation of the molten gold from any impurities. In addition, the process of making the furnace ready for another batch of gold to be smelted does not consume much time, which can translate into a cost saving.

The traditional process of gold smelting can take up to a full day or even more depending on the technique used. However, the induction furnace provides a rapid and controlled smelting procedure in no more than a few hours. This cuts down the time that the gold spends in the smelt house. As a result, large quantities of gold can be smelted in less time.

Not only are these furnaces energy efficient, but they also come equipped with a huge array of options through which the process can be controlled on many levels. The ability to control temperature is almost instantaneous and provides the exact heat required for melting gold, ensuring that the gold is smelted effectively without heating it too much. In addition, it reduces the chances of wasting the gold entirely due to proper smelting techniques and procedures.

Induction furnaces are able to transfer the required power rapidly. This reduces oxidation levels and diminishes any chances of formation occurring during the melting process. This improves the quality of the molten gold.

Electroheat Induction is hoping to expand its presence in Canada.

“We install a remote operation monitoring system for troubleshooting purposes,” Parsana said, “which means we can control the system from our facility in New Jersey. We will also send out an engineer to service the equipment, if needed.”

Electroheat Induction has sold induction furnaces to a couple of mining companies in Canada to this point and hopes more companies will realize the benefits of its innovative system.