KEVOS® MAKEOS · Materials
Melting Furnace Batch Plan (Energy, Melt Time, Melts per Shift, Cost)
How long does each melt take in this furnace, how many melts and how much metal can I get per shift, and what does the energy cost per kilogram?
Plan of a batch melting furnace: heat to raise the charge to its melting point, melt it and superheat to pouring temperature, energy drawn at the furnace efficiency and melt time at its power (as the melting energy tool), the cycle with charging and tapping time, melts and metal per shift against the demand, energy per tonne and energy cost per kilogram.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Charge per melt | kg | Mass of metal charged per melt. |
| Charge temperature | °C | Temperature of the charge. |
| Melting point | °C | Melting point (or liquidus) of the alloy. |
| Pouring temperature | °C | Temperature at which the metal is tapped and poured. |
| Solid specific heat | kJ/kg·K | Mean specific heat of the solid. |
| Latent heat of fusion | kJ/kg | Latent heat of fusion of the alloy. |
| Liquid specific heat | kJ/kg·K | Specific heat of the liquid. |
| Furnace power | kW | Power input of the furnace. |
| Furnace efficiency | % | Share of input energy that goes into the metal. |
| Energy price | $/kWh | Price of the energy. |
| Charging and tapping time per melt | min | Time per melt for charging, skimming, sampling and tapping. |
| Hours per shift | h | Length of a shift. |
| Metal needed per shift | kg | Molten metal the moulding line needs per shift. |
Method and formulas
- Q = m [c_s (T_m − T₀) + L + c_l (T_p − T_m)]; energy drawn = Q ÷ efficiency; melt time = drawn ÷ power (as the melting energy tool).
- Cycle = melt time + charge and tap time; melts per shift = ⌊shift ÷ cycle⌋; metal per shift = melts × charge.
- Energy per tonne = drawn ÷ mass × 1000; cost per kilogram = drawn × price ÷ mass.
- Example: each 500 kg melt takes 57.989 min; 6 melts give 3,000 kg a shift at 0.12081 per kg.
Limitations
- Average properties; holding losses between melts and slag are not included.
- Furnace efficiency varies with lining condition and charge make-up.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Plan a foundry’s daily melting
- Check whether a furnace can meet a casting schedule
- Estimate melting energy cost per kilogram
Who it is for
- Foundry engineers
- Production planners
- Energy managers
What you get
- Energy into the metal and drawn from the supply
- Melt time, cycle and melts per shift
- Metal per shift, energy per tonne and cost per kilogram
Interpreting the result
- Charging and tapping time often limits output more than melting power: keep it short.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 371–374, 1404–1420. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
WORKOS tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.
Open the Melting Furnace Batch Plan (Energy, Melt Time, Melts per Shift, Cost) calculator
