By Rod Rees, Ipsen Installation Manager
Q: I’m about to purchase a new Ipsen vacuum furnace for my factory. What do I need to know about running power to the new furnace?
The most important thing to know is that there is no “one size fits all” answer to the question “How much power do I need for my furnace?” Every furnace has a different set of needs based on the amount of power it draws both during the ramp up and the quench, the projected workload, and the frequency of operation. Other considerations include the custom peripherals and modifications made for the specific work the furnace is doing, and the water-cooling system supplying water to the furnace. Each of these will factor into your site plan at the time of installation.
As you review the final specifications on your furnace, you’ll have an engineering report that will outline the amount of electrical draw at peak usage for the furnace. It will take into account things like the horsepower of the cooling motor, amperage draw of the heating elements, and other systems drawing energy over the course of a cycle.
What these numbers won’t include is the energy that will be needed to operate your water-cooling system, part loaders, or any other peripherals outside of the furnace itself.
Recommendations and Guidance
Ipsen recommends making sure the power delivered to the furnace location is 125 percent of the amount needed to run each of these systems at its maximum capacity, not just the furnace. The reason we recommend having excess capacity for your panel is to ensure that your system operating at full load over a period of three hours or longer can be managed without fear of a breaker going out at an inopportune moment. Remember – just because you have the extra energy capacity doesn’t mean you’ll be using it all the time.
While end users can install their own service panel, Ipsen’s furnace installation team can include a panel installation as part of the process. By having our team install the power to the furnace, we can manage any troubleshooting encounters we might face, from a faulty breaker to a power system evaluation.
Just remember, the essential information you will need to collect at the time of purchase is:
What is the size of service, in amps, that my furnace and all related support equipment will require to operate optimally?
and
What is the maximum number of circuits that my furnace and all related support equipment will require to operate optimally?
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