The situation

EFD Induction AS searches constantly for new technologies to improve their products. Induction can be used for heating all electrically conductive materials. Industrial applications include melting metals, heating for forging, pre- and post heating in a number of manufacturing processes and hardening of various materials. Induction is used for heat treatment, for example of mechanical parts in mass production, where there is a demand for repeating a heating cycle with 100% accuracy. In such cases, the process must be automated to maintain full control of the factors that influence the heating. For this purpose, EFD designs and manufactures standardised and customer specified machines.

New methods to control the modification of steels have been developed in Romania at the Polytechnica University of Bucharest (PUB). Professor Fireteanu's team at PUB has developed new computer-based 'nomographs, which are graphical tools that express the relation between these key parameters in visual form. The new nomographs are easier to work with than traditional ones, and can be used to optimise the level of hardening throughout the component being treated. They allow costly and time-consuming preliminary tests to be avoided, offering very significant time savings and improvements in efficiency.

The process

IRC Budapest sent out targeted requests to clients seeking information about new technologies being developed in their region. The PUB submitted information about the new innovation in induction. This information was then processed and forwarded to the IRC network where IRC Norway picked up the information and forwarded it to Norwegian companies with interests in the area of induction heating. EFD Induction showed interest in the new innovation and IRC Norway and Romania arranged first a technology audit to assess the innovation and then the first meeting. This led after some more meetings and testing to a technology transfer agreement between EFD Induction and Polytecnica University of Bucharest (PUB) about the new innovation.

The outcome

For EFD Induction, John Inge Asperheim says, "The main advantage of the new nomographs is that they help us to dimension the equipment better before final tests. This reduces the need for tests and gives the customer a better product."

This technology transfer has also given EFD an important new contact, and a possible source of further technologies in the future.

"The contact with Polytechnica University of Bucharest that IRC Romania provided has been very valuable for us, and will continue to be so in the future," Inge Asperheim adds "It is very likely that we will have further projects with them."

Top

Learning points

Use the various networks to monitor technology development. The Innovation Relay Centers have qualified staff to take care of intermediation for technology transfer. This secures a professional and trust environment that optimises the outcome of a technology transfer project.

Top