What is an Induction Heater?

An induction heater is exactly what it claims to be. It ispower from the other two units and allow the heater
a heating unit that works but utilizing powerful magneticto function correctly.
fields to heat a conductive body. There are three mainThey usually work on one of two frequencies known
components to an induction heater, the primary partin the business as RF and MF induction. The difference
being the coil. The coil is actually composed of manybetween the two is simply power. RF induction works
smaller coils - copper coils - wrapped around andbetween 100 kHz and 10 MHz, RF style heaters are
around each other, and a central mandrel (a rodused for smaller items and heating needs, while the MF
whose purpose is to be coiled by other metals and toInduction heater(s) work on a range anywhere
keep them in the desired shape). The coil is thebetween 1 kHz and 10 kHz and are, as a general rule
inductive unit, transferring the heat through from theof thumb used on larger components.
power source to the working surface.Induction heating is not a new idea, it was originally
The power unit is of course the generator, the itemconceived back in the 19th century by a scientist call
that all induction heaters depend on, its function is toMichael Faraday when he connected two copper
take in the power from the mains supply, and increasewires to a battery and noticed a reverse flow of
it to an average anywhere between 2-500 kW. Thecurrent in one of the wires. Since then they have gone
final component of any induction heater is the workingthrough many changes but are still running on the basic
surface or work head. This is simply an area ofprinciples discovered and noted by Faraday almost
capacitors and transformers whose job it is to link the200 years ago.