The R&D and Engineering groups of Fluxtrol, Inc. conduct cooperative development of new processes with many world leading companies in food packaging, crystal growth, cold crucible melting, welding carbon fiber composites, etc. We are proud to acknowledge our long-term collaboration with Tetra Pak resulted in great improvement in the performance of its high-speed packaging machines, supplying liquid food to final users worldwide.
What emerging technology R&D means here
New induction applications rarely arrive with a handbook. CIT’s R&D team combines practical and theoretical experience with openness to new ideas, built on three cornerstones: a deep understanding of induction heating and related phenomena, the idea of magnetic flux control, and computer modeling. Concepts are then proven in the Fluxtrol laboratory, which has electrical, magnetic and thermal instrumentation and induction power supplies from 500 W to 50 kW at 3 to 2000 kHz.
Fields of work
- Food and liquid packaging. Induction sealing is an area of long collaboration with Tetra Pak; see the packaging page for the documented patents.
- Crystal growth and cold crucible melting. In one study, simulation and lab tests showed cold crucible furnace efficiency can be strongly improved by optimal system design with magnetic flux controllers, confirmed by mockups and industrial melting tests.
- Welding carbon fiber composites. Fluxtrol authors designed an induction coil for uniform temperature in a lap joint between two carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic plates, using FEA with measured anisotropic electrical and thermal properties.
- Biomedical. Coil designs for generating alternating magnetic fields for cancer hyperthermia research, focused on optimizing the inductor.
- Aerospace, oil and gas. Named among the fields where CIT resolves complex problems in addition to traditional heat treating and melting.
How a development project works
Projects are cooperative. Fluxtrol typically starts from the customer’s idea or need, uses simulation to explore the electromagnetic and thermal behavior, builds mockups and runs laboratory tests, and iterates the coil and magnetic flux control concept. Customers can then take the result into their own equipment, or have Fluxtrol design and build the coils and flux controllers .
Partners and track record
CIT has a long history of partnering with R&D groups from different universities, start-up companies and large multinational corporations in exploration and development of new technologies and components. A Cambridge researcher praised Fluxtrol for initial design and manufacturing advice and help with cooling and power supply design, and Retech credited Fluxtrol with improving the performance of its cold crucible melting furnaces.
Explore a new induction process
If you are evaluating induction heating for a process that has not been done before, contact Fluxtrol . For established processes, see heat treating and melting expertise .
Real-world results
Induction Process and Coil Design for Welding of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics
FEA-based design of a coil for uniform temperature in a lap joint between two CFRT plates, accounting for anisotropic properties.
- Effect of frequency, material orientation and coil design
Modeling and Optimization of Cold Crucible Furnaces
Efficiency improved by optimal system design with magnetic flux controllers, confirmed in mockup and industrial tests.
- 3D electromagnetic modeling
Induction sealing for food packaging
Fluxtrol's Valentin Nemkov is a named inventor on patents for package sealing devices.
- Long-term Tetra Pak collaboration acknowledged