On this page you may read answers to Frequently Asked Questions. If you
have a question that you think should be answered here, please send it tosales@tnduction.com.
We welcome such questions.
Q: Who is Tnduction
A: Tnduction is the manufacturer of a series of small,
lightweight, easy-to-use but quite powerful induction heaters. For more
info read About
our History.
Q: How does an Induction Heater work?
A: In simple terms the work coil that is placed near or around
the object to be heated carries high current at high frequency. By
transformer action, the magnetic field thus generated causes massive
current to flow in the object. This electrical current heats the object
without any electrical connections or contacts. For more detailed
explanation, read Richie
Burnette's excellent tutorial site.
Q: What makes Tnduction different from the rest of the induction
heater manufacturers
A: Most induction heater companies have been around a long time
and carry a lot of baggage. They're used to an era where semiconductors
were crude and tubes were the choice of the day. Though some have
modernized, their units generally are large, heavy and very expensive.. Tnduction,
a start-up several years ago had no such baggage and was free to use the
start of the art in semiconductors, microprocessors and industrial
design. We decided to target the small (10kW and less) heater market that
is under-represented and/or of poor quality build.
We are free to use modern business practices. We don't extend credit -
that's the job of banks and credit cards - so we don't have to employ a
billing and accounts receivable department. Buying from Tnduction
is just like buying from, say, Amazon. You pick your item(s) from the
store, check out with a standard cart and pay with a credit card. We even
accept old fashioned checks and money orders (they must clear before
shipment) or if you dare, cash. We contract out as much of our
manufacturing as makes sense. Contractors are specialists at what they do
and they've already bought all the equipment they need. We handle the
most important parts: QA/QC, burn-in and testing and shipping. And of
course, our unprecedented warranty. Pretty soon we'll be offering a
rental service so you can "try before you buy"
Q: OK, I like the looks of your company and
your product but I'm not sure your heater will do my job.
A: No problem. We handle that several ways, depending the
nature of your job. Especially if it is similar to something we've done
in the past, we typically ask you to send us a sample of your work. We
design and build a custom work coil and if needed, a MatchBox. We will
send you either a set of pix or a video of the test so that you can
evaluate the results for yourself. The first hour, which covers 99% of
our jobs, is free. Subsequent hours are quite inexpensive.
Q: What if I need something really custom?
A: Let's talk. email John
DeArmond. our Chief Engineer. Describe your project as well as you
can. Send along an NDA if you like. We'll proceed from there. Our NRE
rates are quite reasonable and we move rapidly.
Q: I have an application where I'd love to build a Roy into the
machine to use as a heat source. What do you have?
A: Funny you'd ask! We will shortly announce an OEM version
of the Roy. Packaged similar to a closed frame power supply, it will fit
right into your machine. It has inputs to turn the unit on and off an an
analog input to control the power.
Q: Is Roy Waterproof?
A: No. It's not even really water-resistant. Some splashed
water won't hurt it but if the fan can pull in moisture then the unit will
be damaged.
Q: What is Roy's warranty?
A: One year almost unconditional warranty. We want you
happy so with a couple of exceptions, in the first year "if you break it,
we fix it or replace it with a similar unit".
Q: What are those conditions?
A: There are 3.
- Water immersion
- Opening the case. (we have a non-destructive method of determining if
the case has been opened.)
- Operating Roy 2400 on an inverter generator or on a conventional
generator with the "eco" mode turned on. Either situation confuses the
input voltage detection firmware and guarantees instant blue smoke
leakage. A firmware fix, to roll out sometime next year, will fix this
problem but for now, this rule is in effect.
Q: Can I heat aluminum or copper
A: Under the correct conditions, yes. Copper and aluminum are
both excellent electrical and thermal conductors. That makes induction
heating problematic. We have set up a factory copper brazing operation so
it can be done but it takes a bit of work.
Q: Can I ...
A: Probably. Call or write an email and let's discuss
things.
Q: How about the Maggie that you mention in the product catalog.
A: Given the amount of work it's taken to get Tnduction up and
running and manufacturing just the Roys, The Maggie will be a next year's
product at the soonest.
Q: Can I do precious metal recovery?
A: Not with a Roy. That's a Maggie job.
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