What Process Problems Are Addressed By Using A Walking-Beam Furnace Model? Solve Clad Plate Thermal Stress Challenges

The primary process problem addressed is the risk of structural failure caused by severe temperature gradients between the plate's surface and its core. By simulating the specific movement of plates through a walking-beam furnace, the model allows for the precise optimization of gas temperatures and residence times. This prevents the buildup of destructive thermal stress that leads to interface delamination and ensures the material achieves the uniformity required for high-precision rolling.

The critical challenge in heating Titanium/Steel clad plates is managing the thermal disparity between different metal layers during rapid temperature changes. The walking-beam furnace model solves this by compartmentalizing the heating process, ensuring the core catches up to the surface temperature to maintain the bond integrity before mechanical deformation occurs.

Mitigating Thermal Stress and Delamination

The Critical Preheating Phase

The most dangerous phase for a cold Titanium/Steel clad plate occurs immediately upon entering the furnace. The surface is heated rapidly by convection and radiation from high-temperature gases, while the core remains cold due to the time required for heat conduction.

Preventing Interface Failure

This lag creates a massive initial difference between internal and external temperatures, making the preheating zone the peak area for cross-sectional temperature gradients. The simulation addresses this by allowing operators to fine-tune initial control settings, specifically preventing excessive thermal stress that results in interface delamination (the separation of the Titanium and Steel layers).

Ensuring Uniformity for Rolling

The Role of the Soaking Zone

To prepare the plate for mechanical processing, the simulation models the "soaking zone," a high-temperature environment designed for minimal fluctuation. This stage provides the necessary time for the plate to achieve internal thermal equilibrium.

Achieving Consistent Plastic Deformation

By strictly controlling residence time in this zone, the model ensures the temperature difference between the surface and core—and between the different metal layers—is minimized. This uniformity is essential for ensuring consistent plastic deformation capabilities across the entire plate, which is a strict requirement for meeting high-precision rolling standards.

Understanding the Trade-offs

Dependence on Input Accuracy

While the walking-beam furnace model is a powerful tool for optimization, its success is entirely dependent on the precision of the input variables. The model assumes that the gas temperature and residence time settings in the simulation can be perfectly replicated in the physical equipment.

Complexity of Zone Control

Optimizing for one variable often stresses another; for example, extending residence time to ensure core heating reduces overall throughput. The simulation highlights these bottlenecks, forcing a trade-off between production speed and the strict necessity of thermal uniformity to prevent material waste.

Making the Right Choice for Your Goal

To leverage this model effectively, tailor your simulation focus to your specific production priority:

If your primary focus is Material Integrity: Prioritize the simulation of the preheating zone parameters to minimize thermal shock and prevent interface delamination at the bond line.
If your primary focus is Rolling Precision: Prioritize the optimization of the soaking zone residence time to ensure maximum plasticity and thermal equilibrium across all layers.

By using this model, you convert the heating process from a variable risk into a controlled, uniform progression that safeguards the structural bond of clad materials.

Summary Table:

Process Problem	Mitigation Strategy via Simulation	Resulting Benefit
Interface Delamination	Preheating zone parameter optimization	Prevents thermal shock at the bond line
High Thermal Gradients	Modeling surface vs. core heat conduction	Reduced internal stress and structural failure
Inconsistent Plasticity	Soaking zone residence time calibration	Uniform deformation for high-precision rolling
Production Bottlenecks	Balancing gas temperature and throughput	Minimized material waste and optimized efficiency

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References

Zhanrui Wang, Hui Yu. Numerical investigation on heating process of Ti/Steel composite plate in a walking-beam reheating furnace. DOI: 10.2298/tsci231108082w

This article is also based on technical information from Kintek Furnace Knowledge Base .