One power supply, two furnace bodies — the changeover switch transfers the current from one furnace to the other at the push of a button, without unbolting the water-cooled cables. Hydraulic, electric, manual and fully enclosed types.
If any of these terms match what you are sourcing, you are on the right page. The part itself is the same.
Furnace changeover switch, furnace selector switch, furnace transfer switch, dual-furnace switch. Furnace sizes are quoted in short tons, so our 2–90 t range is roughly 2.2–99 short tons.
Furnace changeover switch, furnace change-over device, Ofenumschalter, commutateur de four. Furnace sizes in metric tonnes, dimensions in millimetres.
Give us the furnace capacity, the power supply rating and the cable arrangement in whichever units you use. The drawing carries both metric and imperial dimensions.
When one power supply cabinet serves two melting furnaces, each furnace has to be connected to the cabinet separately — and that is where a changeover switch is needed. The same applies when a large and a small power cabinet each serve one furnace.
The traditional way to change over is to unbolt the copper bars and move the water-cooled cables by hand. Doing that repeatedly is heavy work, it is unsafe, and if an operator leaves a connecting bolt loose, the joint arcs when the furnace is powered up. That arcing damages the thyristors and interrupts production.
For high-voltage, high-current installations on furnaces from 2 t to 90 t (about 2.2–99 short tons). Built with an energy storage system, automatic pressure compensation and bus-bar electrodes.
The copper bar contact faces are mirror milled, giving an engagement area of up to 99%.
A high-pressure hydraulic cylinder with a pressure-holding valve and an accumulator in the circuit solves the pressure-loss problem.
The main beam uses mortise-and-tenon joints and a grid frame structure; the opposed-pressure cylinder arrangement keeps the copper bar from deforming.
One-piece water-cooled copper bars dissipate heat well and eliminate seepage. Silver-plated contact surfaces keep contact resistance low, so the contact faces do not overheat.
Safe, convenient and fast — the operator does not go near the busbar connection.
Can be connected to the induction power cabinet control system for automatic operation.
Click any photo to enlarge.
An intelligent electric switch for installations up to 5 t (about 5.5 short tons) — quick to change over, stable in use and economical.
One-button changeover with no need to dismantle the water-cooled cables.
Mirror-milled copper contact faces with engagement area up to 99%.
A dual worm-gear drive transmits force in one direction only, so the clamping pressure holds.
Mortise-and-tenon main beam with a grid frame and opposed-pressure clamping; the copper bar does not deform.
Open frame construction with stainless steel frame and hardware, so the structure does not heat up.
The standby furnace is earthed automatically when it is off line.
There are no connecting holes between the transfer bar and the live bar, so the contact stays flat — this solves the arcing problem of traditional changeover switches.
Symmetrical gear-jack clamping avoids the internal leakage that hydraulic jacks suffer from.
No bolts to tighten, so changeover is quick and simple compared with the traditional method.
One-piece water-cooled copper bars give good heat dissipation and eliminate seepage.
The mortise-and-tenon main beam keeps the structure rigid.
All fasteners are non-magnetic stainless steel, so they do not heat up.
The enclosed type takes the existing electric, mechanical and hydraulic designs and adds a fully enclosed housing for longer service life in dusty and demanding workshops. Non-standard layouts are built to your drawing.
| Product | Furnace changeover switch (furnace selector switch) |
|---|---|
| Types | Hydraulic, electric (motorised), manual mechanical, fully enclosed |
| Hydraulic type range | Furnaces from 2 t to 90 t (2.2–99 short tons) |
| Electric type range | Furnaces up to 5 t (5.5 short tons) |
| Copper bar | One-piece water-cooled copper bar |
| Contact surface | Mirror-milled, contact area up to 99%; silver plated |
| Main beam | Mortise-and-tenon joint with grid (“田”) frame structure |
| Clamping | Opposed-pressure structure so the copper bar does not deform |
| Hydraulic circuit | High-pressure cylinder with pressure-holding valve and accumulator |
| Fasteners & frame | Non-magnetic stainless steel |
| Control | One-button operation; can be linked to the induction power cabinet via PLC |
| Safety | Automatic earthing of the standby furnace (electric type) |
| Customisation | Enclosed designs and non-standard layouts to drawing |
Furnace capacities are given in metric tonnes with the approximate short ton equivalent in brackets (1 t = 1.102 short tons). The switch is sized to the furnace capacity, the power supply rating and the cable arrangement, and is confirmed on the drawing before production.
| Type | Furnace size | Operation | Clamping | Typical choice when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic | 2–90 t (2.2–99 short tons) | One button, PLC ready | Hydraulic cylinder, pressure-holding valve & accumulator | High current, large furnaces, frequent changeover |
| Electric | Up to 5 t (5.5 short tons) | One button | Dual worm gear, self-locking | Smaller plants wanting automatic changeover at lower cost |
| Manual mechanical | To the installation | Manual | Symmetrical gear jack | Simple, robust, no hydraulics to maintain |
| Enclosed | To the installation | As the base type | As the base type | Dusty workshops, longer service life required |
Every changeover switch is built around the furnace, the power cabinet and the way the water-cooled cables run in your workshop. Send the layout and we design around it.
Send the furnace capacity, the power supply rating and photos of the existing connection. We propose the type and confirm the layout drawing before production.
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Email: sales@furnacecopperparts.com