Case Study: Tata Steel improves induction heating efficiency and wire quality with COMSOL Multiphysics

Optimized Induction Heating Techniques Improve Manufacturing Processes

Tata Steel faced the challenge of optimizing induction heating for high‑carbon wire rods, strands and structural ropes, where complex electromagnetic, thermal and metallurgical phenomena (including a pronounced skin effect and extreme temperature gradients) make it hard to predict and control final mechanical properties. To tackle this, Tata Steel used Comsol’s COMSOL Multiphysics software to build detailed simulations of their furnace, coils and wire drawing process.

Using COMSOL Multiphysics, Tata Steel implemented 2D axisymmetric models with nonlinear temperature‑dependent material properties and boundary‑layer meshing to resolve the ~0.03 mm skin depth and surface temperature variations along a 104‑coil furnace at 105 m/min line speed; the model validated well against pilot‑line data. The Comsol solution produced accurate current‑density and temperature profiles, enabling optimization of coil shape, current and winding density, and delivering measurable benefits in product quality, energy efficiency and production cost control.

Tata Steel

Ishant Jain

Research and Design Engineer