Vacuum induction melting

…Most have a capacity of 50 kg to 10 tons. The method of melting and refining in a vacuum induction furnace is called the VIM (vacuum induction melting) method. In general, electric furnaces are more expensive to produce than other steelmaking methods, such as the converter and open hearth methods, but they produce high-quality steel, so they have been used to manufacture special steel and high-grade carbon steel. Recently, however, they have begun to be used for ordinary steel as well, because the equipment costs are low and the quality of the scrap iron is not affected. …

*Some of the terminology that refers to "vacuum induction melting" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…容量は50kgから10tのものが多い。誘導炉を真空中に設置して溶解精錬する方法をVIM(vacuum induction melting)法と呼んでいる。　一般に電気炉法は，他の製鋼法たとえば転炉法および平炉法などに比べて，生産費は高くつくが優良鋼ができるため，特殊鋼および高級炭素鋼製造に用いられていたが，最近では，設備費が安いこと，屑鉄の品質に左右されないことから，普通鋼にも用いられはじめている。…

※「vacuum induction melting」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報