How Long Should My Induction Coil Last?

When you purchase induction equipment, the perishable tooling (i.e. induction coils) will
become a point of reoccurring cost over the life of the program. The loss of production that
occurs when an induction coil fails and the equipment is idled, is more costly. It is important to
note that some coils have a short usable life while others will last for months or years. Some of
the notable factors include the coil type, equipment process parameters, the quality of the coil
design, and specific coil features employed. All these influence coil life, some profoundly. Due
to the number of factors that influence coil life, no induction equipment supplier can closely
approximate the expected coil life. A proper understanding of these factors will enable the
program manager to execute proper planning for the annual cost of induction coil tooling,
number of coils on hand, coil changeover schedule, and possible downtime of induction
equipment. It is important that your induction coil supplier has the expertise to provide you
with good coil designs and is committed to continuous improvement by resolving early failure
modes to maximize coil life.