Impact of Vacuum Furnace Power System on ESG Criteria

The vacuum furnaces utilized in the manufacturing heat treating process require a significant amount of electric power. In recent years there has been increased awareness of the global impact manufacturing has on the environment. Specifically, this includes a reduction in carbon footprint. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria are used to guide manufacturing towards a more sustainable position. Traditional vacuum furnace power systems inherently include a significant amount of Reactive Power (kVAR) losses which require greater Apparent Power (kVA) to deliver the required Real Power (kW) to achieve the required heat treatment. A new power system has been deployed which greatly reduces these losses. This paper will present a case study demonstrating the reduction in required kVA and the benefits it has on ESG.