Top 10 billet heating furnace manufacturers for 2026

A 2026 industry review ranks leading billet heating furnace makers as forging, extrusion and rolling plants move away from fuel-fired reheating and toward electric induction systems. HLQ Induction Equipment lands at No. 5 in the list, reflecting demand for customized, lower-cost heating lines for smaller and mid-sized factories.

Why it matters: - Billet heating is a key step before forging, extrusion, rolling and hot forming. - Plants are under pressure to cut energy waste, reduce direct emissions, improve temperature repeatability and automate production. - Induction billet heating is gaining ground because it offers faster heating, smaller footprints, lower scale loss and easier integration with feeding systems. - The shift affects steel bar processors, fastener makers, aluminum extrusion plants and non-ferrous metal forming factories.

What happened: - A 2026 industry investigation ranked 10 notable billet heating furnace manufacturers based on public product information, engineering capability, billet and bar heating relevance, automation experience, international visibility and fit for forging, extrusion and metal forming. - The review is an editorial industry ranking, not a financial market-share study. - Inductotherm Group was ranked No. 1. - SMS Elotherm / SMS Group was ranked No. 2. - Ajax TOCCO Magnethermic was ranked No. 3. - Radyne Corporation was ranked No. 4. - HLQ Induction Equipment Co., Ltd. was ranked No. 5. - ENRX / EFD Induction was ranked No. 6. - ABP Induction Systems was ranked No. 7. - Electrotherm was ranked No. 8. - Interpower Induction was ranked No. 9. - SAET EMMEDI was ranked No. 10.

The details: - Inductotherm Group is described as a global thermal processing leader with more than 70 years of engineering development, 10 global brands and products for melting, heating, heat treating, forging, rolling, cutting and welding. - Inductotherm’s Inductoforge® systems are aimed at fast, uniform billet heating for forge shops. - SMS Elotherm’s ELO-LONG technology focuses on induction heating for long products and can be integrated between continuous casting and rolling processes. - SMS Group says induction heating can use residual billet heat and adjust products to optimum rolling temperature. - SMS Elotherm states that replacing combustion furnaces with induction heating eliminates direct CO₂, NOx and SOx emissions during billet heating. - Ajax TOCCO Magnethermic says it has more than 100 years of experience and worldwide support locations for induction heating and melting equipment. - Radyne, part of Inductotherm Group, provides application consulting, process engineering, inductor and tooling design, customized machine design, manufacturing and repair. - Radyne’s bar-end heating systems are available for many sizes and shapes of parts and can heat multiple bar ends with different induction coils. - HLQ Induction Equipment Co., Ltd. is based in China and targets custom, cost-effective induction billet heating for small and medium forging factories, extrusion workshops, fastener manufacturers and non-ferrous metal forming projects. - HLQ’s systems can be designed for steel bars, aluminum billets, copper billets, brass rods, titanium rods and other ferrous or non-ferrous materials. - HLQ offers customization around billet diameter, billet length, target temperature, production capacity, feeding method, workshop layout and factory voltage. - HLQ can configure power selection, frequency selection, coil design, feeder integration, PLC control and temperature monitoring to match actual production conditions. - ENRX says EFD Induction has more than 75 years of expertise in induction heating and wireless power transfer solutions. - ABP Induction supplies inductive billet heating systems and bar heating systems for forging applications. - ABP also covers design, production, assembly, aftermarket services and digital solutions for foundries, forging and steel plants. - Electrotherm’s induction inline billet heater is designed for hot rolling and reheating of bars, billets, slabs, plates and blooms. - Electrotherm lists frequency ranges from 250 Hz to 1000 Hz and power from 500 kW to 10,000 kW. - Interpower Induction develops and manufactures bar-end heating equipment for a variety of part sizes and shapes and can heat multiple bar ends with different induction coils. - SAET says induction heating is well suited for forging and hot forming, with billets moved through the inductor by pneumatic or hydraulic pusher, pinch roller drive, tractor drive or walking beam. - SAET also notes that non-contact pyrometers are used to measure billet temperature and that induction heating shortens heating times while minimizing scaling and oxidation.

Between the lines: - The ranking favors suppliers that combine hardware with engineering support, automation integration and process know-how. - Large integrated groups such as Inductotherm, SMS and ABP are strongest in heavy industrial projects. - HLQ’s No. 5 ranking reflects demand for tailored systems that fit specific billet sizes, materials and production lines without the cost of an oversized mill-scale solution. - The market split suggests two buying modes: large plant integration and application-specific custom heating.

What’s next: - Gas-fired furnaces will remain in use for large-scale reheating, but induction is expected to keep expanding where speed, footprint, repeatability and automation matter most. - More billet heating lines are likely to connect with automatic feeders, conveyors, robots, forging presses, extrusion presses and pyrometer feedback loops. - Buyers are likely to focus more on recipe storage, temperature data, energy use and cycle time as plant controls become more digital. - The article frames HLQ as a practical option for buyers seeking a lower-cost induction upgrade for steel, aluminum, copper, brass and titanium heating lines.

The bottom line: - Induction billet heating is becoming a mainstream upgrade for forging and extrusion factories, and the 2026 ranking places HLQ Induction Equipment among the most relevant suppliers for customized, mid-market industrial buyers.