ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS Archives

Heat Treat Options Advance for Canadian Ceramic Coating in Aerospace Industry

A Canadian leader in the coating industry will expand their heat treat capabilities with a floor-standing box furnace used for ceramic coating applications for parts in the aerospace industry.

The L&L Special Furnace Company Inc. model XLE214 is used for curing and bonding ceramic coatings to various steel bodies. This process provides extra strength to aerospace parts that are subject to various heats and stresses under normal operating conditions.

The furnace has an effective work zone of 22" wide by 16" high by 20" deep. A horizontal door with ceramic hearth and support bricks is included to incorporate the customer’s loading system. Nickle chrome elements are used in the furnace that are resistant to any potential contamination the process may cause. Heat shields provide a safe-to-touch case temperature under operating conditions.

Model XLE MDS from L&L Special Furnace Company, Inc.

The model XLE214 is controlled by a Eurotherm program control with overtemperature protection, chart recorder with jack panel, solid-state relays, and zone controls for balance of temperature gradients. Thermocouples, fusing and electrical interconnections are included. The furnace control circuit is completely tested to ensure proper operation prior to shipping.

The furnace case is sealed for use with inert atmosphere to help reduce oxygen impregnation with the parts. The furnace has a manual inert flow panel to control the inert gas flow into the oven.

The model XLE214 also includes a high-convection fan for uniformity of ±10°F/5.5°C above 500°F/260°C to 1,875°F/1,023°C. There is a 4" diameter venturi with a variable frequency drive to evacuate outgassing that occurs during the curing of the ceramics to the steel part. The system is completely automated through the program control logic.

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Eurometal S.A. Heat Treating Expands with Annealing Atmosphere Furnace

June 9, 2021 / ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

Eurometal S.A., member of the Eko-Świat Group and manufacturer of highly processed aluminum products, purchased an aluminum coil annealing atmosphere furnace. This solution will be used by the only rolling mill currently in operation in Poland, with Polish-owned equity.

The new equipment is the third for this client from the parent company of North American furnace manufacturer, SECO/VACUUM. The SECO/WARWICK solution will consist of a Vortex® furnace for aluminum coil annealing and will be equipped with an external cooling system. The by-pass cooler will be for cooling under a nitrogen atmosphere, and SeCoil® — the control and simulation software — enables aluminum coil manufacturers to significantly shorten the production cycle.

The SECO/WARWICK solution will be used by the only rolling mill currently in operation in Poland, with Polish-owned equity.

As a result, Eurometal S.A. will benefit from the system in energy saving, increased productivity, and improved the surface quality of the processed coils. The key feature of the system is the increased heat-transfer coefficient, due to directing the atmosphere at a high speed simultaneously on both sides of the coil.

Sławomir Woźniak, SECO/WARWICK Branded — Sławomir Woźniak
CEO
SECO/WARWICK
Source: secowarwick.com

Aluminum is an extremely plastic and light material, resistant to corrosion and many chemicals. Precise parameters of aluminum sheet enable its use for manufacturing various types of products and semi-finished mill products. Aluminum is used in the aerospace, automotive and machinery industries. Also, the construction sector uses aluminum sheet made with alloys characterized by high corrosion resistance and good forming ability. The ship building industry has also many applications for this alloy. Aluminum is certainly a crucial material for the development of many sectors.

"Aluminum replaces other conventional metals, in particular in modern state-of-the art products," commented Jarosław Śliwakowski, Eurometal S.A. "The automotive industry, with the dynamically growing share of aluminum, is at the forefront of replacing conventional metals[. . .] We have chosen Vortex due to the shortening of the total process time, even heating of the batch and reduced natural gas, protective atmosphere and electricity consumption in comparison with the products proposed by the competition."

"Eurometal has been our partner for many years," said Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of SECO/WARWICK Group. "[. . . ] From the very beginning, our cooperation has been based on trust. We always focus on approaching each order individually. We create a flexible system design, custom-made for the needs of a particular rolling mill."

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Heat Treat Furnace Received for Annealing RF/Microwave Components

June 7, 2021 / ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT

A US manufacturer of radio frequency (RF) and microwave components recently received a small box furnace reaching 2300°F. This furnace will be used for precision heating to anneal their parts before milling.

The small load custom box furnace was delivered by Lucifer Furnaces. It is their furnace model HL7-A12 with a 6” x 6” x 12” chamber and is insulated with a combined 5” hot face insulating firebrick and cold face mineral wool backup. This box furnace is complete with a cast hearth plate to protect the floor insulation and heats with easy-to-replace coiled heating elements in cast assemblies for easy replacement, while still being built at the same quality as larger models.

Controls include a Honeywell digital time proportioning temperature controller and a TP1 Soak Timer which starts when the furnace reaches setpoint temperature and shuts off the elements at the end of the heating cycle. A door safety switch automatically disengages power to the elements when the door is opened. This furnace is part of Lucifer’s standard, general purpose, series 7000 box furnace line, a line which helps bring clients’ heat treating in-house and gain control over work flow and product quality.

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Heat Treating Capabilities for Medical Expand at Optical Laboratory

June 3, 2021 / ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT

An optical laboratory in northeastern USA will receive a second floor-standing box furnace for heat-treating ceramics and optics used in the medical field.

The L&L Special Furnace Company model XLE 3636 has an effective work zone of 34” wide by 30” high by 32” deep. It features a double pivot horizontal door. The ceramic hearth is supported on lightweight castable piers. A series of heat shields are included to ensure a safe case temperature while at operating temperatures. The furnace is designed for use with inert blanketing gas for atmosphere control to minimize oxidization. A manual flow panel with regulator and flow meter is included.

A Eurotherm program control and high limit safety are standard. The furnace has a stack light mounted to the top of the control panel for an audible and visual indication of current furnace status. Solid-state relays drive the furnace, which is NFPA86 compliant. Startup and training packages are also included to help the customer set up the furnace and process.

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Aalberts Surface Technologies Heat To Receive a Vacuum Furnace with Nitrogen Quenching

May 28, 2021 / ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, CARBURIZING NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, HARDENING NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Global commercial heat treater with 17 locations in North America, Aalberts Surface Technologies Heat in Kalisz (Poland), will receive a vacuum furnace with nitrogen quenching and an atmosphere furnace at their specialized commercial hardening plant. This expansion of its production line builds on their acquisition of a high vacuum furnace at their Dutch branch in Eindhoven last year.

The new SECO/WARWICK furnaces, added to the furnace that they had supplied last year, will create a production line that will be used for successive vacuum carburizing (LPC) and gas quenching (with the new CaseMaster Evolution-T vacuum furnace, or CMe-T furnace), followed by annealing (with the new BREW atmosphere furnace) to reduce the internal stress of the treated metals. Performing so many processes is possible thanks to the combination of vacuum technology with atmosphere technology.

The commercial heat treater believes that this expansion in capabilities will progress their mission. "According to our mission statement," said Wojciech Matczak, plant manager at Aalberts Surface Technologies Heat Kalisz, "‘Best-in-class’ is not about our core technologies but about our commitment to do everything we can to make our clients successful."

Maciej Korecki
Vice President of the Vacuum Furnace Segment
SECO/WARWICK
(source: SECO/WARWICK)

The three-chamber CaseMaster Evolution-T furnace has 1 ton per batch capacity and an annual output of up to 2,000 tons of parts. It can replace 3 conventional atmosphere furnaces. Additionally, it has fast cooling nitrogen chamber, achieving results similar to helium and oil cooling, creating an environmentally friendly system. Using the nitrogen taken from and discharged to the air eliminates both the use of expensive and difficult to obtain helium and harmful quenching oil. This makes it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by 300 tons annually, which is the amount generated by three standard atmosphere furnaces.

“Aalberts Surface Technologies Heat had special requirements," explained Maciej Korecki, VP, of the Vacuum Business Segment at SECO/WARWICK, "regarding the components and solutions used, and thus [the vacuum furnace] will replace the existing semi-continuous processes under protective atmosphere followed by oil quenching with complete vacuum heat treatment with low pressure carburizing and nitrogen quenching (25 bar!), delivering process precision and repeatability. . ."

The second furnace, the BREW 6810 solution, will make it possible to perform the annealing process immediately after vacuum carburizing. It can operate between 572 and 1382°F (300 and 750°C) and is equipped with a system to enable treatment under nitrogen atmosphere, preventing oxidation on the heat-treated workpieces.

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Heat Treater To Receive High Temperature Pusher Furnace

May 26, 2021 / ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT

A specialty tungsten alloy products manufacturer in the eastern United States will receive a high temperature pusher furnace.

The furnace, from Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, is designed for high temperature sintering with operating temperature capabilities up to 2750°F (1510°C). The system is electrically heated using molybdenum elements and utilizes the latest in refractory materials for efficient operation.

The pusher system processes trays 8” wide x 12” long under 100% hydrogen atmosphere and includes an automated return conveyor for effective loading and unloading.

Gasbarre was selected as the equipment provider based on their knowledge of high temperature sintering and ability to service and support the client.

Heat Treater To Receive High Temperature Pusher Furnace Read More »

Heat Treater Expands Controlled Atmosphere Brazing Capabilities

May 20, 2021 / ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, BRAZING NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT

An industrial heat exchanger manufacturer based in the UK will receive a new controlled atmosphere aluminum brazing line. This system will allow the manufacturer to expand its range of sizes and dimensions of aluminum heat exchangers that can be brazed using the CAB technology.

The supplier of the system, North American manufacturer SECO/VACUUM parent company SECO/WARWICK, shared that the Active Only line offers the greatest flexibility within the CAB furnace range while maintaining the same performance as larger continuous lines. These capabilities were important in order to accommodate the manufacturer's wide ranging portfolio, which includes heat exchangers for various industries.

Piotr Skarbiński
Vice President of the Aluminum Process and CAB Business Segments
SECO/WARWICK Group
Source: SECO/WARWICK

The line will consist of a degreaser with afterburner and integrated energy recovery system, a spray fluxer, and an Active Only semi-continuous furnace. The system is composed of a dryer, a purging chamber, a convection-heated brazing furnace, a protective atmosphere cooling chamber, and a final cooling chamber. This will be complemented by an integrated system for loading, sequencing, stacking, transferring, and unloading the work in progress.

"We delivered our first furnace to this company 17 years ago, in 2004," says Piotr Skarbiński, Vice President of the Aluminum & CAB Products Segment at the SECO/WARWICK Group. "It was a furnace designed for the cutting-edge copper brazing technology of that time."

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thyssenkrupp Steel Europe to Revamp Burner Technology

May 17, 2021 / ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

European manufacturer thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG (tkSE) is revamping burner technology at their continuous galvanizing line located in Bochum, Germany. This modernization measure is an important cornerstone in enabling thyssenkrupp Steel to produce high-strength steels (AHSS) in Bochum in the highest quality and with increased production capacity for further use in the automotive industry.

In order to meet market requirements and reduce both emissions and energy consumption, Tenova LOI Thermprocess will ensure that the furnace will be equipped with new burners that meet even highest requirements by targeting the lowest possible NOx-emission levels (lower than 140 mg/Nm³ (@3%O2 reference)) during production. In addition, the heating system will be upgraded in order to increase the target strip temperatures to > 900°C.

This is the third consecutive modernization order that this sister company to North American engineering company, Tenova Inc., received for the continuous galvanizing line in Bochum.

With an annual production capacity of 540,000 t of high quality galvanized steel it is one of the core production lines of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe for the production of car body parts and AHSS-steels.

The line was commissioned in 1992, and since 2014 major parts have been upgraded with the latest technologies. In the first phase, the pre-heating and over-aging sections were modified to improve the annealing cycle in over-aging regarding larger heating capacity and improved temperature homogeneity. The energy recovery in the pre-heating section has nearly doubled and therefore the carbon footprint of the line was significantly reduced.

In 2017, a major step towards production of AHSS was realized through a substantial revamp of the fast cooling section. A new set of nozzle boxes, fans and heat exchangers were added to the existing equipment. The system is designed for highest heat transfer coefficients and lowest strip vibrations, even with enlarged strip length without roller support.

"The modernization step that is now pending is important in order to meet our customers' upcoming requirements for hot-dip galvanized materials," explained Dr. Carsten Groß, team leader of FBA7 at thyssenkrupp Steel. "We are also relying on Tenova LOI's experience and expertise in the field of burner technology for this project. The upgrade of our FBA7 is part of the modernization strategy at the Bochum site."

"Together with tkSE, we developed a well-defined modernization strategy with intense R&D effort in different steps," said Sascha Bothen, head of sales LOI Group. “This project proves that innovative revamping solutions can give an economic and technological benefit even for plants that have been in operation for a long time.”

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Heat Treat Expansion for Defense and Aviation

May 14, 2021 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Indian manufacturer in the defense and aviation sector TATA Advanced System Ltd. (TASL) will receive a solution heat treatment line. It is dedicated for the aviation industry and will meet the requirements of the latest aviation (AMS2750F) and material (AMS2770) standards.

This order, the third of its type from North American manufacturing parent company SECO/WARWICK to TASL, will be the largest production line for aircraft skins in the history of both companies. The equipment will be used for the production of aircraft skins, empennage and center-wings boxes. The line includes a rapid quench VertiQuench® electric furnace (drop-bottom type), mobile quenching tank, rinsing tank and additional equipment including a chiller and loading baskets.

The working zone of the furnace is L7500 x W3000 x H3000mm, with the capacity to process huge sheets of aluminum. Such a large working zone reduces the number of joints in the skin. The line, as designed, will meet the client's requirements, ensuring a guaranteed +/- 5°C load temperature uniformity, load cooling in either a polymer or a water quench, and will remove the polymer sediment remaining after quench. Additionally, the system can be used for artificial aging in the furnace.

Abhishek Paul, manager and head of supply chain management of TASL said, "The new line, apart from its size, will meet a number of guidelines that will allow us to produce the highest quality airplane components that will meet the expectations of our final customers - a vast portfolio of OEMs and Tier-1s in the aerospace and defense industry. We are also confident that [the company] will be able to meet the project timelines and handover the line well within our project timelines."

"For us," explains Piotr Skarbiński, vice president of the aluminum process and CAB business segments at the SECO/WARWICK Group, "this continued cooperation directly means that the client is satisfied with the quality and efficiency of [our] equipment, services and our partnership. We hope that this partnership will continue into the future."

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Southwick & Meister Expand Atmosphere Heat Treat Capabilities

April 19, 2021 / ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT

Southwick & Meister, Inc., Meriden, Ct, has added a box furnace to expand their production capabilities. As a major manufacturer of premium-quality collets, bushings, cutting tools, and more, Southwick & Meister will continue to use its furnaces to heat treat under nitrogen atmosphere.

Lucifer Furnaces Inc.'s Model 7GT-H18 is fabricated from 10 gauge sheet steel reinforced with structural steel members continuously welded to form a solid shell for operation with a positive flow of inert atmosphere. The 9"H x 12"W x 18"L chamber is lined with 5" of a combination of lightweight firebrick hotface backed with coldface mineral wool for energy efficient operation and low outside shell temperature. Powered with 9.5 KW and heating to 2100°F, the furnace heats by heavy-gauge coiled wire elements supported in high temperature cast monolithic holders. A 1" thick cast hearth plate protects floor brick and supports the work load. Temperature is regulated with a Honeywell DC2500 digital controller.

A representative of Southwick & Meister says "it’s been a great relationship for many years."

Main image from s-mcollets.com.

Southwick & Meister Expand Atmosphere Heat Treat Capabilities Read More »

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