BRAZING NEWS

Aluminum Brazing Furnace Supports Automotive Industry

Weifang Hengtong Radiator is increasing their efficiency and quality of their aluminum plate and bar heat exchangers with a semi-continuous controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB) furnace at their in-house heat treat operations.

Piotr Skarbiński
Vice President of Aluminum and CAB Products Segment
SECO/WARWICK

The SECO/WARWICK furnace was specifically designed for the production of plate & bar heat exchangers. The semi-continuous CAB system is based on a multi-stage cycle division. The line includes: a drying furnace, an entry washing chamber, a convection preheating and brazing chamber, an intermediate air seal cooling chamber, and a final direct cooling chamber. The semi-continuous mode ensures that even large-sized components are evenly heated during the proper process time.

“The semi-continuous Universal CAB System ensures shorter cycle time, lower investment costs, and higher process efficiency of each batch. These are the main advantages of the CAB system compared to vacuum brazing furnaces.” says Piotr Skarbiński, vice president of the Aluminum and CAB Products Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group.

The furnace is characterized by high flexibility, allowing the brazing of exchangers of various masses and dimensions in subsequent cycles while maintaining process parameters.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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Aerospace Manufacturer Expands Heat Treating Capabilities with New Vacuum Furnace

An aerospace manufacturer is expanding with a vacuum furnace for brazing fuel system components for aircraft engines. The single-chamber vacuum furnace has a molybdenum heating chamber and gas cooling up to 1.5 bar abs.

SECO/WARWICK, which has U.S. locations, spent years in collaboration with this manufacturer to ensure it met their high precision needs.

Maciej Korecki
Vice President of Business of the Vacuum Furnace Segment
SECO/WARWICK

“This partner is one of the most specialized production centers in Europe when it comes to precision elements of fuel installations for aircraft engines. The fact that they once again chose SECO/WARWICK technology is the highest form of appreciation,” says Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK. “Our solution is the result of technical dialogue, adaptation to the client’s requirements and optimization for process cleanliness, high vacuum, and the size of the parts to be manufactured.”

The vacuum furnace has been significantly modified to meet the client’s specific technological requirements. It includes a molybdenum heating chamber with shield insulation, which reduces heat loss and provides purity for thermal processes. A temperature uniformity of ±6°C (±11°F) ensures uniform conditions throughout the heating zone, which is crucial when brazing tubular components for fuel systems.

The device’s vacuum system, built on mechanical pumps, a roots pump, and a diffusion pump, maintains a stable and deep operating vacuum at the level of 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻5 mbar. A partial pressure system for protective gases (hydrogen, argon) has also been implemented, preventing the sublimation of alloying elements and protecting the quality of the load. A dew point sensor installed at the gas inlet secures the process against contamination from the atmosphere.

The new furnace will provide full production capabilities, handling an increased number of components for fuel systems in aircraft engines. Its implementation will have an impact on the efficiency, quality, and stability of brazing processes.

Press release is available in its original form here.



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Vacuum Furnace for Energy Industry

A manufacturer of heavy duty gas turbines has ordered a vacuum furnace with screen insulation and molybdenum heating elements. Siemens Energy Global will be provided the furnace by a company with U.S. locations and it will be used mainly for brazing gas turbine hot path parts like blades & vanes.

Maciej Korecki
Vice President of the Vacuum Segment
SECO/WARWICK

Siemens Energy Global has chosen SECO/WARWICK to provide the vacuum furnace. The device on order includes a mechanical pump, an efficient Roots pump, and a diffusion pump. The molybdenum heating chamber ensures a required temperature distribution and provides process cleanliness.

“The Vector vacuum furnace solves the partner’s problem of heat treating an increased number of large blades & vanes requiring a high degree of cleanliness in both the brazing and annealing processes. The Vector will relieve the production burden on the current equipment in operation in the client’s manufacturing & repair facility in Berlin.” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the vacuum segment, SECO/WARWICK Group.

Grzegorz Głuchowski
Sales Manager
SECO/WARWICK

“We used a molybdenum heating chamber, partial pressure system, dew point sensors, and a very efficient high vacuum system. An important aspect is also the fact that the furnace will be integrated with the client’s master system using the OPC Unified Architecture communication protocol. Thanks to this, we can connect with a wide range of machines and industrial devices,” commented Grzegorz Głuchowski, sales manager for SECO/WARWICK.

The heat treatment processes associated with this furnace are benefited by the ability to cool at 1.5 bar in argon.

Press release is available in its original form here.



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Auto Parts Manufacturer Adds EV/CAB Line

A continuous line for protective atmosphere brazing has been contracted by a company involved in the research, development, and production of precision metal parts for the automotive industry. The EV/CAB line is intended for the production of large-sized electric vehicle battery coolers.

Piotr Skarbiński
Vice President of Aluminum and CAB Products Segment
SECO/WARWICK

The EV/CAB line, manufactured and delivered by SECO/WARWICK, will help the company in their manufacture of automotive heat exchangers and is the first for the company, which has production plants in the US as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Germany, and China.

“CAB continuous furnaces use a variable speed drive (to transport products) with a stainless-steel mesh conveyor belt. The controlled atmosphere brazing process heats the product to the brazing temperature, while maintaining a uniform product temperature in a protective nitrogen atmosphere devoid of oxygen,” said Piotr Skarbiński, vice president of the Aluminum Process and CAB Business Segment at SECO/WARWICK. “Societal awareness related to the need to care for the natural environment is growing globally, and consistent legal changes in this direction are causing the electromobility sector to grow.”

The CAB line ordered involves a hybrid gas-electric heating method and consists of a 1.6 m wide furnace TTBB chamber, radiation preheating chamber, radiation brazing furnace, cooling chamber with air jacket, final cooling chamber and control system. The furnace is fully electric; however, at the client’s request, space was provided for the installation of gas-powered heating, which provides the flexibility for future savings. Radiation CAB furnaces provide continuous brazing of products with similar dimensions and features. The temperature is distributed evenly over the entire length of the belt due to several independent heating zones.

In addition to manufacturing electric vehicle battery coolers, the company produces precision metal parts for the computer and telecommunications industries.

Press release is available in its original from here.



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Auto Parts manufacturer Adds EV/CAB Line

An auto parts manufacturer that specializes in the production of radiators and air conditioning systems recently ordered a fully electric furnace for brazing aluminum in a protective atmosphere. The EV/CAB line is designed for the production of tubular and plate-fin heat exchangers with uniform temperature distribution across the 1300 mm wide belt.

Piotr Skarbiński
Vice President of Aluminum and CAB Products Segment
SECO/WARWICK

SECO/WARWICK designed the uniform temperature distribution feature in the equipment to meet the company’s quality requirements of the finished products. The CAB line on order, the first this manufacturer has acquired from SECO/WARWICK, provides the continuous brazing of products with similar dimensions and features. The temperature is evenly distributed over the entire width of the belt due to several independent heating zones, resulting in long-term operation under industrial conditions.

“Uniform temperature distribution across the entire belt, regardless of how wide it is, is an important consideration influencing the final effect of the production,” said Piotr Skarbiński, vice president of the Aluminum Process and CAB Business Segment at SECO/WARWICK. “Our furnaces provide an optimal brazing temperature profile and a very clean atmosphere necessary to maintain high process quality. In China, we sell CAB lines for manufacturers of electric vehicle battery coolers, as well as for manufacturers of other heat exchangers. The furnaces on order by this partner are powered by electricity, making them ecological and free of CO2 emissions.”

Press release is available in its original form here.



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CAB Capabilities Expanded for Heat Exchanger Manufacturer

An aluminum heat exchanger manufacturer specializing in the production of heat exchangers recently expanded its production capabilities with a semi-continuous furnace for controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB) aluminum components. The system for semi-continuous operation, based on the cycle multi-stage division, is designed to increase the efficiency and quality of the heat exchangers with ribbed plate construction.

Piotr Skarbiński
Vice President of Aluminum and CAB Products Segment
SECO/WARWICK

SECO/WARWICK provided this CAB system, often chosen by the HVAC industry and manufacturers of car parts, for the industrial production of heat exchangers. The semi-continuous operation mode ensures uniform heating of elements even with above-average dimensions.

“The key advantages of this solution includes higher hourly efficiency — modern brazing technology ensures shorter production cycle time; stable and repeatable quality — the advanced brazing atmosphere control system minimizes the risk of defects, guarantees faster maintenance as well as no production downtime. . . . The semi-continuous CAB system is popular because it allows users to realize a reduction in costs while producing atmosphere brazing with exceptional quality control,” said Piotr Skarbiński, vice president of Aluminum Process and CAB Business Segment in the SECO/WARWICK Group. “We supply solutions to many companies in Asia, and a large part of the contracts are the result of recommendations we receive from our customers.”

The CAB line includes a drying furnace, an inlet purging chamber, a patented heating and brazing chamber, an intermediate cooling chamber with an air jacket and a direct final cooling chamber. The product moves between stages in a horizontal position based on a continuously adjustable cycle time, depending on the load’s type and configuration. The semi-continuous operation mode ensures that even large-sized heat exchangers will be heated evenly during the correct process time.

Press release is available in its original form here.



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Cincinnati Radiator Bolsters Aluminum Brazing Capabilities with New VAB Furnace

Cincinnati Radiator, a manufacturer of radiators and cooling products, recently expanded its production capabilities at its Fairfield, Ohio, facility with the addition of a vacuum aluminum brazing (VAB) furnace. This acquisition will enable the company to perform in-house radiator core brazing.

The VAB furnace, with a weight capacity of up to 2,000 lbs, is the third manufactured and installed by Ipsen.

Prasenjit Ray
General Manager
Cincinnati Radiator
Source: Ipsen

“This furnace has so many recipes for us to use,” said Prasenjit Ray, general manager of Cincinnati Radiator. “We were planning to test it out for two months, but we weren’t expecting to get production-quality within those two months. What shocked and surprised me was that the first cores that came out were perfect. We’ve produced 10 (in the first month) and it runs like a new Cadillac.”

“We knew that we needed a way to make cores here. When customers had to rely on cores processed in China, it could mean a four-month lead time. If we had our own furnace, we could operate a just-in-time production,” said Ray. “We went with John Pease (Ipsen Regional Sales Representative) and Patrick McKenna (Ipsen USA President & CEO) to California to see a company operating two Ipsen VAB furnaces. Our team knew that, once we saw them in operation, we wanted to work with another company within the United States. Ipsen could offer great aftermarket support, and the delivery was worth the wait.”

Main image (left to right): All of Cincinnati Radiator: Abhilash Uppala, Manufacturing Engineer; Prasenjit Ray, General Manager; Michael Petitt, Assistant Operations Manager; and James “Tom” Aynes, Accounting Manager. Source: Ipsen.

The press release is available in its original form here.



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Automotive Radiator Manufacturer Bolsters Aluminum Brazing Capacity

A car radiator manufacturer has expanded its heat treatment capacity with an EV/CAB line adapted for the production of oversized battery coolers. The aluminum brazing furnace facilitates the ability to make quick modifications and switch from gas to electric heating in order to meet climate change challenges.

Piotr Skarbiński
Vice President of Aluminum and CAB Products Segment
SECO/WARWICK
Source: LinkedIn

SECO/WARWICK designed the CAB line with temperature uniformity across the entire belt width in order to accommodate the size specifications of the battery coolers.

“This order is for an aluminum brazing furnace adapted to the production of oversized battery coolers,” said Piotr Skarbiński, vice president of the aluminum and CAB product segment at SECO/WARWICK. “The EV/CAB line with a belt width of 2100 mm (6.89 ft) is designed to produce oversized battery coolers. It consists of a preheating and main heating chamber, a radiation brazing furnace, an air jacket cooling chamber, a final cooling chamber and a control system.”

The press release is available in its original form here.



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Automotive Parts Supplier Acquires Vacuum Furnace To Conduct Aluminum Brazing Tests

An automotive supplier has acquired a vacuum furnace for brazing aluminum components. The VAB furnace was designed according to the client’s guidelines and will be used by the R&D department to conduct development tests in the field of aluminum vacuum brazing.

SECO/WARWICK previously provided vacuum technology systems to the automotive parts manufacturer and built the VAB furnace based on the design of a single-chamber VECTOR furnace.

Maciej Korecki
Vice President of Vacuum Business Segment
SECO/WARWICK
Source: SECO/WARWICK.com

“Orders requiring a specific approach always make us happy, because it builds, inspires, and develops both our body of knowledge and the technology. This project was certainly a challenge for the entire SECO/WARWICK Team, because the partner’s assumptions, in relation to the requirements placed on our furnace, were really high,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the vacuum furnace segment at SECO/WARWICK. “They required a very complicated and individual solution in the form of a cuboid shape of the heating chamber equipped with flat, large-surface heating elements. They were arranged in twelve independent temperature control zones, ensuring very high dynamics of load heating and ideal temperature uniformity.”

Lukasz Chwiałkowski
Sales Manager
SECO/WARWICK
Source: SECO/WARWICK

“We were tasked with creating a VAB furnace with unique solutions: a special square heating chamber equipped with flat heating elements made of Inconel 600 material, arranged in twelve independent temperature control zones” said Lukasz Chwiałkowski, sales manager at SECO/WARWICK.  

The press release is available in its original form here.



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Automotive Manufacturer Expands Brazing Capabilities with Vacuum Furnace

A U.S.-based automotive manufacturer is expanding its production capacity for brazing stainless heat exchangers with the order of a single-chamber vacuum furnace. The equipment will be integrated into an existing line’s thermal process operations, which is located at their Mexico facility.

Peter Zawistowski
Managing Director
SECO/VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES, USA
Source: SECO/WARWICK

The heat treater ordered the furnace from SECO/VACUUM specifically for immediate delivery, allowing brazing of automotive components to begin without delay.

“We built this furnace to be ready to be shipped and put into operation very quickly, which is just the solution they were looking for,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/VACUUM.

The press release is available in its original form here.


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