VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Vacuum Furnace Demand Supports Strategic Manufacturing

/ ENERGY HEAT TREAT NEWS, SINTERING POWDER METAL NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Demand for high-temperature vacuum thermal processing equipment continues across strategic manufacturing sectors, with recent orders supporting nuclear fuel production, advanced ceramics, tungsten processing, additive manufacturing, and carbon materials. The activity reflects continued investment in specialized thermal processing technologies serving these applications.

Centorr Vacuum Industries, a New Hampshire-based industry supplier of vacuum and controlled-atmosphere furnaces, reports that its first-half 2026 activity included multiple vacuum induction melting furnaces, large-format vacuum hot presses, Sintervac® furnaces, Workhorse furnaces, Testorr™ systems, and LF furnaces for a variety of industrial thermal processing applications.

The equipment will support applications including nuclear fuel testing, advanced ceramics hot pressing, tungsten heavy alloy sintering, tungsten carbide debinding and sintering, graphitization of carbon powders for battery, hypersonic, and nuclear applications, physical testing of carbon fiber composites and carbon-silicon carbide materials, and the heat treatment and sintering of additively manufactured titanium components.

Centorr also reported first-half 2026 revenue of $18 million and said bookings remained strong through the first two quarters of the year, contributing to one of the largest backlogs in the company’s 72-year history.

Looking ahead, the company said it expects to begin startup of large graphitization and chemical vapor infiltration systems during the second half of 2026, further expanding the range of high-temperature thermal processing technologies it supports.

Press release is available in its original form here. Additional information provided by Centorr Vacuum Industries.

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Commercial Heat Treater Launches Vacuum Hardening Operation

/ HARDENING NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Kalírna Desire is opening a new commercial heat treat facility in a region that has so far lacked local infrastructure for vacuum hardening. The investment establishes the company’s first vacuum heat treatment operation, supporting both in-house production and a new line of commercial services for nearby manufacturers. It reflects continued demand for regional commercial heat treating capacity as companies seek shorter lead times, greater process control, and more localized supply chains.

Image Credit: SECO/WARWICK

Kalírna Desire, a Czech machining company, is establishing the operation using a Vector single-chamber vacuum furnace from SECO/WARWICK, a global industrial furnace manufacturer with operations in North America. The decision followed years of relying on a commercial heat treater located farther from its plant, resulting in longer lead times and additional transportation costs.

The furnace is configured with 15-bar absolute high-pressure gas quenching and is designed to process a range of tool and structural steel grades. Additional features include convection heating to improve low-temperature heating efficiency, directional cooling to help minimize distortion of complex parts, an isothermal quenching function for greater control of cooling profiles, and a low-pressure carburizing (LPC) option that enables surface hardening within a single integrated vacuum cycle.

Maciej Korecki
Vice President of the Vacuum Segment
SECO/WARWICK

“Our collaboration with Kalírna Desire is an excellent example of how vacuum technology can become a growth engine for ambitious small and mid-sized companies,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK. He added that the standard Vector furnace, configured to the client’s requirements, offers broad process capabilities while providing an accessible entry point into vacuum heat treatment.

According to a representative of Kalírna Desire, the new unit will provide greater control over a key stage of the company’s CNC machine manufacturing process while improving production planning flexibility and shortening lead times. The representative also noted that the region lacks modern vacuum hardening services, creating an opportunity to provide commercial heat treating for nearby metal processing companies and component manufacturers.

The investment highlights the importance of bringing heat treating in-house: having an in-house heat treat department gives a company a range of advantages that go far beyond cost savings on outsourced services. It provides greater process control and more flexibility to respond to client demand.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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Vacuum Heat Treat Capacity Grows in Northeast

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Solar Atmospheres, a commercial heat treater, is preparing to expand vacuum heat treating capacity in the Northeastern United States as construction progresses on its newest facility in Berlin, Connecticut. The 28,000-square-foot operation remains on schedule to begin serving clients in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Image Credit: Solar Atmospheres

Construction and refurbishment continue at the future home of Solar Atmospheres Connecticut, where several vacuum furnaces have already been installed. Office areas are nearing completion, while work continues on the facility’s piping, electrical systems, and supporting infrastructure.

Located in the Spruce Brook Industrial Park, the new facility is expected to expand the company’s vacuum heat treating capabilities throughout the Northeast when it opens later this year.

Press release is available in its original form here.
Related Reading: Solar Atmospheres acquired the 28,000-square-foot Connecticut facility in late 2025, laying the groundwork for the company’s Northeast expansion. Click here to read more.

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Vacuum Arc Remelting Supports Aerospace Casting

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FOUNDRY CASTING NEWS, TITANIUM PROCESSING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

A titanium casting manufacturer is expanding its vacuum melting capacity with the installation of a vacuum arc remelting consumable casting furnace, increasing capacity for near-net-shape titanium components serving the aerospace industry. The investment is intended to improve production lead times while supporting growing demand for titanium castings used in high-performance applications.

Castings Technology chooses Retech VAR. | Image Credit: SECO/WARWICK Group

Castings Technology, the United Kingdom’s only commercial titanium casting specialist, selected a VAR Consumable Caster (VAR-CC) furnace from Retech, a global vacuum metallurgy company within the SECO/WARWICK Group based in North America. The furnace will be installed at the company’s new 18,000-square-meter facility, where it will be used to cast titanium ingots into ceramic molds.

Richard Cook
Managing Director
Castings Technology

“The delivery of the new VAR furnace will help us fulfill the growing needs of our exacting client base,” said Richard Cook, managing director of Castings Technology. “Due to dynamic growth and significant constraints within our current facility, we are in the process of relocating to a new site of about 18,000 square meter just a short distance away. The relocation is on plan, with a period of parallel operation continuing throughout 2026 to fully mitigate any risk to our clients’ programs.”

The new furnace is expected to support increased demand for titanium, especially from the aerospace sector, where backlogs have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Titanium’s high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance have made it a widely used material across many sectors, including aerospace, motorsport, medical prosthetics, restorative dentistry, and high-duty rotating equipment. Near-net-shape titanium casting also provides mechanical properties comparable to forged or wrought material while increasing fatigue resistance.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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Vacuum Degassing Plant to Boost Steel Quality

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

A new vacuum degassing plant is expected to increase meltshop performance and capacity while enabling the production of a larger volume of high-quality steel grades. The investment in secondary metallurgy will support steelmaking operations by removing a production bottleneck and improving productivity at a Mexican steel producer’s facility.

TYASA has selected Primetals Technologies for a new vacuum degassing (VD) plant at its Ixtaczoquitlán site. | Image Credit: Primetals Technologies

Mexican steel producer Talleres y Aceros S.A. de C.V. (TYASA) has awarded Primetals Technologies a contract to supply a twin vacuum degassing (VD) plant for its steelmaking facility in Ixtaczoquitlán, Mexico. The plant is scheduled to begin operation in October 2027.

Primetals’ scope of supply includes the VD plant’s mechanical equipment, vacuum pumps, valve stands, alloy addition systems, and Level 1 and Level 2 automation systems. The company will also provide electrical equipment and advisory services for installation and commissioning.

The new VD plant will integrate with TYASA’s existing twin ladle furnaces using the same rail track and ladle cars. The ladle cars will be modified with VD tanks, allowing ladle furnace treatment while the ladle remains in the vacuum degassing tank. This arrangement minimizes crane movements between the ladle furnace and VD station while supporting efficient material handling.

The VD plant will support TYASA’s Castrip® plant by enabling an LF-VD-LF process that maximizes productivity of the facility’s Quantum electric arc furnace. The project layout takes advantage of existing utility systems and infrastructure that were designed to accommodate a future VD installation, allowing the plant to be installed with only minor impact on ongoing production.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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Vacuum Heat Treat Capacity Grows for Metal AM

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, SINTERING POWDER METAL NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

AGF DEFCOM, a metal additive manufacturing company, has expanded its vacuum heat treating capacity with the addition of a second furnace, increasing throughput for thermal processing operations while reducing scheduling constraints. The investment is expected to support growing production requirements and improve turnaround times for clients requiring vacuum heat treatment of additively manufactured components.

AGF DEFCOM recently installed a second Mentor Pro vacuum furnace from Solar Manufacturing. The additional furnace expands its in-house heat treating capabilities, enabling more jobs to be processed simultaneously while improving workflow efficiency and reducing bottlenecks.

The second furnace complements AGF DEFCOM’s existing vacuum heat treating operation and increases overall processing capacity. It is designed for precision thermal processing under high-vacuum conditions and is used for applications requiring controlled heat treatment.

The addition reflects AGF DEFCOM’s continued investment in expanding its manufacturing and thermal processing capabilities for clients in the metal additive manufacturing sector.

Press release is available in its original form here.
Edit: The original press release mentions the vacuum furnace is from Solar Atmospheres. It has been updated in this press release to Solar Manufacturing, as confirmed by Solar Atmospheres.

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New Vacuum Furnace Serves Turbine Production

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, QUENCHING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

A commercial heat treater is expanding its vacuum heat treating capabilities for gas turbine components with the addition of a high-performance vacuum furnace designed to support annealing, aging, brazing, and high-pressure gas quenching. The investment will increase the company’s ability to process precision metal components for the energy, medical, automotive, and industrial machinery sectors.

Image Credit: SECO/WARWICK

The furnace will be supplied by SECO/WARWICK, a global manufacturer of thermal processing equipment with operations in North America. The system is being installed at a Japanese company specializing in the heat treatment of metals and the manufacture of precision components.

Designed for demanding applications, the single-chamber Vector vacuum furnace features a working zone measuring 40 x 40 x 60 inches, allowing for the heat treatment of large and oversized components. It provides temperature uniformity within ±5°C (±9°F) and is equipped with additional heating elements in the door and rear wall to improve heat distribution throughout the chamber.

The furnace also includes a high-vacuum pumping system with partial-pressure capability and a 6-bar gas quench system, enabling processing of components that require fast, controlled cooling while maintaining structural quality. “This order will support the production of components for gas turbines, which play a key role in improving energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK.

With this new furnace, the client will gain the ability to carry out more demanding heat treatment processes, take the load off existing equipment in their internal hardening shop, and serve a growing production volume.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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Fringe Friday: Buffalo Project Supports Advanced Materials Processing

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, SINTERING POWDER METAL NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

We’re celebrating getting to the “fringe” of the weekend with a Heat Treat Fringe Friday installment: the completion of a strategic investment project at a U.S. vacuum metallurgy facility highlights ongoing efforts to expand plasma gas atomization (PGA) and advanced materials processing capabilities. The project reflects continued investment in the infrastructure behind high-performance manufacturing.

While not exactly heat treat, “Fringe Friday” deals with interesting developments in one of our key markets: aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, or general manufacturing.

A strategic investment in vacuum metallurgy and advanced materials processing capabilities has been completed in the U.S., expanding capacity for plasma gas atomization and manufacturing operations serving aerospace, defense, energy, medical, and specialty materials sectors.

SECO/WARWICK concludeds Retech’s Strategic Investment Project in the U.S. | Image Credit: Retech

SECO/WARWICK and Retech marked the completion of the project during a ceremony at Retech’s facility in Buffalo, New York. Attendees of this milestone event to commemorate the expansion of Retech’s capabilities included representatives from PFR TFI, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Congress.

The event program included presentations on the growth of the SECO/WARWICK Group, the company’s operations in the United States, Retech’s technological capabilities, and the results of the investment project. Participants also toured Retech’s laboratories and technological facilities, where the Group’s U.S. company presented its processes and solutions. The investment expands Retech’s infrastructure, research, and technology base to support client needs across industrial markets.

Earl Good
Managing Director
Retech Systems, LLC
Source: Retech

“This project is strategically important for Retech. It enables us to expand our technological capabilities, develop our laboratory resources, and respond even more effectively to the needs of [clients] operating in the most demanding industries. Buffalo is an important point on the U.S. industrial map, and Retech, as part of the SECO/WARWICK Group, combines American engineering expertise with the organization’s global potential,” emphasized Earl Good, managing director of Retech.

The project was co-financed by the Foreign Expansion Fund 2 FIZ AN. As part of the cooperation, Retech secured a long-term $10 million loan from the Fund for the development of metal powder production technology, including the development and installation of plasma gas atomizer (PGA) furnaces and the expansion of manufacturing and assembly operations. The investment was undertaken to support continued growth in advanced metallurgical technologies and related markets.

Image Credit: SECO/WARWICK Group

Press release is available in its original form here.
Main image shows the shop floor at Retech’s headquarters in Buffalo, New York. Image Credit: Retech

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New Furnaces Boost Vacuum Brazing Capacity

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, BRAZING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Wall Colmonoy has expanded its vacuum brazing capacity with the addition of new vacuum furnaces, supporting the production of aerospace and defense components. The investment is expected to increase capacity for vacuum brazing and vacuum heat treating operations involving stainless steel and nickel-alloy heat exchanger cores and other high-temperature assemblies.

The expansion includes two TITAN H6 vacuum furnaces supplied by Ipsen. One furnace has been installed at Wall Colmonoy’s Oklahoma City facility, while a second unit is scheduled for installation at the company’s Cincinnati location this summer.

The 2-bar vacuum furnace recently installed at the Oklahoma City features a 36″ x 48″ x 36″ graphite hot zone, a 3,000-pound load capacity, a maximum operating temperature of 2400°F (1315°C), and ±10°F temperature uniformity. Designed for high-vacuum brazing, the furnace supports consistent processing of critical components while increasing capacity to meet growing demands.

John Mars
Vice President / General Manager, Aerospace and Defense Division
Wall Colmonoy

“Due to rapidly increasing stainless steel/nickel alloy heat exchanger core production, we needed to expand high-temperature vacuum brazing capacity,” said John Mars, vice president and general manager for Wall Colmonoy, Aerospace and Defense Division. The Oklahoma City expansion is part of a broader effort to strengthen heat treating and brazing capabilities across Wall Colmonoy’s operations.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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12-Foot Vacuum Furnace Expands Titanium Processing Capacity

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, TITANIUM PROCESSING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Solar Atmospheres, a North American commercial heat treating company, has expanded its vacuum heat treating and titanium processing capabilities with the commissioning of a new vacuum furnace designed for hydriding and dehydriding (HDH) of titanium as well as a range of thermal processing applications. The addition is expected to increase capacity for titanium processing and vacuum heat treating operations, including annealing, stress relieving, solution treating, and aging.

The company recently commissioned the a new 12-foot horizontal vacuum furnace at its Eastern Pennsylvania facility. The furnace was designed primarily for HDH processing of titanium but can also perform the vacuum heat treating processed commonly used throughout the company’s client base.

The furnace features a 54″ x 54″ in x 144″ in working zone and is equipped with a 15,000-pound conventional load car arrangement. Additional features include a 300 HP external forced cooling system with variable frequency drive (VFD) control, Solar Manufacturing‘s Polaris control system, and dual mechanical pumping systems.

Michael A. Moyer
Vice President of Sales
Solar Atmospheres

“This new furnace adds much-needed capacity to support growing HDH demands,” said Mike Moyer, vice president of sales at Solar Atmospheres. “With dual mechanical pumping systems, we are able to more efficiently process larger degas loads and improve our delivery metrics.”

Moyer added that the furnace is also equipped to support the company’s existing vacuum heat treating operations. “From annealing and stress relieving to solution treating and aging, the new furnace adds considerable capacity to meet [clients’] growing demands.”

Press release is available in its original form here.

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