An aircraft engine manufacturer has purchased a custom-built vacuum induction melting (VIM) furnace to support the production of equiaxed (EQ) turbine blade castings for aircraft engines. The furnace enables melting in a controlled vacuum environment, with unique and intuitive control systems that help improve metallurgical consistency.
Managing Director, Retech
Vice President of Vacuum Metallurgy Segment, SECO/WARWICK Group
The system is a two-chamber 50 kg VIM induction furnace supplied by SECO/WARWICK, a global manufacturer of thermal processing equipment with operations in North America. It was engineered as a tailored solution with configuration and technical parameters adapted to the client’s production needs. “The furnace has a non-standard design in which the mold elevator was replaced with a special trolley that moves horizontally on rails. Thanks to this solution, the furnace fits perfectly into the available space without any impact on its performance,” said Earl Good, managing director of RETECH, a company within the SECO/WARWICK Group, and vice president of the Vacuum Metallurgy Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group.
The system includes a control platform for casting processes, temperature control, and comprehensive data acquisition, delivering the repeatability and throughput essential to the aerospace industry. Its two-chamber design and pumping system allow for continuous operation, and the furnace can be equipped with a mold heater to maintain thermal conditions for the casting mold.
The use of VIM furnaces continues across aerospace applications, where vacuum metallurgy supports the aerospace industry’s constantly changing production needs.
Press release is available in its original form here.
