Piotr Zawistowski

Vacuum Tempering Furnace Strengthens Aerospace Capacity

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

An international aircraft motion-control manufacturer is expanding its heat treat process capacity by ordering an additional low-temperature vacuum tempering furnace to support tempering, aging, and other sub-critical heat treating of precision components. The equipment will be used to maintain consistent thermal processing standards for aerospace applications.

The repeat order will be supplied by SECO/WARWICK‘s U.S. subsidiary. The furnace is a low-temperature vacuum tempering unit capable of operating up to 1380°F (750°C) within a 24 × 24 × 36 in (600 × 600 × 900 mm) work zone and supports a 1750-lb (~800 kg) load capacity. Designed to meet AMS2750F Class 2 temperature-uniformity-survey (TUS) requirements (±10°F/±5.6°C), it uses nitrogen convection for both heating and cooling, with final cooling provided by an internal recirculation blower and water-cooled heat exchanger for stable, efficient cycles.

Piotr Zawistowski
Managing Director
SECO/WARWICK USA

This additional furnace joins an existing suite of heat treat equipment at the manufacturer’s facilities, which already includes multi-chamber CaseMaster Evolution models and a Vector single-chamber high-pressure gas-quench vacuum furnace from SECO/WARWICK. These installations reflect long-standing collaboration on thermal processing solutions for aerospace components.

According to Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/WARWICK USA, the ongoing investments by this aerospace partner reflect confidence in the technical expertise and support provided by SECO/WARWICK and the performance consistency of its vacuum tempering solutions.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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Major U.S. Bearing Manufacturer Invests in 2 LPC Furnaces

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

A major U.S. bearing manufacturer has ordered two advanced vacuum heat treat furnaces, reinforcing its commitment to precision manufacturing and capacity growth. The investment supports rising demand across the bearing industry, where consistent metallurgical performance is critical for industrial and aerospace applications.

The manufacturer purchased two identical Vector single-chamber vacuum furnaces equipped for low-pressure carburizing (LPC). One system will be installed at an established aerospace-grade production facility, while the second will support a newly acquired plant transitioning from legacy heat treat equipment to LPC technology for production and potential R&D use.

Piotr Zawistowski
Managing Director
SECO/WARWICK USA

Each furnace features a 36″ × 36″ × 48″ hot zone, horizontal loading configuration and 15-bar high-pressure gas quench (HPGQ), providing process flexibility and repeatable results for demanding applications. Standard options include a sound enclosure, automatic door, maintenance platform and customer-specified instrumentation to meet internal quality requirements.

SECO/WARWICK USA is supplying both systems. “These contracts demonstrate how manufacturers continue to invest in advanced LPC technology to enhance throughput, improve metallurgical performance, and ensure long-term processing reliability,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/WARWICK USA.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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US Defense Contractor Upgrades with Vacuum Retort Furnace

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, STRESS RELIEVING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

A U.S. military firearms manufacturer announced its plan to update its in-house stress relieving operation with a new vacuum retort furnace. The new equipment will be replacing an outdated vacuum stress relieving furnace in order to keep up with production demands.

Piotr Zawistowski
Managing Director
SECO/VACUUM
Source: SECO/VACUUM

The SECO/VACUUM retort furnace will be used to stress relieve firearms components at 1400°F (760°C). At this relatively low temperature, the process is used to prevent subsequent part distortion while enhancing the quality of the firearms. 

“Their old furnace was showing its age,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/VACUUM, USA. “Once we showed them the control system advancements, the cycle time improvements, and the more competitive lead time we could offer, the upgrade really made sense from both a quality control and production pace standpoint.”

Switching from the vertical configuration of the old furnace to the new horizontally configured furnace will shorten loading times. The turbo-cooling option selected by the firearms manufacturer decreases the cooling cycle from 3.5 hours to 1.5 hours. Improved loading paired with shorter cooling will bring total heat treat cycle times down by as much as 2.5 hours.

The press release is available in its original form here.

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Naval Ship Builder Expands 3D Parts Annealing Capabilites

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

A major ship builder has acquired a vacuum furnace for the Additive Manufacturing Division at the company’s new Manufacturing Center of Excellence. The single chamber vacuum furnace will be used primarily for annealing powder metal 3D printed parts, with additional capabilities for on-demand tool hardening applications. 

Piotr Zawistowski
Managing Director
SECO/VACUUM
Source: SECO/VACUUM

The 3D printing shop and annealing furnace supplied by SECO/VACUUM will enable rapid fabrication of critical replacement parts faster than traditional manufacturing methods, allowing the manufacturer to get ships out of dock and back underway sooner. The Vector furnace is equipped with a 36 x 36 x 48 inch metal hot-zone, a high-vacuum diffusion pump, and a 6-Bar high-pressure argon and nitrogen gas quench.

“To get their 3D operation up and running quickly, we were able to pull off some clever production schedule juggling in order to accommodate their special request for an accelerated delivery schedule,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/VACUUM.

This vacuum furnace provides a wide range of additional processes, including hardening, tempering, solution heat treating, brazing and sintering, and low-pressure carburizing. Vector produces clean, uniform, high-quality parts with repeatable accuracy and no oxidation.

The press release is available in its original form here.

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West Coast Semiconductor Supplier Bolsters In-House Heat Treat

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

A semiconductor industry supplier recently ordered an extra-large 2-bar vacuum furnace specific to the company’s high-temperature process. The new addition will increase the supplier’s capabilities to meet demand from industry sectors.

Piotr Zawistowski
Managing Director
SECO/VACUUM
Source: SECO/VACUUM

The 2-bar vacuum furnace designed by SECO/VACUUM will be shipped more quickly than other options.

“Not every thermal process calls for a solution that falls neatly into one of our traditional furnace categories. This one is oversized, has a hot-zone equipped for unconventional features, and will serve an application with different process considerations than most of our furnaces,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/VACUUM.

The press release is available in its original form here.

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SECO/WARWICK Group Expands US Footprint

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

The SECO/WARWICK Group, the parent company of SECO/VACUUM Technologies and SECO/WARWICK USA, has announced plans to bolster its production capacity in the U.S., increasing its footprint and workforce. The expansion will include relocating a portion of its manufacturing and a metallurgical lab for vacuum furnaces from its headquarters site in Poland to Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

The 120,000-sq ft facility located in Meadville, PA, will house equipment for furnace production and serve the company’s North American customers through the addition of parts, service, and training capacity, resulting in an increase in its heat treat manufacturing workforce. an international furnace manufacturer

SECO/WARWICK Group announced that this expansion received support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through a $2 million package of matching fund grants from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) through its Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). The primary use and intent of RACP funds is for reimbursement of eligible construction costs which SECO/WARWICK Group companies will match on a 1:1 basis. The Commonwealth will also provide an additional $69 thousand in matching funds for job training through the Workforce & Economic Development Network (WEDnet).

Employees of SECO/VACUUM Technologies and SECO/WARWICK at the announcement of the Meadville, PA, site expansion, held jointly by The SECO/WARWICK Group and the Commonwealth of PA Department of Community and Economic Development
Source: Heat Treat Today

State, county and local officials as well as representatives from the international and US-based offices of the SECO/WARWICK Group were present at an event marking the expansion.

“Governor Shapiro is committed to making Pennsylvania an economic leader by investing in the growth of businesses like SECO/VACUUM and SECO/WARWICK,” stated the Commonwealth in the grant award letter. “In addition to the financing package outlined above, the Governor’s Action Team is prepared to provide both companies with any assistance that may be required throughout the application process, as well as to coordinate the involvement of all other state agencies in the project.”

“We look forward to working with our local partners including the City of Meadville, the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County (EPACC), the Workforce and Economic Development Network (WEDnet), and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to make this expansion happen!” said Piotr Zawistowski, president and managing director of SECO/VACUUM.

Pictured in feature image (L to R): Don Marteeny, vice president of engineering; Slawomir Wozniak, president and CEO, SECO/WARWICK Group; Piotr Zawistowski, president and managing director of SECO VACUUM Technologies

The press release is available in its original form here.

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SECO/WARWICK Group Expands US Footprint Read More »

Automotive Manufacturer Expands Brazing Capabilities with Vacuum Furnace

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, BRAZING NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

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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Automotive Manufacturer Expands Brazing Capabilities with Vacuum Furnace Read More »

Heat Treat Operations Modernize with 9 Hardening Furnaces

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

Nine heat treat furnaces are set to modernize the operations of a manufacturer’s heat treat facilities. This move is intended to create cleaner, safer, more cost-effective operations while also allowing for finer process control and a reduced carbon footprint.

The nine furnaces are being fabricated by SECO/VACUUM, a division of SECO/WARWICK Group: three Vector® vacuum furnaces and six tempering furnaces with supporting auxiliary systems. This returning heat treat client currently operates twelve SECO/VACUUM furnaces at their various locations throughout North America. They will incorporate the new furnaces as a continuation of their strategic planning to modernize all facilities from atmospheric heat treatment to vacuum processes.

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

Each of the nine units are front-loading, horizontally configured furnaces with a 36″ x 36″ x 48″ working volume and a 3300 lb. capacity. The Vector® is a single-chamber gas quenching vacuum furnace using high pressure quench (2 to 25 bar) which can be applied to a variety of heat treating processes and applications. These particular Vectors will be used primarily for hardening. Tempering is a process primarily used to increase the toughness of hardened ferrous-alloy parts. The tempering process is typically applied after a hardening process.

Heat treating operations will have to shut down entirely during the modernization changeover. To minimize disruption, SECO/VACUUM will also serve as the general contractor, overseeing the installation of the new furnaces, auxiliary systems, wiring, piping, and ventilation needed prior to commissioning and operator training.

“It is a testament to our commitment to our partner’s success that they not only continue to return for more furnaces, but that they place their trust us in to manage the entire project in order to get them back to serving their customers,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director at SECO/VACUUM.

The press release is available in its original form here.

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Global Power Tech Leader Will Use Heat Treat Furnace for Nuclear Applications

/ ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

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A global leader in power technologies purchased a vacuum furnace from a North American furnace provider. The equipment will be used for specialized nuclear operations.

Peter Zawistowski
Managing Director
SECO/VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES, USA
Source: secowarwick.com

SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK Group company, was awarded the order for the 2-bar Vector®, a single chamber high-pressure quench vacuum furnace. It will be used for a variety of heat treating processes, including hardening of tool steels as well as high vacuum sintering and annealing. The furnace design will achieve deep vacuum levels, allowing the customer to process materials for nuclear applications. The new Vector will replace an older furnace, adding significantly more capabilities and process flexibility.

"I’m very proud of how our SECO/VISORY group managed this relationship," noted Peter Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/VACUUM. "Our product management and engineering staff collaborated with the customer’s engineering and commercialization teams for over a year to develop a proposal for the specialized capabilities they required."

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Electronic Component Manufacturer to Expand Vacuum Tempering Capabilities

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

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Peter Zawistowski
Managing Director
SECO/VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES, USA
Source: secowarwick.com

A global manufacturer of electronic components with engineering centers and factories worldwide has purchased a vacuum tempering furnace for one of its plants in Pennsylvania. The furnace will be used to anneal copper and steel electrical connectors used in subsequent assemblies.

With a chamber of 48” x 48” x 72”,  the new equipment from SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK Group company, will deliver added capacity to meet increased demand for the company’s products. The order includes a turbo-cooling feature designed to improve turnaround time from batch to batch and maximize throughput.

"We are finding increasing opportunities in markets with broad supply chain stresses," commented Peter Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/VACUUM. "We are doing our part with this global electronics supplier to provide the boost they need to achieve an integrated recovery with their customers. Every little bit helps, and we’re pleased to be a part of the solution."

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