SECO/WARWICK

Heat Treater Expands Hardening Plant Capabilities

A heat treater with surface hardening capabilities recently expanded its operational line with a vacuum furnace. The new equipment offers a working space of 35.5 x 35.5 x 47 in (900 x 900 x 1200 mm), enabling the processing of larger elements.

This is the 14th vacuum furnace that SECO/WARWICK has provided to Aalberts surface technologies Group, which specializes in vacuum heat treatment, vacuum brazing, hardening of stainless steels, and coating systems for industry. It is the seventh Vector vacuum furnace to be installed at this location in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. It is equipped with high-pressure hardening of 15 bar abs., the option of installing liquid nitrogen, convection heating, directional cooling, and isothermal quenching.

“The solution design is based on the standard VP vacuum furnace Vector type solution. Vector has a round heating chamber and an efficient cooling system,” said Grzegorz Głuchowski, sales manager at SECO/WARWICK. “The additional option of installing liquid nitrogen allows for the load faster cooling after the hardening process. This translates into the furnace’s greater efficiency.”

“This will be the seventh SECO/WARWICK solution operating in Eindhoven. This time, delivery time was key. The solution we ordered is quite specific. We have specific requirements, which are the result of over 80 years of industry experience. The Vector vacuum furnace’s design from the customer’s perspective is very well thought out, as it allows for modifications and additional options. It is one of the most flexible metal heat treatment furnaces on the market,” said Steffen Schneiders, managing director of “The Netherlands & Nordic” from Aalberts surface technologies.

The press release is available in its original form here.



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16 News Chatter To Keep You Current

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 17 news items.


Equipment

  1. Pomini Tenova, which manufactures advanced roll shop equipment, recently signed two contracts for fully automatic roll shop equipment with Baowu of China. The first contract includes a set of four automatic CNC roll grinders with two automatic inspection stations, to be installed at a plant where two new cold rolling mills for silicon steel will be in operation. The second contract includes two automatic CNC roll grinders and an automatic inspection station, equipped with an automatic roll loading system, which will be installed in the roll shop of a new cold rolling mill for silicon steel production.
  2. Nucor Steel has commissioned SMS group for the modernization and expansion of its Steckel mill at its site in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The existing Steckel mill will be converted into a tandem Steckel mill, designed to produce high-strength thin strip as well as to boost capacity. 
  3. A global car window manufacturer’s European branch has purchased two SECO/WARWICK technological lines for two of the company’s locations. The order includes RHLE units for bending car windows.
  4. Jiangsu Dongpu Fine Ceramics Technology Co., Ltd., has installed a hot isostatic press (HIP) from Quintus Technologies. The HIP model operates company’s production line for Si3Ni4 bearing balls in its manufacturing facility in Lianyungang, China.

Company & Personnel

  1. Inductotherm Group has appointed Mick Nallen and Satyen Prabhu as co‐leaders, a transition which became effective July 1, 2024, when Gary Doyon stepped down from his role as CEO. Mick and Satyen have a combined experience at the company of nearly 70 years.
  2. Vincent Lelong of ECM USA presented on low pressure carburizing with vacuum furnace technology at Purdue University’s School of Materials Engineering undergraduate seminar. This seminar regularly features industry speakers, some of whom are members of the Purdue Heat Treating Consortium.
  3. The direct reduction plant at Nucor Steel Louisiana achieved a world production record of 330.3 tons per hour of high-quality cold direct reduced iron (CDRI), yielding an outstanding 7,928 tons per day (tpd). A high-quality direct reduced iron (DRI) output with 95% metallization (%M) and a carbon content of 3.3% (%C) was measured. The ENERGIRON technology was jointly developed by Tenova and Danieli.
  4. Jabil Inc, which designs and manufactures supply chain solutions, announced its acquisition of Mikros Technologies LLC, which engineers and manufactures liquid cooling solutions for thermal management.
  5. Aerospace Testing & Pyrometry, Inc., (ATP) recently opened its Pacific Northwest office in Seattle, Washington. With this new facility, the company will now have a footprint in all four corners of the United States.

Kudos

  1. Solar Atmospheres‘ Greenville, SC, facility recently announced it has been awarded Parker Aerospace approval. Its five facilities are now able to assist clients with Parker Aerospace thermal processing requirements.
  2. Furnace manufacturer Grieve Corporation has reached its 75th year in business. Begun in 1949 as a small job shop in Chicago, the company now occupies a 100,000 square foot facility in Round Lake, Illinois
  3. StandardAero, an independent provider of engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of its Singapore facility, a Pratt & Whitney Canada Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) for the PW150A turboprop engine. This anniversary coincides with the company’s redelivery of its 500th PW150A engine, which powers the popular Bombardier Dash 8-400 regional turboprop. 
  4. Paulo’s Cleveland Division was recently awarded approval from GE Aviation for hot isostatic pressing, specifically GT193 Process Code FF.
  5. C3 Data has achieved SOC 2 Compliance, which ensures stringent standards for handling sensitive data.
  6. Tennessee Society of Association Executives recently honored Tom Morrison of the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) with the Industry Marketing Award for its Jobs of Tomorrow Workforce Development Program.
  7. Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania announced that it has been awarded Pratt & Whitney‘s PWA 11, “Heat Treatments” approval. The facility is now certified to perform heat treatments for P&W’s Suffix 17, “Precipitation Harden,” and Suffix 22, “Austenitize, Quench, and Temper.”

Find Heat Treating Products And Services When You Search On Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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Heat Treater Triples Surface Hardening Capacity at Ohio Facility

A heat treating company that processes stainless steel, titanium, and other specialty alloys is expanding its operations with a major investment in a larger facility, tripling its heat treatment and surface hardening capacity. The automotive and medical devices industries are among those the company serves at its Twinsburg, Ohio, location.

Thomas Sandholdt
CEO
Expanite, Inc

With the new equipment, Expanite Inc., a subsidiary of Expanite A/S, based in Denmark, will be able to meet the growing demand for advanced surface hardening and heat treatment solutions. The new furnaces, installed by SECO/WARWICK, have chamber sizes up to 24x24x36 inches and process larger and more complex components. This expansion will allow the company to meet its commitment to sustainability by offering greener alternatives to traditional technologies.

“Our investment is all about meeting the growing demands from our North American customers,” said Thomas Sandholdt, CEO of Expanite. “We’re now able to handle much larger volumes while maintaining the fast lead times and flexibility that our customers expect from Expanite.”

“Our expanded capabilities mean we can now offer our full range of Expanite technologies, including the processes for titanium, right here in the U.S.,” said Claus Løndal, country manager for Expanite North America. “This allows us to serve a wide range of customers while reducing lead times and costs.”

Besides the proprietary Expanite processes, standard vacuum heat treatment processes are offered, including hardening of tool steels (D2, A2, M2, H13, etc.), austenite annealing of stainless (304, 316, etc.), precipitation treatment of PH-steels (17-4PH, 13-8PH, etc.) and specialty treatment of alloys (Inconel 718, MU-metal etc.). The addition of vacuum heat treatment solutions extends the company’s capabilities, offering more solutions, and greater flexibility and ensuring clients receive hardening solutions tailored to their specific needs. In this expansion, Expanite is bringing its patented technology for hardening of titanium to North America.



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Commercial Heat Treater Expands Capabilities with 12th Vacuum Furnace

HART-TECH has expanded its capabilities with a vacuum furnace that will allow for the heat treatment of multiple steel types and the ability to implement a wide range of processes, from hardening through vacuum carburizing and carbonitriding. The furnace will efficiently heat treat large loads of research, test, and production elements.

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

The commercial heat treater has previously incorporated over 10 SECO/WARWICK processing solutions. This system is being provided to work on the implementation of vacuum carbonitriding technology services that HART-TECH can now offer to a wide range of clients.

“We can say that we have a kind of synergy with the HART-TECH hardening plant,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the SECO/WARWICK Group’s vacuum segment. “Our partner, just like us, loves science, research, and development, and the common curiosity about the world motivates us to create further innovations.” 

Dr. Eng. Robert Pietrasik, Sc.D.
Management Board CEO & Technological Dept Head Director
HART-TECH Sp. zo. o.

“This solution will help us to put into action a project concerning the implementation of vacuum carbonitriding technology at the HART-TECH plant with our customers in mind,” said Dr. Eng. Robert Pietrasik, president of HART-TECH. “We want to implement the low-pressure carbonitriding process and be able to use it in mass production. 

“By expanding the machine park with a new vacuum furnace,” Dr. Pietrasik continued, “we will also significantly shorten the waiting times for heat treatment for our current and future customers. The large workspace will significantly increase our capabilities for processing elements hardened in gas. Thus, we will be able to gradually switch from hardening elements in oil to hardening in gas, which is more efficient, cleaner and ensures smaller deformations.” 

The vacuum furnace supplied to the company has been enhanced with a gas system equipped with two acetylene mass valves, a hydrogen mass valve, and an ammonia mass valve. The furnace can use three gases for various technologies: acetylene, hydrogen and ammonia. HART-TECH specializes in hardening, carburizing, nitriding, sulfur nitriding, steel tempering, supersaturation and aging, annealing, vacuum brazing and low-friction layers, and hardening of machine and tool elements.

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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Lukasiewicz– IMN Enhances R&D with Vacuum Furnace

Łukasiewicz – the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals (Łukasiewicz – IMN) recently expanded its heat treating operations with a VIM furnace for melting metals and metal alloys on a laboratory scale. The new equipment will be used to develop new types of alloys, make individual castings, and conduct research on melting processes.

The vacuum induction melting furnace, ordered from SECO/WARWICK, has a maximum operating temperature of 2000˚C (3,632°F) and a single-chamber VIM furnace. It was designed to produce metal and alloy castings weighing up to 20 kg in vacuum, or under pressure using an inert gas (argon).

Sławomir Woźniak
President & CEO
SECO/WARWICK Group
Source: SECO/WARWICK

This is the second processing solution the furnace supplier has designed for the institute. Łukasiewicz – IMN, a member of the Łukasiewicz Research Network, received a targeted subsidy for the implementation of an investment related to scientific activities for the purchase of research equipment granted by the Ministry of Education and Science (currently the Ministry of Science and Higher Education).

“Scientific institutions are one of the group of recipients for our solutions,” said Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of the SECO/WARWICK Group. “For example, we have supplied solutions to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), which ordered a non-standard, 12-meter vertical rotary retort furnace for the heat treatment of a gyrotron part, as a contribution to the ITER experimental thermonuclear reactor. We have also supplied laboratory furnaces for the Institute of Precision Mechanics. We invest heavily in research and development ourselves. We have our own R&D centers, which allow us to continuously improve the technology we offer.”

The press release is available in its original form here.



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Adamus Expands Heat Treating Capabilities with Vacuum Furnace

Adamus, a punch tool manufacturer for the pharmaceutical industry, has enhanced its heat treating operations with a vacuum furnace. The company manufactures punch tools and spare parts for tablet presses, capsule presses, and blister machines, and the new furnace is intended for processing a wide range of punches used in tablet production.

Maciej Korecki
Vice President, Vacuum Furnace Segment
SECO/WARWICK
Source: SECO/WARWICK

Adamus contacted us for the fourth time,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the vacuum furnaces segment at SECO/WARWICK. “This time, the partner wanted to replace an older, inefficient vacuum furnace with oil hardening, with a modern, more ecological and more economical vacuum furnace with gas hardening. Vector will perfectly meet these needs. It is compact, so it will not take up much space, it is efficient and ensures process purity, which is extremely important in the pharmaceutical industry.”

Vector vacuum furnace
Source: SECO/WARWICK

The Vector vacuum furnace on order solves Adamus’s challenge to grow production in order to meet their increased demand for the number of punch hardening processes for tablet production. The presses produce components that are integral to the manufacturing process in the pharmaceutical industry, which maintains demanding standards, procedures, and technical parameters.

“The challenge is the constantly growing demand for our punches and spare parts used for units operating in pharmaceutical plants,” said a representative of Adamus, based in Poland. “However, it is important to choose well-thought-out solutions which will be used in many processes when expanding the machine park, ensuring the highest quality of production.”

The press release is available in its original form here.



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Turbine Manufacturer Expands Heat Treat Capabilities with Vacuum Furnace

A manufacturer of wind and gas turbines is bolstering its heat treatment capabilities with a vacuum furnace to process oversized gas turbine structural components.

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

The vacuum furnace provides a work zone that accommodates the company’s need to heat treat large-sized parts and uses three process gases, argon, nitrogen, and hydrogen, to increase the process purity and reduce gas consumption costs during the cooling process. This is the eighth vacuum furnace the company has purchased from SECO/WARWICK and will be installed at the manufacturer’s European location.

“The demand for gas and wind turbines is systematically growing all over the world, and renewable energy is currently the focus of attention in all industries. It plays an important role in mitigating climate change, which is why it is important for us to be able to support a Partner who focuses on sustainable, renewable, and unlimited green energy,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the vacuum segment, SECO/WARWICK Group.

Kamil Siedlecki
Sales Manager
SECO/WARWICK
Source: LinkedIn

“The furnace’s three-gas partial pressure system helps prevent evaporation and sublimation of alloying elements from the load surface during vacuum heat treatment or vacuum brazing. Partial pressure control is important when processing many materials to prevent the hot zone evaporation and contamination,” said Kamil Siedlecki, sales manager at SECO/WARWICK.

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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East Coast Manufacturer To Replace Aging Fleet of Vacuum Sintering Furnaces

An East Coast manufacturer has purchased six new vacuum sintering furnaces to replace the 1980s-era sintering furnaces it has used for heat treating components.

SECO/VACUUM received the commission to transition the production line from nine 40-yr-old SECO/WARWICK sintering furnaces to the six Vector sintering vacuum furnaces with 2-bar gas cooling. The furnace hot zones will be 26″ wide, 30″ high, and 62″ deep (660 x 760 x 1575 mm), which are the same size as the retiring furnaces, allowing them to continue using their existing heat treat fixtures.

Sintering is a critical process used to fuse metals together without reaching melting temperature. It is generally used for fixing the strands of wire mesh in place, consolidating powder metals, or any application where the objective is fusing metals together while remaining below melting temperatures.

The press release is available in its original form here.



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