SEW-EURODRIVE has commissioned a modular NANO vacuum furnace system completely integrated with advanced automation for their Lyman, SC, facility.
It is the third NANO system with integrated robotics from ECM USA within the last two years. This 6 chamber, 20 bar quench NANO vacuum furnace system has 16 tempering positions, advanced solvent based washer (both oil and water based contaminants), and robotic workload assembly/disassembly.
Dunnage management is also provided and fully automated within the robotics configuration.
The system was specifically designed to run multiple materials (including carburized grades and tool steels) and will increase production for various load scenarios and processes. SEW-EURODRIVE MOVITRANS® (SEW-EURODRIVE’s patented inductive energy power transfer supply system) will also be incorporated within the vacuum furnace transfer system.
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A Terre Haute, IN, company has completed the commissioning of a vacuum furnace system for a Mid-Atlantic manufacturer. The furnace was upgraded with an oversized vacuum pumping system, updated piping, all metallic hot zone, and control system.
Mercer Vacuum Components and Services Inc took the existing SS vessel and stripped it to the base. All of the vacuum piping was upgraded from .625" copper piping to 2.000" KF style SS piping. The hot zone utilized graphite board with moly elements that MVCS upgraded to a multiple layer metallic lined hot zone utilizing the OEM designed molybdenum elements. New inlet and outlet water headers were also supplied. The control panel was upgraded to include a new PLC and HMI. Instrument upgrade was performed by Mercer Technologies. The entire furnace system was taken apart and painted before reassembling.
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Robert (Bob) Hill, President at Solar Atmospheres of Western PA Source: Solar Atmospheres
A western PA heat treater recently degassed 175,000 pounds of 6AI-4V titanium in their 48-foot-long vacuum furnace. This is the largest and heaviest single load of titanium ever processed in the company's history.
Solar Atmospheres of Western PA vacuum degassed the load consisting of 154 sheets of titanium 40” x 240”. Their president, Bob Hill, states, “The future of the global aerospace titanium market is very promising with the many opportunities in the commercial and military aircraft markets!”
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Aero Space Power, an MRO facility, has ordered a custom-made vacuum furnace tobe utilized in repair solutions for both complex aircraft engines and gas turbines in the energy industry.
Mark Peter Biro Commercial Sales Manager at Aero Space Power Source: LinkedIn
“We decided to acquire in-house heat treatment because we want to be independent in production. It will also give us much better control over the process and treated part quality," commented Mark Peter Biro, commercial sales manager, Aero Space Power. "By installing production capacity in-house and creating our own heat treatment department, we not only become independent from external suppliers, but we also significantly reduce transportation costs.”
The furnace on order from SECO/WARWICK, a company with locations in North America, is unique due to the size of the heating chamber. It has been adapted to the Aero Space Power requirements and has a working area of 51" x 39" x 59" to enable heat treatment of large components up to 55" diameter especially large aircraft parts, as well as gas turbines for the energy sector. The custom technology on order, in addition to non-standard dimensions, is designed to process work in the presence of two gases: argon (used for partial pressure) and nitrogen, which is used mainly in the cooling process. A dew point sensor for each of the gases will be included with the furnace.
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Solar Atmospheres of Michigan took delivery of a new vacuum furnace this week, which will be used primarily for aerospace applications. The Chesterfield, MI, location is set to begin heat treating later this year.
The furnace has a working hot zone of 36” wide x 36” high x 48” deep and can handle workloads up to 5,000 lbs. To power this furnace along with nine other vacuum furnaces, a new 2600kVA transformer was installed. The new facility anticipates being fully operational by the fall of 2023 and will gather all of Solar Atmosphere's Michigan heat treating under one roof.
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Peter Zawistowski Managing Director SECO/VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES, USA Source: SECO/WARWICK
A U.S.-based international manufacturer of dies will expand their operation with a high-pressure gas quench furnace. The equipment will accommodate increasing orders for the company’s largest dies.
The manufacturer’s equipment requires the use of precisely heat treated large dies. Currently the company utilizes a pair of vacuum furnaces that have some limits. The Vector® furnace they are about to receive from SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICKGroupcompany isbottom loading with 6 bar nitrogen gas quench, 60”x 72”, with a 3-ton capacity working zone. This is room enough to treat 3 of their largest dies at once compared to only 2 per cycle for the old furnace.
“With [the furnace’s] wide range of quenching features, [the manufacturer will] have room to grow, even enabling them to conduct low-pressure carburizing processes if they ever need to,”saidPeter Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/VACUUM.
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Heat Treat Today is partnering with two international publications: heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication that serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication that primarily serves the English-speaking globe. Through these partnerships, we are sharing the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat.
In this installment, we look at updates on industry events around the globe, such as two celebrations, a brand new EAF, and a benchtop measurement predictor.
International Heat Treat and Metallurgy Company Sees Doubling Profits
Seco/Warwick announces positive figures for 2022. Source: Seco/Warwick
"The great results of the Group were influenced by several factors. The growth of production activities in China and dynamic market development in America. Furthermore the huge number of orders [are] related to the electromobility industry expansion. In the first three quarters of 2022, the company had over 100 % more profit than in the previous year. Sales revenues amounted to PLN 448.87 million in this period (PLN 335.09 million in 2021). . . . For Seco/Warwick, 2023 will be the year of American companies."
System aids in production of various steel grades. Source: Tenova
“Tenova, supplier of sustainable solutions for the metals industry, has recently completed the start-up of the new 70t EAF at the Valbruna ASW Inc. plant, located in Ontario, Canada. Valbruna ASW is a specialty steel producer that produces steel and stainless-steel, based in Ontario. Tenova’s latest generation EAF unit has replaced an older EAF vessel. The spout shape of the new furnace will provide an increase in melt shop productivity, says Tenova, as well as an improvement to the production reliability of manufacturing specific high-quality steel and stainless-steel grades.”
German blast furnace is 50. Source: Furnaces International
"A blast furnace in operation at thyssenkrupp Steel's Schwelgern steel mill in Germany, turned 50 years old on 6 February. Known officially as Schwelgern 1 – the Black Giant – the blast furnace is 110 meters in height and has a daily capacity of 10kt of pig iron; it is regarded as one of the biggest blast furnaces in the western world."
"The hot forged parts are picked up as they leave the press and directly placed into the measuring cell." Source: Nokra
“At METEC 2023, nokra will be showing for the first time its new alpha.hot3D system for 3D laser-based measurements of hot forging specimens. The system can predict the cold dimensions of a forged part in a matter of seconds after forging. This makes it possible to verify as early as the first few parts have been produced that the forming process is working without a hitch. If it is not, you can immediately take measures to adjust it.”
Maciej Korecki Vice President of Business of the Vacuum Furnace Segment SECO/WARWICK
A manufacturer of a wide variety of vacuum circuit breakers ordered vacuum furnaces for metal heat treatment. The circuit breakers must be brazed with high vacuum.
In 2017, the first furnaces provided were two SECO/WARWICK furnaces. The most recent expansion is three Vector vacuum furnaces that provide high vacuum level and temperature uniformity within the entire load.
"[T]he specificity of this electric power control production requires incredible precision. Circuit breakers need a high level of vacuum and temperature uniformity. They are brazed in vacuum furnaces in a very high vacuum; therefore, it was necessary to use an efficient pumping system consisting of a turbomolecular pump and a dry pump." Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Products Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group, a manufacturer with North American locations.
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The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has invested in a new vacuum furnace from a manufacturer headquartered in North America.
Nikola Dzepina Nitrex Regional Manager – Asia Source: NITREX
KIMS conducts a wide range of technological R&D activities, including process improvements, application development, material enhancement, testing, and evaluation. The new Nitrex vacuum furnace will support domestic companies -- including Hanwha Aerospace, Doosan Enerbility, Sung-il Turbine, and Samjeong Turbine -- in a development project that aims to improve the cycle efficiency of industrial land-based gas turbines.
The furnace is a horizontal type 2-Bar external quench equipped with a curved molybdenum wide band heating element arranged in a circular configuration around the main hot zone. Its work area measures 15″ in width by 15″ in height by 24″ in length (381 x 381 x 610 mm).
“The Nitrex system can support a wider range of R&D projects and metals,” said Nikola Dzepina, regional manager in Asia at Nitrex. “With the ability to achieve higher vacuum levels with 10-6 Torr ultimate range, the furnace can heat treat parts at temperatures up to 1,371°C (2,500°F).”
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Heat Treat Today is partnering with two international publications: heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication that serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication that primarily serves the English-speaking globe. Through these partnerships, we are sharing the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat.
In this installment, we look at updates on industry events around the globe, such as mills, mint, and the Middle East.
Mathevon Group and Bodycote Partner for Oil & Gas Industry Solution
Mud rotors for surface coating Source: Bodycote
“Bodycote has entered into a partnership with Mathevon Group to develop the market in the [Middle East] and, in particular, Saudi Arabia. The agreement brings together Bodycote’s expertise in thermal spray coatings for the oil & gas industry and Mathevon’s knowledge of the production of internal components of gate valves for oil & gas. Mathevon is a world-class provider of safety parts in stainless steel and superalloys, which are subject to severe service applications and has a long history of servicing oil & gas OEM supply chains.”
Shiu Wing Steel to produce recycled steel Source: Furnaces International
“Shiu Wing Steel, Hong Kong’s first and only steel-rolling mill, plans to produce recycled steel to meet growing demand created by China’s green ambitions in Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) development zone, according to a report by South China Morning Post. The 65-year-old steelmaker plans to build an electric-arc furnace at its plant in Tuen Mun to produce 700kt (kilotons) of recycled steel a year by 2025 and expand its presence in the GBA, Dario Pong, Shiu Wing’s executive director, said in an interview.”
European Mint Chooses Vacuum Furnace To Harden Dies for Coins
Vector furnaces to harden the dies Source: SECO/WARWICK
“This is the eighth mint to choose SECO/WARWICK solutions. The Vector furnaces will be used to harden the dies necessary for the production of coins for both circulation and collector series. Vector vacuum furnaces with 15 Bar high-pressure gas quenching perfectly match the mint’s operating characteristics. Vector enables fast heat treatment while the working space is optimal for the production of dies, coins, medals and orders.”
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