A manufacturer of gas turbine and aircraft engine components has ordered a vacuum furnace for heat treating high-temperature alloy turbine blades. The system’s all-metal hot zone, high vacuum, temperature uniformity, and high pressure gas cooling are designed to support the clean, repeatable processing required for components operating in the hot sections of turbines.
SECO/WARWICK, a global heat treatment equipment manufacturer with operations in North America, will supply its Vector single-chamber vacuum furnace to the China-based manufacturer. The order marks the second Vector furnace delivery to the manufacturer in recent months and follows an earlier furnace installation with a graphite hot zone in 2023.
The new furnace will feature an all-metal hot zone and operate at temperatures up to approximately 2550°F (1400°C). It will provide temperature uniformity of ≤±5.4°F (≤±3°C), gas cooling at pressures up to 12 bar, and a maximum gross load weight of approximately 1300 lbs (600 kg). The furnace is designed to operate in a high-vacuum range of 10-3 Pa.
The specifications exceed the standard configuration for this type of furnace with a metal hot zone, which provides 10 bar gas cooling and temperature uniformity of ≤±9°F (≤±5°C). The high-vacuum environment helps reduce the risk of intergranular oxidation and supports the surface quality of treated turbine components.
Vice President of the Vacuum Segment
SECO/WARWICK Group
“In this project, the key was to combine two things: the proven design of the Vector furnace and a very specific adaptation to the [client’s] process,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group. “We are talking about parts that operate in the hot section of turbines, where the margin for error is minimal. High vacuum, very good temperature uniformity, and fast, controlled gas cooling creates that conditions for stable, repeatable heat treatment of high-temperature alloy blades.”
The all-metal hot zone is intended for processes requiring a clean environment with reduced risk of contamination. Combined with temperature control and gas cooling, the configuration can also support processes for aerospace, energy, medical, and additively manufactured components.
SECO/WARWICK teams in China and Poland jointly developed the furnace configuration to meet the manufacturer’s process requirements. The order follows a 2025 production need for an all-metal hot zone, higher gas cooling pressure, and tighter temperature uniformity than the standard Vector configuration.
Press release is available in its original form here.
