ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS

Furnace Manufacturers Form Partnership To Bolster Processing in North America

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

AFC-Holcroft (AFCH), an industrial furnace manufacturer based in Wixom, MI, recently announced a strategic partnership with Tokai Konetsu Kogyo Co., Ltd. (TKK), a designer and manufacturer of industrial furnaces in Japan and China. The merger is aimed at enhancing their industrial furnace business for electronics part and battery material (anode/cathode) processing in North America.

Tracy Doughterty
Chief Operating Officer
AFC Holcroft
Source: AFC Holcroft

AFC-Holcroft designs and manufactures a wide range of industrial furnaces, including universal batch quench, pusher, continuous belt, roller and rotary hearth, and walking beam furnaces, predominantly for the North American market. Tokai Konetsu Kogyo Co., Ltd., based in Tokyo, Japan, is an industrial furnace manufacturer with a client base primarily in Japan and China. The company has supplied continuous and batch furnaces and battery material processing furnaces to industrial sectors across North America, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as Asia.

“AFC-Holcroft is thrilled to join forces with TKK,” said Tracy Dougherty, chief operating officer of AFCH. “Together, we will drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to our EV customers in the anode and cathode materials industrial furnace market.”

The press release is available in its original form here.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

Furnace Manufacturers Form Partnership To Bolster Processing in North America Read More »

Truck Beam Heat Treat Line For Auto Industry

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, TEMPERING NEWS

A truck beam heat treat line with two large walking-beam furnaces is currently being installed for a leading Latin American auto structural component designer and manufacturer. The industry leader will use one furnace for austenitizing and the other for tempering. The truck beams are 13 in (33 cm) wide, 4.5 in (11.5 cm) high, and 49 ft (15 m) long, weighing at about 625 lb (285 kg). A closely controlled environment is necessary in order to induce the required change to the steel beams’ crystal structure.

The furnace line will be provided by NUTEC Bickley, their third such order for this auto industry manufacturer.

New furnace line from Nutec Bickley
Source: Nutec Bickley

The austenitizing furnace is a continuous unit, capable of treating 60 beams (roughly equivalent to 17 tons of steel) per hour. It has an operating temperature of 1670°F (910°C), and a maximum temperature of 2010°F (1100°C). There are 10 automatic control zones, designed to promote temperature uniformity.

There are 29 high-velocity burners, sited above the load. These allow for low NOx emissions, featuring stable high excess air and excess fuel operation, direct spark ignition, integral air and gas meters, sturdy cast construction and flame rod ionization. The burner configuration creates gas recirculation and allows uniform heating of the load and better heat transfer to the product through radiation mechanisms and convection.

The furnace employs NUTEC Bickley’s IMPS™ combustion system for energy savings, enhanced process control, optimal kinetic energy utilization from burners, temperature uniformity without excess air, a high turndown ratio, and other key benefits.

The tempering furnace — capable of heat treating beams at a rate of 60 pieces per hour — has an operating temperature of 915°F (490°C) and a maximum temperature of 1110°F (600°C). There are six automatic control zones and the heating method for tempering is via air circulation with a vertical flow pattern, ceiling to floor with six centrifugal fans.

Both of these furnaces benefit from insulation based on the patented Jointless® ceramic fiber system that allows fast heating and cooling and reduces heat storage. Using MacroModules, this insulation is 8 in (20 cm) thick in the combustion zones. Thermal efficiency has also been guaranteed with a specifically design of the door frame and canopy for both access and exit doors. Both furnaces are fully NFPA 86 compliant.

The press release is available in its original form here.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

Truck Beam Heat Treat Line For Auto Industry Read More »

Schilling Forge Increases Capacity with Car Bottom Furnace

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, FORGING NEWS, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS

Schilling Forge, a supplier of precision forgings based in Syracuse, NY, recently increased its annealing capacity with a car-bottom furnace. The company produces forgings for a variety of industry segments in medical manufacturing, including surgical, dental, orthodontic, and endoscopic.

The furnace, designed and manufactured for the company by Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, is electrically heated with an operating range of has a work zone of 60” x 84” x 40” with a 9,000-lb load.  It is electrically heated with operating range of 1250°F to 1600°F (732°C to 871°C).

“We are excited about the arrival of our new Gasbarre car-bottom furnace that increases our annealing capacity by 67%,” reported Schilling Forge on a LinkedIn post. “You can see our survey posts where we attached our thermo-couples at 9 various locations to verify the temperatures throughout the cycle.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

Schilling Forge Increases Capacity with Car Bottom Furnace Read More »

Volkan Steels Expands Production Capabilities With Nitriding/Nitrocarburizing System

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, NITRIDING NEWS, NITROCARBURIZING NEWS

A tool supplier has boosted its production capabilities with the installation of a new nitriding/nitrocarburizing system, expanding its heat treatment services with a large-capacity batch furnace to perform advanced nitriding, nitrocarburizing, and post-oxidation treatments.

Belgin Mert
General Manager
Volkan Steels
Source: kalypdunyasi

Volkan Steels Powders Metal San. Tic ve Ltd. Şti. (V’Steels) acquired the nitriding/nitrocarburizing system from North American furnace manufacturer Nitrex to match the company’s current production capacity and to accommodate future expansion. The Nitrex turnkey system has a 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) capacity for processing tooling loads, including aluminum extrusion dies, die-casting dies, forging dies, and plastic injection molding dies, for industries such as energy, petrochemistry, defense, and maritime.

“Our heat treatment services, which began in 2023, have been strengthened by our recent investment in a Nitrex furnace. This enhancement allows us to comprehensively meet the heat treatment needs of our long-standing business partners in the tool steel industry, enabling them to achieve higher performance,” said Belgin Mert, general manager of V’Steels.

Utku Inan
Nitrex Sales Representative in Türkiye
BDI
Source: Nitrex

“The decision to integrate a Nitrex system was influenced by the expertise of the V’Steels team, several members of whom have prior experience with Nitrex from their previous roles. Our strong relationship and the team’s deep understanding of Nitreg® technologies made this an easy choice,” said Utku Inan of BDI Metal, Nitrex sales representative in Türkiyee. “We managed the installation and startup seamlessly, ensuring optimal performance from the start. V’Steels’ positive feedback underscores their satisfaction with both the Nitrex system and our comprehensive support.”

Marcin Stokłosa
Project Manager
NITREX Poland
LinkedIn.com

“The integration of the Nitrex system will significantly enhance the performance and reliability of tool steels, resulting in longer-lasting and more efficient tooling for V’Steels’ customers,” said Marcin Stoklosa, technical sales manager – EMEA region at Nitrex. “By utilizing Nitreg® technologies, V’Steels is set to offer finished tooling that endures longer under operational stress, translating into increased throughput and reduced downtime for their clients. This advanced treatment not only boosts tool durability but also improves operational value, giving V’Steels’ customers a competitive edge through superior tool steel quality and consistency.”

The press release is available in its original form here.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

Volkan Steels Expands Production Capabilities With Nitriding/Nitrocarburizing System Read More »

Fringe Friday: Furnace Designed To Fit Medical Industry Supplier Specs

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS

We’re celebrating getting to the “fringe” of the weekend with a Heat Treat Fringe Friday covering news about a Class A safety batch furnace delivered to a supplier to the medical industry. The components manufacturer needed equipment that would accommodate the doorway dimensions of its facility and found a Pennsylvania-based international industrial and laboratory furnace manufacturer able to design one to fit the specs. 

While not exactly heat treat, “Fringe Friday” deals with interesting developments in one of our key markets: aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, or general manufacturing.

A supplier to the medical industry recently purchased a Class A safety oven from an international industrial and laboratory furnace manufacturer. The Pennsylvania-based provider designed the batch furnace for ease of move-in and installation, modified to an overall height of 79 inches and width of 45” to accommodate the ceiling height and doorway dimensions at the client’s facility.

Blue M® manufactured the furnace with a temperature range of 15°C (59°F) above ambient to 316°C (601°F). The temperature is controlled by a Watlow EZ Zone PM controller with advanced PID control algorithm. The controller offers TRU-TUNE™ adaptive control for tight control and auto-tune for a quick, efficient start up.

 “Blue M offers customers the flexibility to request engineered-to-order modifications to our standard oven designs,” said Jonathan Young, product manager at Blue M. “This Class A oven features custom exterior dimensions to accommodate the customer’s facility ceiling height and doorways. This is the second unit with these special dimensions that this customer has ordered.”

The interior chamber has dimensions of a 48″ W x 24″ D x 48″ and is constructed with 304 stainless steel. All of the seams and ports of the interior chamber are Heli-Arc welded vapor tight to prevent fume infiltration and buildup of flammable materials between the chamber walls. The unit includes five (5) 304 stainless steel slotted shelves with rolled fronts for ease of product loading. Each shelf is capable of holding a 75lb product load.

Blue M is located in New Columbia, PA, owned by Thermal Product Solutions.

The press release is available in its original form here.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

Fringe Friday: Furnace Designed To Fit Medical Industry Supplier Specs Read More »

Defense Industry Manufacturer Expands Heat Treating Capabilities

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

A defense industry manufacturer has purchased an inert atmosphere batch oven for processing stainless steel parts in a reduced oxygen environment to prevent scaling. The furnace is designed to use a nitrogen atmosphere system to reduce surface oxidation of parts and includes a flow meter calibrated for nitrogen and controlled via closed loop to maintain the reduced oxygen level.

Wisconsin Oven Corporation shipped the system, which has a maximum temperature rating of 1,250°F with the capacity to heat and cool approximately 6,000 lbs. of steel per load in an inert atmosphere. The temperature is controlled by a Watlow F4T digital recorder/controller with ethernet communication capabilities. Temperature uniformity of +/- 10°F at 1,000°F and 1,200°F was verified with a nine-point profile test.

Mike Grande
Vice President of Sales
Wisconsin Oven Corporation
Source: Wisconsin Oven Corporation

The oven features a “CAN” style construction with a heavy plate exterior, a total of six inches of insulation, and an 18-gauge 304 stainless steel interior. To maximize throughput and productivity, the oven is designed with a pneumatically operated vertical lift door and powered load/unload table capable of handling up to 6,000 lbs., along with a water cooling system to reduce the cooling time, to allow for faster production cycles.

“This inert atmosphere oven includes several state-of-the-art features that increase production throughput and provide reduced surface oxidation,” said Mike Grande, vice president of sales at Wisconsin Oven. “These include water cooling to reduce the cooling time at the end of the cycle, closed-loop nitrogen control to prevent nitrogen overconsumption, oxygen and humidity sensors to provide real time data, and an industrial IoT system to connect the unit to the Wisconsin Oven aftermarket team for remote data monitoring and tech support.” 

The press release is available in its original form here.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

Defense Industry Manufacturer Expands Heat Treating Capabilities Read More »

Piston Rings Manufacturer Bolsters Production with 3rd Nitriding System

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, NITRIDING NEWS

Asimco Shuanghuan Piston Ring Co., Ltd. has added a third nitriding system to its heat treating operations, enhancing piston ring production capabilities to serve a range of applications, including the automotive, commercial vehicle, construction machinery, and marine sectors. The compact furnace system was installed in line with two identical systems acquired in 2018 and 2021.

Nitrex installed the latest nitriding system in June, 2024, and Asimco began production in July with a goal to increase its annual production capacity of 180 million pieces and over 4,800 different varieties and specifications. Nitrex’s NITREG®-S stainless steel nitriding technology improves wear resistance, corrosion resistance, fatigue strength, surface hardness, and dimensional stability of piston rings, while reducing friction. These improvements result in better sealing, lower oil consumption, and overall enhanced engine efficiency and durability.

Nikola Dzepina
Nitrex Regional Manager – Asia
Source: NITREX

“The addition of the NXK-812 furnace aligns with Asimco Shuanghuan’s objectives to boost production volume and ensure precision and reliability in high-volume manufacturing,” said Tao Liu, sales manager at Nitrex China.

“By incorporating an additional Nitrex system into their operations, Asimco enhances its ability to produce stainless-steel piston rings with superior performance, durability, and reliability. This advanced treatment makes their products exceptionally suited for high-demand engine applications,” said Nikola Dzepina, account executive at Nitrex.

The press release is available in its original form here.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

Piston Rings Manufacturer Bolsters Production with 3rd Nitriding System Read More »

Aluminum Parts Manufacturer Increases Capacity with Melting Furnace

/ ALUMINUM PROCESSING NEWS, ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

A melting and holding furnace with a preheat hearth and a maximum temperature rating of 1,450°F (788°C) has been shipped to a manufacturer to increase capacity for processing aluminum parts.

Lindberg/MPH announced the shipment of a gas-fired reverberatory aluminum melting and holding furnace with a total holding capacity of 85,000 lbs based on 155 lbs per cubic ft. of molten aluminum and a melt rate of 10,000 pounds per hour. A full width vertically rising air operated door provides access to load the preheat hearth and a full width cleanout door at the rear allows for unloading.

Kelley Shreve
General Manager
Lindberg/MPH
Source: Lindberg/MPH

This melting furnace is designed with an elevated base and bottom mounted magnetic stirring mechanism. An air pressure pump well for dispensing molten aluminum provides the operator with greater ease of use and allows the unit to stand idle over long periods of time such as weekends without having a large temperature differential between the pumper and the furnace.

“This aluminum melting furnace design provides maximum melting efficiency and large capacity. The customer supplied magnetic stirring mechanism helps reduce damaging oxide growth,” said Kelley Shreve, general manager at Lindberg/MPH.

The press release is available in its original form here.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

Aluminum Parts Manufacturer Increases Capacity with Melting Furnace Read More »

EV Chassis Production Expands With Retort Furnace

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, NITRIDING NEWS

ev chassis production expands with retort furnace

An international manufacturer of electric vehicles (EVs) is adding an advanced retort pit furnace for the production of EV chassis. The equipment’s larger working space will allow for the nitriding of very large die elements needed to produce this automotive equipment.

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

“This is the fourth SECO/WARWICK furnace for this global manufacturer of electric vehicles. Our product solves the challenge of nitriding dies for the production of large-sized chassis, using a working space with a diameter of 1,600 mm and a height of 2,800 mm. We delivered a similar solution to this partner last year,” said Maciej Korecki, vice-president of the SECO/WARWICK Vacuum Segment. 

The equipment provided to the company has a compact design with vacuum purging, electric heating supported by an internal circulation fan, and an external cooling system. The retort and heating system’s special design as well as the gas installation ensures long and reliable operation in industrial conditions. The solution is based on a standard vertical VR retort furnace with an enlarged working space (Ø 1600 mm/63 in and 2800 mm/110.2 in effective height), which will allow the manufacturer to nitride the huge dies used for electric car chassis. 

The press release is available in its original form here.

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

EV Chassis Production Expands With Retort Furnace Read More »

image of a white airplane on a runway, sunny skies in the bg; inset of split image, blue furnace on left, furnace interior on right

Aerospace Industry Acquires Box Furnace for Heat Treating Parts

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

An aerospace company has purchased a rod overbend box furnace to heat treat parts under an inert atmosphere. The heat treating furnace has a maximum temperature rating of 2,000°F and a load capacity of 6,000 lbs.

The box furnace, which was manufactured and shipped by Michigan-based Lindberg/MPH, has an automated load transfer table and is designed to heat treat parts in a nitrogen atmosphere. A nitrogen gas flow meter controls the atmospheric conditions. 

The box furnace includes an automated load transfer table. Under the table, five (5) fans with a variable-frequency drive provide accelerated cooling. The load table utilizes a pusher/puller mechanism to move parts trays in and out of the furnace.

The furnace’s radiant heating system uses heavy-gauge alloy rod over-bend heating elements mounted along the side walls and the floor. Two (2) Watlow F4T controllers control and record the furnace temperature, which allows for seven (7) zones of heating. The box furnace also meets Class 3 temperature uniformity of ±15°F at 1,000°F – 1,800°F.

 

The press release is available in its original form here.

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

Aerospace Industry Acquires Box Furnace for Heat Treating Parts Read More »