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.
Nitriding systems have expanded the operations at two global companies: a gear manufacturer for the automotive industry and a fuel injection systems manufacturer for the marine machinery industry. In both cases, the systems will be integrated into existing installations in order to increase production capacity.
NXHL-910512 nitriding furnace Source: Nitrex
A Chinese gear manufacturer has added a fourth Nitrexnitriding furnace to its automated gear production, which includes the manufacturing of transmission gears, transfer case gears, synchronizers, and engine-gear rings for both local automotive OEMs and global markets.
“This expansion goes beyond capacity enhancement; it elevates the manufacturer’s in-house capabilities and tightens production controls,” said Tao Liu, sales manager at Nitrex China. “It allows the company to focus resources on driving innovation and sustainability across domestic and international vehicle markets, including the growing new energy vehicle (NEV) sector.”
A third Nitrex nitriding system has been installed at a manufacturer specializing in high-performance fuel injection systems for diesel engines in maritime vessels. The new NX-815 batch furnace with a 3300 lb. (1,500 kg) load capacity is specifically tailored for processing carbon steel and stainless steel parts and meets stringent requirements of the shipbuilding and industrial marine industries.
“As environmental regulations propel the shift towards alternative energy-powered ships, our advanced nitriding technologies play a crucial role. We are proud to support their expansion into stainless steel applications,” said Tao Liu.
Press releases are available in their original form hereand here.
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/WARWICKfurnace 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.
Toyota Material Handling is investing nearly $100M for a new 295,000-square-foot facility at its Columbus, Indiana, headquarters, adding 85 manufacturing jobs by June 2026. The project will house Toyota’s manufacturing processes, which include the production of electric forklifts and material handling products.
“We are excited about this significant strategic expansion to our Columbus campus,” said Tony Miller, senior vice president of Engineering, Operations & Strategic Planning at Toyota Material Handling, at a recent groundbreaking ceremony. “Electric products are more popular than ever, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep up with increased demand.”
“Electric forklifts make up 65% of the North American market and this trend towards electrification in the material handling industry will continue to grow,” said Brett Wood, president & CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America and senior executive officer for Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO). “This investment is one of the largest in our history and signifies TICO’s commitment to the North American market, the state of Indiana, the city of Columbus, and most importantly, our dealers and our customers.”
Photo Pictured L to R: Brett Wood, Toyota Material Handling North America President & CEO; Eric Holcomb, Governor of Indiana; Bill Finerty, Toyota Material Handling President & CEO; Tony Miller, Toyota Material Handling Senior Vice President of Engineering, Operations & Strategic Planning
The press release is available in its original form here.
An aerospace, industrial gas turbine, and automotive market leader has expanded its heat treatment operations with a recently purchased air atmosphere furnace. Connecticut-based Doncaster Precision Castings will use the new furnace to support annealing, tempering, and heat treatment of steel and castings.
Doncaster Precision Castings previously received a similar model for use in its heavy-duty industrial processes within the aerospace and automotive sectors. The furnace, supplied by L&L Special Furnace, has a maximum temperature of 1850°F (1010°C) and a capacity to handle a typical load weight of 2,000 pounds.
The press release is available in its original form here.
Today’s News from Abroad installment brings us news of a climate-neutral metallurgical thermal process center in Germany, a twin-ladle furnace station in Brazil, and a Korean steel maker gaining furnace efficiency.
Heat TreatTodaypartners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe.
ArcelorMittal Brasil Orders Twin-Ladle Furnace Station from Danieli
ArcelorMittal’s Tubarão integrated steel plant in Serra, Espirito Santo state, where Danieli will install twin-ladle furnace station. Source: furnaces-international.com
“ArcelorMittal Brasil has chosen Danieli Centro Met technology and equipment for a twin-ladle furnace station to be installed at the Tubarão integrated steel plant in Serra, Espirito Santo state, where 7+ Mt/yr of high-quality, flat carbon steel products are produced. The new twin-ladle furnace station will be placed in the melt-shop bay between converters and continuous casting machines to complete the refining area, remove sulphur contents and make quality adjustments to the steel bath, to produce USIBOR steel for automotive applications.”
TU Bergakademie Freiberg Opens Climate-Neutral Metallurgical Thermal Processing Center
At TU Bergakademie Freiberg, the simulation of a torch in a test furnace is part of developing technologies that could replace the natural gas burners of the future. Source: TU Bergakademie Freiberg
“’Our goal is emission-free thermal processes, which we optimize through a closed loop system,’ says Professor Gotthard Wolf, head of the Foundry Institute at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. In order to get closer to this goal, two technologies have already been developed at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg that could replace the natural gas burners of the future. When using green electricity, the process step of melting, for example of aluminum, becomes completely CO2-free. These are a plasma-heated hot gas flare and an inductively heated got gas flare. ‘Each of the electrically operated flares could be replaced in existing melting furnaces without the mostly medium-sized foundry companies having to invest in alternative furnaces,’ explains Professor Wolf.”
Tenova’s NextGen® System Enhances Dongkuk Steel Mill Furnace Efficiency
The installation and commissioning of Tenova’s NextGen® will provide enhanced EAF efficiency, real-time monitoring, and control capabilities. Source: furnaces-international.com
“Dongkuk Steel Mill Co. Ltd., a leading steelmaker in Korea, has recently contracted Tenova Goodfellow, Inc, a subsidiary of Tenova, a leading developer and provider of sustainable solutions for the green transition of the metals industry, to improve its furnace efficiency. The scope of the contract involves the supply and installation of Tenova’s NextGen® System at Dongkuk’s Incheon Plant in Dong-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea. The Next-Gen® System, tailored for Dongkuk Steel’s 120-ton AC shaft furnace, incorporates advanced hardware and temperature sensors for off-gas measurement which include two sampling stations and a central cabinet.”
As part of their strategic efforts to enhance forging capabilities, Topçesan recently invested in a compact batch-type furnace with a 1,200 kg capacity, designed for nitriding and nitrocarburizing forging dies. These dies are utilized in the production of engine parts, transmission components, and chassis parts for vehicle manufacturing, catering to automotive clients like BMW, Tofaş, Fiat, and ZF Group across Europe and Türkiye.
Utku Inan
Sales Representative in Türkiye
Nitrex
Source: Nitrex
By integrating nitriding and nitrocarburizing processes into their operations, Topçesan aims to prolong the lifespan of their forging dies, increasing component production while reducing tooling costs. The NXK-812 compact batch-type furnace from Nitrex, a heat treat equipment supplier based in Canada, includes an ammonia dissociator; this will be essential for precision controlling nitriding potential, particularly when treating specific alloys that must align with AMS 2759/10 and AMS 2759/12 specifications.
Utku Inan, the Nitrex sales representative in Türkiye, commented, “This marks the first collaboration between Topçesan and Nitrex, and we’re truly excited to embark on this journey together. Our shared goal is to pursue operational excellence and maximize product potential within the forging and automotive supply chain industries.”
Topçesan is making a strategic investment that will not only enhance its in-house capabilities and cost efficiency but also contribute to a more efficient and sustainable future. According to Marcin Stoklosa, technical sales manager at Nitrex, “The operating software of the Nitrex system ensures optimal production media and utility consumption throughout the process, providing the customer with detailed analysis after each operation. This technological advancement underscores our commitment to customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, ensuring superior performance.”
An international manufacturer of heat exchangers is expecting a new EV/CAB line to support their production of components, subsystems, and system solutions for thermal management in cars. The company provides energy-saving and high-performance products for regular petroleum and diesel fueled cars, as well as solutions for new electric vehicles.
Piotr Skarbiński Vice President of Aluminum and CAB Products Segment SECOWARWICK Source: LinkedIn
“The EV/CAB line on order is designed specifically for the production of “Snake” type battery coolers,” said Piotr Skarbiński, VP of the Aluminum Process and CAB Business Segment in SECO/WARWICK. He further commented that the heating and cooling design “contributes to the final product’s exceptional quality using our unique technology that achieves excellent temperature uniformity across the width of the belt, which is the key to successful production.”
The company will execute their first “Snake” battery coolers in SECO/WARWICK furnaces. This is the eighth CAB line which will operate in this automotive industry manufacturer’s plants and the second one with a width of 2,300 mm.
The controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB) line on order will include a convection preheating chamber, a radiation furnace and two cooling chambers. The entire system will be equipped with a dedicated control system.
“This cooperation opens new perspectives for the SECO/WARWICK Group development in our region. The excellent heating and cooling design contributes to perfect temperature uniformity across the 2300 mm belt width, which is the key to successful production. We have already sold over 20 such solutions in China, and the demand for them is constantly growing,” commented Liu Yedong, Managing Director of SECO/WARWICK China.
Around the world, the demand for battery coolers is increasing due to the increasing production of electric vehicles.
This press release is available in its original form here.
A custom-built vacuum induction melting (VIM) equipment is set to expand thermal processing for a manufacturer, whose operations already has two VIM solutions.
The furnace will be fabricated at the Buffalo headquarters of Retech, a SECO/WARWICK Group subsidiary, to capitalize on available schedule improvements. As custom equipment, the subsidiary’s furnaces are not dependent on assembly-line style construction, so they can be fabricated and assembled just in either location.
While this client prefers not to divulge this VIM’s application, Retech’s solution can handle casting a wide range of materials used in applications from automotive and consumer products to critical, high-value equiaxed, directionally solidified, or single-crystal aerospace parts. Almost every furnace Retech makes is modified to meet the specifications and associated applications of its clients.
VIM from the Retech Buffalo, NY location.
Source: SECO/WARWICK
Sudosilo S.A., a commercial heat treatment service provider in South America, is bringing premier nitriding to the Argentine industrial sector with the recent commissioning of turnkey heat treat installation. This newly operational nitriding system represents a significant milestone as the first of its kind in Argentina, offering third-party heat treatment services to the region.
Source: Nitrex
The integration of this system from NITREX — a global supplier of heat treat systems with North American locations — is set to establish a new benchmark for quality and precision in nitriding treatments. Particularly, it will help Sudosilo cater to various sectors, including aluminum injection, aluminum extrusion, forging, and oil applications.
Jerónimo Alberto Colazo Production Manager Sudosilo
Jerónimo Alberto Colazo, production manager at Sudosilo, highlighted, “The competitive edge of this installation lies in its meticulous control and automation capabilities, ensuring process stability and the ability to generate specialized processes and recipes tailored to unique requirements of each application. This high level of customization and precision guarantees superior quality, meeting the intricate demands of industries served by Sudosilo.”
This press release is available in its original form here.
