PAI Industries, a manufacturer of parts to the heavy-duty truck industry, has expanded its in-house heat treatment with a NANO vacuum furnace system.
The Georgia-based company partnered with vacuum furnace manufacturer ECM USA to transition its production line from out-sourced heat treatment to in-house vacuum technology in order to perform low pressure carburizing and through hardening around the clock.
The upgraded system will increase capacity and expedite production at PAI’s 112,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The NANO furnace system is comprised of one module with three stacked up heating cells (which can be extended to six heating cells, corresponding to two heating modules) and gas quenching cells to quench the parts. The carburizing cells are stacked up to reduce the footprint’s installation as much as possible. The furnace system integrates directly into the production line which allows it to reduce the cycle time while simplifying the flow between the machining and heat treatment.
The press release is available in its original form here.
An Italian heat treater enhanced its operations with the installation of control cabinets, allowing for real-time data analysis and more efficient management of its carburizing processes. The improvement helped minimize downtime and optimize furnace performance.
Daniel Panny Product Manager and Head UPC-Marathon Europe
Despite the robustness of their three batch IQ furnaces, T.T.M. Trattamenti Termici dei Metalli Srlidentified an opportunity to redefine their approach to furnace controls and automation and partnered with UPC-Marathon, a Nitrexcompany, to breathe new life into their aging systems. The project entailed the installation of control cabinets equipped with advanced process controllers, the integration of the controllers into a SCADA system for advanced monitoring and control capabilities. To complement T.T.M.’s technological upgrades, UPC-Marathon also installed a new gas cabinet.
“This strategic investment in modernizing the furnace controls with UPC-Marathon proved not only highly effective in resolving immediate challenges with aging controls but also more cost-effective than replacing the three furnaces,” said Daniel Panny, product manager and head of UPC-Marathon Europe.
The press release is available in its original form here.
François Studer SA, a Swiss commercial heat treater with 45 years of experience, will advance their hardening capabilities with the order of two furnaces: a vacuum furnace with 15 bar abs high-pressure gas hardening and a furnace for tempering with vacuum purging.
The new solutions from SECO/WARWICK will help increase processing capacity while maintaining the processed element’s high precision and quality. This is important to the heat treater, a hardening plant that processes two truckloads of charges every day.
“We are constantly developing,” commented Francois Studer, CEO of Francois Studer S.A. “We needed to add the capacity to utilize vacuum carburizing, pre-nitriding for carburizing technology and low-pressure carbonitriding, and the new Vector fits these needs perfectly. The retort furnace, on the other hand, significantly increases the hardening plant’s processing capacity in terms of time-consuming tempering and nitriding processes using ZeroFlow technology.”
The vacuum furnace on order by the hardening plant enables efficient processes to be carried out at a vacuum level in both medium and high ranges. The round heating chamber allows for oversized loads. Combined with dedicated LPC, HPGQ technology and a high vacuum system, the furnace will meet the heat treater’s requirements for hardening and carburizing a wide range of various parts.
Maciej Korecki Vice President of Business of the Vacuum Furnace Segment SECO/WARWICK
The partial pressure system used helps to prevent evaporation and sublimation of alloying elements from the load surface during the vacuum heat treatment or vacuum brazing process. Partial pressure control is important when processing many materials to prevent the heating chamber evaporation and contamination. Isothermal quenching provides control of the cooling process by automatically managing the load temperature and the gas blower motor control using a frequency converter. The carburizing and low pressure carbonitriding (LPCN) options, which the furnace for François Studer SA is equipped with, enables precision processing to increase the steel surface hardness during the entire thermal process.
“The Vector furnace will streamline and increase the hardening process capacity and improve process efficiency. The advantage of this product is a large working space which can be adjusted to an oversized load, using the round heating chamber’s advantages. This is the so-called golden mean for many commercial heat treaters, also because it can be equipped with numerous additional options. With limited production areas, multifunctional, failure-free furnaces are worth their weight in gold for commercial heat treatment,” added Maciej Korecki, VP of the Vacuum Furnaces Team at SECO/WARWICK.
The second furnace on order is a horizontal retort furnace for gas nitriding using ZeroFlow technology and for high tempering with vacuum purging.
The press release is available in its original form here.
NGC Gears, a manufacturer of wind power gearboxes, has completed the installation of two additional Endothermic generators from a manufacturer with North American locations.
UPC-Marathon, a Nitrex company, installed the Endo generators at NGC Gears‘ its new facility in Jinhu, China. This acquisition brings the total of generator sets to five since 2022, collectively generating an impressive 800 m³/h (22,252 ft3/h) capacity of Endothermic gas supplied to carburizing and hardening furnaces used for processing various gear components. The latest installations in February and March of 2024 support the heat treating operations of the company’s wind energy gearbox production.
NGC’s decision to expand capacity is in response to the growing demand for wind power solutions in China and globally. The new Endothermic gas generating systems will significantly enhance the company’s production capabilities, enabling NGC to meet increasing market needs with greater efficiency and reliability.
EndoFlex generators from UPC-Marathon (Source: Nitrex)
EndoFlex offers precise control of production media to the carburizing and hardening environments, leading to higher quality gear production with improved longevity and performance. The result is improved carburizing and hardening processes, higher-quality hardened gears, reduced operating costs, and increased efficiency, as well as immediate cost savings through reduced electricity and gas consumption and minimized waste.
Johnny Xu, general manager at UPC-Marathon China, shared, “The latest EndoFlex investments align with NGC’s development of low-consumption, high-efficiency gearbox products for large-scale onshore and offshore wind turbines.”
This press release is available in its original form here.
An Asian aircraft parts manufacturer has chosen a horizontal vacuum furnace intended for vacuum carburizing aircraft parts. The furnace will produce gears used in aircraft structural sub-assemblies.
Maciej Korecki, VP, Vacuum Furnace Segment at SECO/WARWICK (source: SECO/WARWICK)
The SECO/WARWICK furnace is designed for low-pressure carburizing (LPC), equipped with a horizontal chamber with dimensions of 900 x 600 x 600 mm and a graphite chamber with a gas hardening system at a pressure of 6 bar.
“LPC technology,” said Maciej Korecki, Vice-President of the SECO/WARWICK Group Vacuum Segment, “is an increasingly popular solution. Its main advantage is the ability to carry out an efficient and effective carburizing cycle in a much shorter time than in atmospheric furnaces. This furnace ensures higher productivity and consequently, lower process costs and a quick return on investment. Carrying out the process in vacuum, on the other hand, increases the operational safety, because it does not involve explosive and flammable gases. LPC eliminates direct CO₂ emissions from the carburizing atmosphere.”
The original press release from SECO/WARWICK is available here.
A technology research institute has chosen a heat treat vacuum furnace which will support research and development in the fields of materials engineering and machine construction and operation.
SECO/WARWICK will supply a Vector® vacuum furnace with high-pressure gas hardening and will include options for vacuum carburizing, pre-nitriding for carburizing technology, low-pressure nitriding (LPN), and low-pressure carbonitriding (LPCN).
This configuration provides precision performance in vacuum, ensuring steel detail surfaces are protected, and the ability to carry out hardening processes through the use of high cooling gas pressures (15 bar).
The small vacuum furnace will have a working space of 400x400x600 mm. With a round heating chamber, the furnace, despite its small size, can be used to test and perform research on many sizes of parts including work with large dimensions.
Says Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of the SECO/WARWICK Group, "We cooperate with scientific institutions all over the world because we are aware that industry development depends on their work. Many groundbreaking discoveries have already been made, but I am sure that many more are yet to come."
The R&D institute deals with methods of refining metal products by increasing their corrosion resistance and increasing mechanical properties, especially fatigue strength and resistance to wear in friction processes. The technological institute strives to disseminate and apply in practice the results of scientific research and development work, develops new technologies, and conducts service activities.
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A supplier of aviation and defense industry components, a NASA and Formula 1 partner has recently purchased a horizontal two-chamber furnace with oil quenching and LPC. The furnace will be used for the heat treatment of aviation parts.
SECO/WARWICK is supplying the CaseMaster Evolution® two-chamber, horizontal vacuum furnace with oil quenching consisting of a heating chamber and a quench bath equipped with a loading and unloading vestibule. The load cooling can be carried out in two different centers: dynamically in inert gas (1.5 bar abs) and in quench oil. This solution enables users to implement a variety of heat treatment and thermo-chemical processes, such as vacuum carburizing.
Noted Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK, “[This model] is one of the most frequently chosen furnaces for metalworking by the aviation industry."
The furnace can be switched on and off without additional time and energy expenditure. It does not require users to maintain the system at specific temperature parameters when at standstill, as is the case of traditional gas furnaces.
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Nitrex and Linde announced they have renewed and expanded their heat-treating focused joint marketing agreement. What started as a local agreement 13 years ago, between Nitrex and Linde, formerly known as UPC-Marathon and Praxair, respectively, has evolved into an international marketing agreement and now covers Europe and North America.
To date, Nitrex and Linde have worked together on over 30 projects. By using their complementary offerings, they have upgraded essential equipment and have helped customers achieve quality results. Nitrex provides Linde customers with equipment and analyses to control first-rate gas atmospheres, thanks to its competence in the heat treatment and electrical fields, technical solutions, support, and world-class gas panels.
“Our competencies complement each other,” says Roman Grosman, National Director of Business Development for Linde in the U.S. “In the event that Linde’s heat treatment clients require equipment that we do not offer, Nitrex can meet this need.”
“This continues to be a win-win relationship,” says Paul Oleszkiewicz, President, CPO & CSO of UPC-Marathon, a Nitrex company. “We can supply Linde gas customers with process controls, and in turn, Linde offers a reliable gas supply network. We are both aiming for the highest quality, efficiency, performance, and a greener tomorrow and providing optimal service for our customers.”
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A European subcontractor for the automotive and racing industries as well as a partner for teams participating in Formula 1 races has acquired a second vacuum furnace.
The order from SECO/WARWICK includes a Vector® vacuum furnace with 15 bar abs high pressure gas quenching, and high vacuum (HV). The furnace will process engine and gear components for vehicles racing large-scale motorsport competitions.
This partner provides carburizing, and various heat treatment services for titanium, aluminum and precipitation hardening of alloys. These services must be of aviation quality within the demanding timeframes required by European F1 teams.
In the new SECO/WARWICK furnace, the customer will execute vacuum heat treatment of titanium and its alloys and will perform vacuum carburizing processes for steel elements. Titanium alloys are very strong materials, but at the same time soft and plastic, which makes them difficult to machine. Low thermal conductivity and density creates an environment where the cutting material is subject to a strong thermal load and tends to harden.
The FIA regulations for Formula 1 racing specify in detail what material a part must consist of and how it must be manufactured. Titanium or titanium alloys are used for many engine parts and suspensions because they have high toughness, strength, and ductility, and are corrosion resistant. Formula 1 car components must be manufactured precisely and safely in both prototype and small series production.
The purpose of this particular model of Vector furnace will be unique, as carburizing and hardening of parts such as gears for engines and transmissions for high-performance F1 sports cars are not the typical processes for which SECO/WARWICK supplies its furnaces.
Commenting on this order, Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK, explained, "The vacuum furnace system which will be delivered to England has numerous options such as cryogenic processing, convection, FineCarb® vacuum carburizing, pre-nitriding for PreNitLPC® carburizing technology or low-pressure carbonitriding LPCN."
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Maciej Korecki Vice President of Business of the Vacuum Furnace Segment SECO/WARWICK
A manufacturer has chosen a heat treat vertical vacuum furnace designed to perform low-pressure carburizing for the large structural elements (gearboxes) used in wind power plants.
SECO/WARWICK Group, a manufacturer with North American locations, provided the furnace that combines two technologies: atmospheric and vacuum processing. This system provides: process purity, heating uniformity, and elimination of the oxidation effect at the grain boundary. The product solves the problem of high energy and process gas consumption by the partner’s old furnaces, and shortens the carburizing process.
"The Pit-LPC technology . . . increases the safety for users, because it does not involve explosive and flammable gases. LPC eliminates direct CO₂ emissions from the carburizing atmosphere,'" commented Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Products Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group.
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