A North American manufacturer has bolstered its heat treatment capabilities for annealing steel parts after induction hardening. The two-zone belt conveyor furnace shipped to the facility ensures precise temperature control, energy efficiency, and compliance with AIAG specification CQI-9.
“The customer chose to enhance the operating efficiency of the oven with the E-Pack™ Energy Efficiency Package. Depending on utility rates, operating temperature, and weekly usage, customers may achieve significant annual energy savings with this upgrade,” said Tom Trueman, senior application engineer for Wisconsin Oven Corporation.
Tom Trueman Senior Applications Engineer Wisconsin Oven Corporation
Wisconsin Oven Corporation designed the conveyor furnace with the capacity to heat 2,400 pounds of steel per hour from 70° to 350°F with a maximum temperature rating of 500°F and the ability to anneal the components after induction hardening. The recirculation system features a top-down airflow design with a 32,000 CFM blower, with each of the two zones utilizing 16,000 CFM. The temperature for both zones is controlled by a Watlow F4T digital recorder/controller, which provides Ethernet communication capabilities and PID temperature control with adaptive tuning. As a factor in its CQI-9 compliance, a temperature uniformity survey was conducted, documenting uniformity of ±10°F at 350°F with verified part soak.
To maximize energy efficiency, the oven has been upgraded with an E-Pack™ Energy Efficiency Package, which includes 2” thicker insulation in the walls, floor, and roof, as well as variable frequency drives on the recirculation blowers.
The press release is available in its original form here.
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.
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.
Nine heat treat furnaces are set to modernize the operations of a manufacturer’s heat treat facilities. This move is intended to create cleaner, safer, more cost-effective operations while also allowing for finer process control and a reduced carbon footprint.
The nine furnaces are being fabricated by SECO/VACUUM, a division of SECO/WARWICK Group: three Vector® vacuum furnaces and six tempering furnaces with supporting auxiliary systems. This returning heat treat client currently operates twelve SECO/VACUUM furnaces at their various locations throughout North America. They will incorporate the new furnaces as a continuation of their strategic planning to modernize all facilities from atmospheric heat treatment to vacuum processes.
Piotr Zawistowski Managing Director SECO/VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES, USA Source: SECO/WARWICK
Each of the nine units are front-loading, horizontally configured furnaces with a 36″ x 36″ x 48″ working volume and a 3300 lb. capacity. The Vector® is a single-chamber gas quenching vacuum furnace using high pressure quench (2 to 25 bar) which can be applied to a variety of heat treating processes and applications. These particular Vectors will be used primarily for hardening. Tempering is a process primarily used to increase the toughness of hardened ferrous-alloy parts. The tempering process is typically applied after a hardening process.
Heat treating operations will have to shut down entirely during the modernization changeover. To minimize disruption, SECO/VACUUM will also serve as the general contractor, overseeing the installation of the new furnaces, auxiliary systems, wiring, piping, and ventilation needed prior to commissioning and operator training.
“It is a testament to our commitment to our partner’s success that they not only continue to return for more furnaces, but that they place their trust us in to manage the entire project in order to get them back to serving their customers,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director at SECO/VACUUM.
The press release is available in its original form here.
An electric box furnace, currently headed to a Midwest equipment provider, will ultimately be installed at a Snap-on production facility that services tool and die support within the company’s production line.
The model QDD29 economical dual-chamber heat treating and tempering oven from L&L Special Furnace has a compact over/under design that saves floor space and provides reliable heat treating in-house.
QDD29 economical dual-chamber furnace (Source: L&L Special Furnace)
The top chamber is primarily deployed for heat treating tool steels at temperatures up to 2200°F; the tempering chamber is suited to temperatures up to 1250°F and has a recirculation baffle that makes it suitable for small aluminum work as well. The hardening and tempering chambers have interior dimensions of 12” wide by 8” high by 24” deep, with total external dimensions of 55” wide by 70” tall by 56” deep.
The QDD29 is controlled with digital single setpoint controls along with overtemperature protection. Solid-state relays drive the heating elements in a control circuit.
This press release is available in its original form upon request.
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Solar Atmospheres of Western PA recently commissioned their third car bottom air furnace. This Class 2 air furnace has a maximum operating temperature of 1350°F measures 60” wide x 38” high x 168” deep.
The newly installed equipment, manufactured by Heat Treat Equipment Inc., joins two other HTE car bottom furnaces that are 14’ long and 20’ long respectively.
“After successfully hardening in vacuum at 1850°F +/- 10°F, the fully hardened die was transferred to the air car bottom furnace for the triple temper operation of 1025°F +/- 10°F.” – Bob Hill, President, Solar Atmospheres WPA and Michigan Source: Solar AtmospheresRobert (Bob) Hill, FASM President Solar Atmospheres of Western PA Source: Solar Atmospheres
Bob Hill, president of Solar Atmospheres of Western PA and Michigan, states, “the addition of this large air tempering/aging equipment compliments our five (5) state of the art vacuum car bottom furnaces very nicely. Instead of hardening and triple tempering this 6000 pound H13 die exclusively in a vacuum environment, Solar can save our customers and our company over 100 hours of valuable and expensive vacuum processing time.”
He continues, “After successfully hardening in vacuum at 1850°F +/- 10°F, the fully hardened die was transferred to the air car bottom furnace for the triple temper operation of 1025°F +/- 10°F. These large and uniform car bottom furnaces are a win/win for both the customer and for production — not exclusively for heavy parts, but also when treating long components.”
This press release is available in its original form here.
A supplier to the railway industry has ordered a technological line consisting of two vacuum furnaces, three tempering furnaces, and two washers. The line will be utilized for hardening processes of steel parts used in railway rolling stock.
The SECO/WARWICK line for voestalpine Fastening Systems consists of an electric chamber furnace, a washer, a cooling station, and an endothermic atmosphere generator. The hardening process will be carried out in a controlled atmosphere with temperatures up to 1742°F.
Additionally, the technological line includes an electric chamber furnace designed for the heat treatment of steel parts in a protective nitrogen atmosphere at temperatures up to 1292°F, along with a washer, cooling station and endothermic generator. The line will include a loader operating in automatic mode, a set of roller tables and a closed loop water system. The number of the supplied technological line units is selected to ensure the quality of manufactured components.
Mariusz Raszewski, Deputy Director of the Aluminum Process and CAB Furnaces Team, SECO/WARWICK (Source: SECO/WARWICK)
Mariusz Raszewski, deputy director of the Aluminum Process and CAB Furnaces Team at SECO/WARWICK said, “The line is configured in such a way that if the volume of the company products decreases, the customer can also offer commercial processing due to the wide technological spectrum of this main furnace unit.”
The whole solution will be supervised by a master system, which is used for the continuous monitoring of the heat treatment equipment operation and provides advanced data analysis for the production processes.
Mariusz Fogtman, COO, voestalpine Fastening Systems (Source: voestalpine Fastening Systems)
“The universal furnace solution will allow [us] to process details in various configurations,” Mariusz Fogtman, COO of voestalpine Fastening Systems commented. “Apart from technological parameters, it is important for us to limit the processed details’ deformations, which is possible in the ordered solution. SECO/WARWICK presented a partnership and flexible approach to the challenge of this order”
This press release is available in its original form here.
Vacuum heat treat operations expand for ZDT Glimag, an entity providing services in the field of vacuum heat treatment, laboratory tests, and production of parts for mining machines.
The addition of this Vector® vacuum furnace will be the third vacuum furnace from SECO/WARWICK. The current design has an operating space of 600 x 600 x 900 mm and will be equipped with numerous options to allow a wide range of heat treatment processes for various steel grades. Main processes will include vacuum brazing, FineCarb® vacuum carburizing, and high-pressure hardening. The design of the chamber size will enable efficient heat treatment of large packages of test and research elements.
The efficiency of processes is also influenced by the ability to cool at 15 bar (which, unlike the old furnaces, eliminates the need to wash the parts after the process). In combination with inverter control, the system also helps reduce power consumption peaks, which are so problematic today. Another big advantage is low heat losses and appropriate temperature uniformity in the heating chamber, which is resistant to rapid wear and is easy to use and service.
Beata Kowalewska President of the Management Board – Financial Director of ZDT Glimag Source: LinkedIn
Beata Kowalewska, president of the Management Board – Financial Director of ZDT Glimag, comments: “Since the 1960s, we have been designing prototypes, conducting research and technological tests, and implementing new technologies for mining. We are currently in the process of materializing the project titled ‘Implementation of an innovative product resulting from research and development work: a brake pad with a composite friction layer with increased abrasion resistance,’ implemented under the European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG) 2021-2027 Program. FENG is a program supporting entrepreneurs in the area of broadly understood innovation. It places great emphasis on R&D activities.”
He continues, “The new SECO/WARWICK furnace fits perfectly into the policy of broadly understood modernity implemented in this project. It will streamline and expand the scope of heat treatment processes and improve their economics, taking into account energy savings and the graphite chamber efficiency. It will also ensure the process cleanliness and velocity. With the FineCarb® vacuum carburizing option, the technology also increases our flexibility and research capabilities. Additionally, this technology will allow us to perform more difficult processes requiring extremely low contamination levels, thanks to the ability to obtain the appropriate vacuum needed for these processes.”
Maciej Korecki VP of the Vacuum Furnace Segment SECO/WARWICK Source: SECO/WARWICK
Maciej Korecki, VP of the Vacuum Furnace Segment in the SECO/WARWICK Group, comments on ZDT Glimag saying, “It is a center very well oriented in the metal heat treatment industry, constantly testing new, innovative solutions that in turn make the mining industry more efficient. The new Vector will introduce revolutionary changes in the hardening plant, introducing innovation and a very wide range of precise processes.”
The Vector® line vacuum furnaces can be used in most standard vacuum carburizing, hardening, tempering, annealing, supersaturation, and brazing processes. At the same time, the solution can be adapted to the recipient’s individual requirements, and therefore to a specific industry, an attribute necessary for research centers that test innovative solutions for external customers.
The solution‘s characteristic features are convection heating, i.e., a system improving the heat transfer efficiency when heating at lower temperatures, and directional cooling, which allows complex, flimsy, and long elements to be cooled in various ways, minimizing their deformations. An additional advantage is the vacuum carburizing option, which allows users to carry out precise processes to increase the steel surface hardness (carburizing) during the entire thermal process.
The original press release from SECO/WARWICK Group is available here.
Tom Schulz Sales Manager L&L Special Furnace Source: L&L
An investment castings manufacturer's heat treat department received a large floor-standing box furnace from a North American specialty furnace company. The furnace will be used as support in the client's tool and die production along with tempering of finished castings.
The L&L model XLE3436 box furnace from L&L Special Furnace has an effective work zone of 34” wide by 22” high by 32” deep. It is equipped with a direct-lift vertical door with a floor switch to activate. The cantilevered vertical door eliminates the need for the upright structure to reduce the overall height of the equipment.
Tom Schulz, sales manager at L&L, highlights the key role this will play for the heat treat department, saying that this type of furnace is the company's “workhorse when it comes to thermal processing.”
The inert blanketing gas enables the part to be heat-treated with minimal surface de-carb. A stack light indicates the furnace status via an audible and visual indicator light mounted on top of the control.
Additionally, the furnace is equipped with a pyrometry package that has reference control thermocouple ports along with corner locations to record the high and low points within the unit as indicated by the latest temperature uniformity survey.
The original press release from L&L Special Furnace is available upon request.
Skana Aluminum Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has recently been supplied with an Exogas™ exothermic atmosphere generator.
The atmosphere generator from SECO/WARWICK USA, an American SECO/WARWICK Group subsidiary, provides an indirect-chilled exothermic atmosphere for annealing, brazing, normalizing, drawing, and tempering.
Says Marcus Lord, managing director of SECO/WARWICK USA, “At 30,000 CFH, it is one of the largest atmosphere generator units we’ve made to date. It should be plenty large enough to meet the exothermic atmosphere needs of the multiple processes within the Skana plant.”
Skana has also placed an order with the furnace supplier for a smaller atmospheric gas drier for use elsewhere in the plant.
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