AI Data Centers Spiking New Vacuum Furnace Orders
Who would have thought that Artificial Intelligence centers would cause new vacuum furnace orders to go through the roof? That is exactly what has been happening recently-"The Monty" has run across several vacuum manufacturers who report having received orders due to this increased demand.
AI centers required massive, continuous (24/7), and highly variable power which in many cases leaves only one solution, gas turbines. The advantages of gas turbines are obvious; they can be deployed in 12-24 months and can ramp up to full power in a matter of minutes, claims which most other power sources can't boast of.
Gas turbine manufacturers such as "Siemens", "GE" and "Mitsubishi" all maintain large in-house heat-treating departments, primarily focused on vacuum brazing furnaces. As demand grows for gas turbines so to does the need for vacuum furnaces.
As an example of increased demand "Siemens Energy" nearly doubled its gas turbine sales from 100 units in 2024 to 194 in 2025.
Not to be outdone "Mitsubishi" is planning on doubling it's production capacity by 2027 to meet this increasing demand.
While new gas turbines can be on line within 12-24 months the increased demand is causing a "bottleneck" in the production of new turbines with deliveries inching up to 6-8 years for some models.
A good example of a gas turbine supplier and their heat-treating requirements is "GE Gas Turbine" in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. In 2024 "The Monty Heat Treat News" rated this location as the 14th largest captive heat treater in North America; "15 Largest Captive Heat Treats-North America" with a total of 16 vacuum furnaces at that time.
You will be hearing more on this subject in the near future from "The Monty".
