Going way back to 2019 aerospace giant Pratt & Whitney announced a new facility in the Ashville, NC, USA area. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility was held November 16^th, you can read the details here further down. As part of this investment oven and furnace builder L&L Special Furnace issued a press release about shipping a box furnace to this facility, this press release can also be found further down. It would appear that the plans are progressing as they should and that as we speak additional furnaces are being installed in what will end up being a medium sized in house heat treatment department.

“$650 million aerospace manufacturing center in south Buncombe that is expected to create around 800 new jobs through 2027 held a ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 16 to celebrate construction of the majority of the exterior structure. The Pratt & Whitney facility will begin production in mid-2023, according to a news release from the company, and will build turbine airfoils for the company’s engines, which are used in both civilian and military airplanes. Pratt & Whitney has already begun hiring employees and has filled 118 of 150 positions the facility plans to open with. The average salary of those jobs is about $68,000, according to company spokesperson Cataldo Perrone. “Global companies like Pratt & Whitney can choose to locate anywhere, but they know they’ve made the smart move with North Carolina,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at the ribbon cutting, according to a news release. “This investment will strengthen our state’s manufacturing industry, bringing good paying jobs to Buncombe County for years to come.”

“JANUARY 14, 2021. L&L Special Furnace Co., Ships Box Furnace to New Pratt & Whitney Facility; Our understanding is that this box furnace is destined for the new Pratt & Whitney facility in Asheville, NC,  a location which will feature a brand new heat treating center. This project was announced back in 2020 and the plant is scheduled to open in early 2022.

​“L&L Special Furnace Co. has shipped a highly uniform box furnace to a major aerospace manufacturer located in the southeastern United States. The state-of-the-art-facility will be opening soon and be a central part of a new heat-treating center for aerospace and military components. The Model FB666 is a front-loading box furnace with a pneumatic vertical door. Its working dimensions are 60” wide by 60” high by 60” deep. There are a series of castable piers and an alloy grid that supply a very stable work platform for various part sizes and configurations.

​The furnace has a high-convection, air-cooled fan for air circulation and excellent uniformity at low temperatures. It was surveyed for performance prior to shipping and obtained certified temperature uniformity of ±10°F from 500°F to 2,000°F. There is also a venturi cooling system to aid in the cooling of the furnace interior along with an external modulating case cooling blower that provides fresh air intake to keep the furnace case temperature low during operation.

A manual 2,000lb. loader with rails and incorporated stops allows for the furnace to be easily loaded and unloaded. The loader moves on two low-profile rails and is indexed to the furnace front. Positive stops keep the furnace loader in line and prevent accidental impact with the rear or sides of the furnace.”

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