- New Vector vacuum furnace features a massive 1600 x 1500 x 2000 mm (63″ × 59″ × 79″) work zone.
- Designed for high-cleanliness processing of large titanium alloy castings.
- Includes an advanced high-vacuum system and gas cooling up to 6 bar.
- Features dew-point and partial-pressure control for process stability.
- Expands production capacity for aerospace, energy, and heavy industry.
The Vector vacuum furnace with gas cooling up to 6 bar and a high vacuum system will enable this Partner to expand its heat treatment capabilities for large castings and meet the growing quality requirements of the market. The contract confirms the sector’s trust in SECO/WARWICK technology.
For years, the British company has been developing competencies in advanced material technologies and the production of castings for the aerospace, energy and heavy industry sectors. The new system will increase annealing capabilities for large metal components and relieve the existing heat treatment installations at the plant. The furnace will be used for processing large titanium castings, among other things that require very high process cleanliness and highly uniform temperature distribution.
“The UK market is among the most demanding in Europe—both technologically and in terms of quality. All the more, we’re pleased that this Partner has once again chosen a SECO/WARWICK solution. This contract confirms their trust in our technologies and reflects years of cooperation with a Partner that knows our equipment well, and is satisfied with it. Customer decisions like this are an important sign of recognition for us – and a strong motivation to keep advancing vacuum technologies,” said Maciej Korecki, Vice President of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK.
Titanium alloy castings with Vector furnaces
The furnace is equipped with an advanced high-vacuum system based on two mechanical pumps, a Roots blower, and a diffusion pump. This configuration enables exceptionally clean processing—particularly important when heat treating titanium alloys and other demanding materials.
“This system was designed for heat treating large, demanding cast components. A key advantage of the furnace is its spacious work zone and very good temperature distribution in the heating chamber – achieved in part thanks to additional heating elements installed in the door and the rear wall of the chamber. Combined with an efficient high-vacuum system and gas cooling up to 6 bar, it’s possible to run extremely clean, repeatable annealing processes even for large components,” said Grzegorz Głuchowski, Sales Manager at SECO/WARWICK.
The furnace design also includes a dew point control system to prevent water vapor condensation, as well as a partial pressure system that limits evaporation of alloying elements during vacuum processes. These solutions improve process stability and protect hot zone components from contamination.
The new system will be the second vacuum furnace delivered by the SECO/WARWICK Group to this Partner. Expanding the technology base will enable the company to increase production capabilities and respond even more effectively to the market’s growing demand for advanced metal castings.
This investment confirms the growing role of vacuum technologies in the materials industry and their importance in manufacturing components for sectors with the highest quality requirements. For the market, it is also a clear signal that leaders in the foundry industry are investing in modern heat treatment solutions that enable the delivery of increasingly advanced materials.
The growing role of titanium heat treatment in modern industry
Titanium is characterized by an exceptionally favorable strength-to-weight ratio, very good corrosion resistance, and stable properties at elevated temperatures. These qualities make this material widely used in sectors such as aerospace, energy, space, medical, and chemical processing. To fully leverage the potential of titanium alloys, heat treatment must be tightly controlled to manage the material’s microstructure and achieve the required strength, ductility, and fatigue resistance.
Processes such as annealing, stress relieving, and solution treatment and aging help stabilize the structure of titanium alloys and remove stresses generated during casting, forging, or welding. For many industrial applications, extremely high process cleanliness is also essential, because at high temperatures, titanium readily reacts with oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. For this reason, heat treatment of titanium parts is very often performed in vacuum furnaces or in controlled protective atmospheres that prevent surface oxidation and material degradation. This ensures high process repeatability and maintains the highest surface quality of the components being treated.
The importance of titanium heat treatment continues to grow alongside advances in modern industrial technologies. Today’s aircraft and jet engines incorporate an increasing share of titanium alloys, as they reduce structural weight while maintaining very high strength. At the same time, new titanium alloys and additive manufacturing technologies are emerging – requiring even more advanced, precise heat treatment. As a result, demand is rising for modern vacuum furnaces capable of running processes at high vacuum, ensuring uniform temperature distribution and stable cooling parameters.”
SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 POSTING “Major USA Foundry Laying off Employees”, UPDATE! Monday September 21, 2002 as part of our “Heat Treatment “Monday Morning Briefing” we included this exclusive heat treat news item;
“A USA foundry and substantial supplier of cast furnace fixturing and components laid off most of their employees two weeks ago. Some employees remain but our understanding is that production has largely ceased. We will have updates on this story as they become available.”
“The Monty” is now in a position to provide an update. The foundry in question is “Alcon Industries” in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, a foundry which has long been one of the most well-known and respected in the North American heat treat industry. Details remain “sketchy” but our understanding is that the company has had a number of layoffs and a reader received the response below from Alcon just last week in response to an e-mailed RFQ.
“We are currently undergoing a layoff period, and a conclusion date has not yet been set. As a result, quoting is temporarily paused, and I have no new status updates. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time, and I will share further updates as they become available.
“SELLACAN has received another order from its long-standing partner AKG for the delivery of two CAB (Controlled Atmosphere Brazing) furnace plants equipped with an integrated vacuum/purge system. The new equipment will be installed at AKG’s production sites in Brazil and China.
This order further expands the use of SELLACAN furnace technology within AKG’s international production network. CAB furnace lines supplied by SELLACAN are already in operation at AKG sites in India, Mexico, and Germany. AKG’s products are used in a wide range of demanding applications, including trains, buses and passenger cars, agricultural and construction machinery, high-performance generators, power electronics, wind turbines, and aviation cooling systems. The furnace technology from SELLACAN supports the manufacture of these high-performance cooling solutions and ensures controlled and reproducible conditions during the brazing process.
The CAB tower furnace plants – comprising a degreasing/drying/preheating oven, a preparation/cooling chamber, a CAB brazing chamber, final air cooling, and a telescopic/sliding loading table – are designed to offer maximum flexibility when brazing various types of aluminum heat exchangers. The components can vary in size, weight, and design, and the furnace technology can also handle XXL dimensions..
An operational advantage is that the brazing lines support both vertical and horizontal brazing within the same furnace. This dual capability allows operators to process a wide variety of heat exchanger types and configurations on a single plant, including charge air coolers (CAC), oil coolers, and plate-and-bar (P&B) heat exchangers. Different core types can also be easily interchanged, providing flexibility for a broad spectrum of applications.
The furnace technology is suitable for test series and the development of heat exchangers as well as for large-scale series production. This combination allows manufacturers to use the same furnace technology for development activities and series production, adapting to different production requirements.
Low energy consumption, short heat-up times, and simple standby operation additionally contribute to efficient furnace operations. The automatic brazing rack circulation supports the handling of different heat exchanger batches within the production process. A key feature of the CAB furnace series for AKG is the integrated vacuum/purge system. It is designed to replace the remaining air inside the heat exchanger with a nitrogen atmosphere prior to the brazing process, thereby significantly reducing the oxygen content inside the component.
This additional process step is particularly beneficial for heat exchangers with complex or difficult-to-access internal channel geometries. By reducing the oxygen content in the component before it enters the brazing furnace, the system creates an optimized, controlled, and reproducible atmosphere for the subsequent brazing process, ensuring reliable brazing quality in demanding heat exchanger applications.
Key Benefits
The combination of flexible CAB furnace technology and the vacuum/purge system offer:
· The system allows flexible processing of different heat exchanger types, sizes, and weights.
· The furnace technology is fully suitable for XXL heat exchanger dimensions.
· Both vertical and horizontal brazing can be performed in the same furnace.
· Operators can easily switch between different heat exchanger core types.
· The technology is suitable for both development tasks and large-scale series production.
· Low energy consumption and short heat-up times ensure high efficiency.
· Temperature management features precise control with up to ten heating zones.
· Controlled and repeatable brazing conditions ensure reproducible atmospheres.
· The vacuum/purge system effectively removes ambient air and reduces the oxygen content inside the heat exchanger.
· Reduction of flux consumption
· Enhanced process reliability and repeatability significantly improve overall process safety.
With the two additional furnace lines for Brazil and China, SELLACAN continues to support AKG’s international production capacities for aluminum heat exchangers, complementing the systems already in use in Mexico, India, and Germany.”
“A USA foundry and substantial supplier of cast furnace fixturing and components laid off most of their employees two weeks ago. Some employees remain but our understanding is that production has largely ceased. We will have updates on this story as they become available.”
“The Monty” is now in a position to provide an update. The foundry in question is “Alcon Industries” in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, a foundry which has long been one of the most well-known and respected in the North American heat treat industry. Details remain “sketchy” but our understanding is that the company has had a number of layoffs and a reader received the response below from Alcon just last week in response to an e-mailed RFQ.
“We are currently undergoing a layoff period, and a conclusion date has not yet been set. As a result, quoting is temporarily paused, and I have no new status updates. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time, and I will share further updates as they become available. “Thank you,
Mr. Raman Bawa is President of commercial heat treater Metex Heat Treating in Brampton, Ontario, Canada one of North America’s largest commercial heat treaters and a company which focuses strongly on large volume automotive work.
In 2024 the company acquired another local commercial heat treater by the name of “Exactatherm”, a facility which focuses on aerospace heat treating.
During a recent meeting between Jordan Montgomery of “The Monty Heat Treat News” and Raman the conversation shifted to the differences between automotive heat treating and aerospace heat treating. Raman’s comments were so concise and “down to earth” that we asked if he would be willing to put them into writing-this is the result;
Jordan Montgomery: It has now been almost 3 years since you acquired “Exactatherm” and consequently entered the aerospace heat treat market. Is there a substantial difference between the two or is heating metal the same whether it is an auto part or a plane part?
Raman Bawa: The principles are the same, but our approach is quite different. At Exactatherm, we run our equipment gently to keep it running tight and keep temperature uniformity stable and robust. We use generous ramp rates that let the furnace come up to temperature slowly, and we often have long gaps between loads. It may be inefficient, but the tolerances in aerospace demand that the equipment run extremely well.
At Metex, our equipment still meets the strict standards of CQI-9, but we run it much harder and make sure we minimize any lost time between loads. That’s a must to meet the volumes and pricing automotive requires.
Jordan Montgomery: For the auto industry you need CQI-9 certifications amongst others, for the aerospace industry it is of course Nadcap-how different are the two systems? This of course leads to the obvious question-which do you prefer?
Raman Bawa: The CQI-9 requirements, while sometimes challenging, are practical and important for building a system where high-volume heat treatment can succeed. It casts a wide net across the QMS to capture the key areas required in heat treatment. With high-volume automotive work, we’re only sampling our treated product to confirm it meets spec — that kind of volume needs very strong system controls to ensure every piece is treated correctly without checking every single one.
Nadcap is deep and prescriptive on the physics of the process — it gives detailed requirements on how orders are received and stored, equipment capabilities, the conditions that must be met before processing, and in-process controls. It’s extensive across the board.
I’ll take the diplomatic answer here and say both are strong in their respective areas. CQI-9 is well suited to automotive, where we deal in pounds, not pieces — it strikes the right balance for a high-volume production environment. Nadcap’s intricate requirements, covering every area, matter when you consider the specialized nature of the industry.
Jordan Montgomery: Metex is use to eye watering volumes, for instance your website claims 80 million pounds of parts processed per year. I would have to assume that your aerospace work is measured in 10’s of thousands of parts per year. How do you get your head around these radically different volumes?
Raman Bawa: It took a while to adjust. We run roughly 300,000 lbs a day at Metex, and at that volume the pace has always been go, go, go. Most of our jobs are awarded to our customers first and then flow to us, so once we’ve gone through our approval process, we’re confident a certain volume of that part number will keep coming. That let us make every system highly efficient — order entry is streamlined, our loading process and recipes are set, and our quality checks are streamlined. We can get 20,000 lbs in from a customer in the morning and return it that afternoon, every day of the week, and our systems are built to run that accurately and consistently.
In aerospace, our customers are often medium to small machine shops. We hold approvals for many parts across a number of aircraft, but the frequency we receive those parts varies a lot, and our customers themselves often don’t have great insight into when parts will actually reach us for heat treatment. We tried building the same kind of system at Exactatherm, but the variability in when parts actually arrive made that tough to streamline. A good example is fixturing: we have a vacuum oil quench furnace that can run up to 3,000 lbs — think of it as analogous to a batch IQ. Some aerospace parts come in every month, and our furnace could fit at least three months of that production in a single load, but our customer has no way of making that many parts at once, and I don’t think the release system in aerospace could even tell us how many parts will need to be made at a given time.
Jordan Montgomery: Metex has always had batch IQ furnaces, mesh belt furnaces and induction systems whereas “Exactatherm” is generally vacuum furnaces. Did you have to fundamentally change your thinking about the different technologies and volumes? For instance, how does this effect part flow? Training for operators? Data logging systems?
Raman Bawa: With most of my experience in atmosphere furnaces, learning vacuum has been an interesting challenge. They’re simpler machines with far fewer moving parts, and since they ramp down in temperature after each load, it’s much easier to see inside. The control systems were more of a challenge — understanding the different interlocks and safeties took time. We’ve been fortunate that both companies have long-tenured employees who’ve been able to train the new people coming in.
Data logging, on the other hand, has been the same across both systems. At Metex, we’ve always strived for the most sophisticated logging and digital control systems we could get, and Exactatherm and aerospace demand exactly the same thing.
Where we do see a real difference is part flow — specifically, our ability to run the furnace back to back. With vacuum, we have to cool the furnace down before we can bring the next load in. With our atmospheric furnaces, we never ramp down — it’s one load after another. That’s a big part of why our throughput is so much higher on the atmosphere side.
Overall, given the volumes we’re processing in aerospace, when we look at new equipment, we’re looking at whether it increases our service offering — a new process, or a new prime approval we didn’t have before. With the volumes and unpredictability from our customers, the ROI has been hard to predict and with that our philosophy has had to change to “build and they will come” vs automotive where we are constantly trying to keep up with capacity forecasts and how many more furnaces do we need to add to fulfill our 2027 and 2028 promises.
Jordan Montgomery: What about profitability? Automotive heat treating is renown for laser thing margins where aerospace heat treating is considered “higher margin” work. Is this a fair statement? If so I would have to assume that the smaller volumes in aerospace are compensated by a higher margin.
Raman Bawa: Definitely. The smaller volumes are often subject to higher minimum charges, plus a premium for the Nadcap system itself. The paperwork and traceability requirements need dedicated staff to make sure the Nadcap process is followed exactly before, during, and after we run the job.
Jordan Montgomery: Now this is probably an unfair question; after many years of experience with large volume heat treating and now a couple of years of aerospace experience do you have a preference of one over the other? Can you see your direction changing either to more vacuum work or more atmosphere?
Raman Bawa: I do like both, but for different reasons. The automotive side is exciting because the parts we process end up in nearly every vehicle on the road today, and a lot of what we run is safety-critical — seats, doors, brakes. There’s real pride in knowing our work matters, and in our commitment to quality for that sector. The vacuum and specialized side is fascinating in a different way: the materials are exotic and expensive, and sometimes you can’t even fathom the end use. I remember processing parts that were going onto a rocket headed into space, and you find yourself thinking about how many people it took to get that rocket ready, and how your small piece of the process became part of something so much larger. They’re both great, each in their own way.
In automotive, we do a lot of fasteners, stampings, and cold-headed products focused on the structure of the vehicle. The materials in these parts have stayed consistent for years and are made to run in atmospheric furnaces — they don’t change from year to year, or with changes in transmission. I don’t foresee big changes here. There’s always talk of LPC being broadly introduced into the auto sector, but in our experience it’s been done almost exclusively in-house by the OEMs themselves. With automotive’s razor-thin margins, I think moving to higher-priced alloys that need vacuum processing would only make sense for a very specialized part of the vehicle — doing it broadly would drive up the cost of every part.
Aerospace uses highly specialized materials that demand vacuum furnaces. I can’t see that industry ever moving toward a cheaper material that could run in an atmospheric furnace.
Bodycote invests more than $30 million to support Ohio’s growing aerospace sector
Investments in advanced heat treatment and HIP capacity position Bodycote to support the next generation of aerospace manufacturing in the Midwest
- More than $30 million invested across Bodycote facilities in Fairfield and London, Ohio
- New Fairfield facility expands vacuum heat treatment and brazing capacity with room for further growth
- $20 million mega HIP investment at London site significantly increases capacity for high-performance aerospace components
The investments at Fairfield and London strengthen Bodycote’s position within a rapidly developing aerospace manufacturing cluster. Alongside its established aerospace and defense industry, Ohio is attracting growing investment in areas including advanced air mobility, aircraft electrification and autonomous flight.
Bodycote has invested $12 million in relocating and expanding its former Cincinnati operation into a new facility in Fairfield, increasing vacuum heat treatment and brazing capacity and creating room for further growth. At London, approximately $20 million has been invested in a new large-scale Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) vessel that will substantially increase processing capacity for high-volume aerospace applications.
“These investments demonstrate our confidence in the long-term growth of aerospace and defense and in Ohio’s increasingly important role within the industry,” says Heidi McNary, President, Global Aerospace, Defense and Energy at Bodycote. “Ohio has a long-established aerospace heritage, but we are also seeing a new generation of aerospace manufacturing taking shape across the region. These developments are creating new requirements throughout the aerospace supply chain. By investing in capacity and capability today, we are positioning Bodycote close to our customers and ensuring we can continue to support their growth as aerospace technologies and production requirements evolve.”
Bodycote’s relocation to Fairfield places them closer to aerospace manufacturers and suppliers located in cities like Dayton and Columbus. As part of the relocation, Bodycote increased its number of vacuum furnaces, expanding available capacity to process higher volumes and larger components while providing greater production flexibility to support critical customer production schedules.
Much of the existing equipment was also comprehensively modernized during the move. Furnaces were upgraded, while new centralized monitoring and control provides enhanced visibility of furnace data. The additional space also creates opportunities to add liquid penetrant inspection, tensile testing and other capabilities over time, enabling multiple processes to be completed under one roof.
Bodycote has also invested in its London, Ohio facility. The site specializes in Hot Isostatic Pressing, a process that uses high temperature and isostatic gas pressure to improve the density, integrity and mechanical properties of critical metal components.
The new vessel will significantly increase throughput at London, enabling Bodycote to process several thousand aerospace components during a single cycle compared with hundreds using its existing smaller vessels. The additional scale will support high-volume jet-engine applications while creating capacity for a broader range of aerospace work.
“The Fairfield and London investments strengthen our ability to support our customers,” adds Antony Funston, Vice President, Operations, HIP & PHT, Midwest at Bodycote. “Aerospace manufacturers need capacity, reliability and increasingly close technical collaboration throughout their supply chains. By expanding our capabilities in Ohio, we can provide that support closer to our customers while creating the capacity to grow alongside them for many years to come.”
About Bodycote:
Bodycote plc is the world’s leading provider of specialist thermal processing services, delivering vital metallurgical solutions that improve the performance, reliability, and longevity of critical components. Serving customers across aerospace, automotive, energy, defense, medical, and other industrial sectors, Bodycote combines global scale with local expertise to meet demanding technical and sustainability requirements. Through its global scale the company is committed to delivering innovative solutions that advance performance, sustainability and competitive advantage for its customers. For more information, visit www.bodycote.com
-
“BWX Technologies, Inc.”, headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA supplies nuclear components. Recently the firm committed to a new, multi-million dollar carbottom furnace being provided by at USA furnace builder. -
-
“Bodycote Share Price”. The worlds’ largest commercial heat treater, UK based Bodycote has been in the news quite a bit recently, mainly as it has been the target of several purchase offers-how has this effected the share price? Very positively as you can see; “Bodycote plc stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as GBX 960 and last traded at GBX 959.50, with a volume of 15802 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 953. -
“Bodycote, Fort Wayne, IN”. Speaking of Bodycote the company has been making very substantial changes over the course of the past year, these changes include plant mergers, closures along with investments and new facilities. A recent casualty was the facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana which has either closed or will be closed.
-
“Major USA Foundry Laying off Employees”. A USA foundry and substantial supplier of cast furnace fixturing and components laid off most of their employees two weeks ago. Some employees remain but our understanding is that production has largely ceased. We will have updates on this story as they become available.
-
-
-
In case you missed it “The Monty” Talks Vacuum Furnaces with “Jay Jefsen, Furnacare”
-
Why are vacuum furnace providers so busy these days? “The Monty” tells you; “Gas Turbine Industry Continues to Add Vacuum Furnace Capacity”
Want to know which individuals in the global heat treatment industry are making career changes these days? “The Monty Heat Treat News” updates the industry on a very regular basis for 30 years-this is our most recent update;
Colin McDonell, Aichelin Americas; “Aichelin Americas is pleased to welcome Colin McDonell to the team as a Mechanical Project Engineer, effective September 10, 2026. Colin brings extensive experience in mechanical design, project management, and industrial engineering. Throughout his career, he has supported complex projects across manufacturing, process, and nuclear industry environments. His technical background includes mechanical systems design, CAD modeling, equipment integration, project lifecycle management, and collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering teams. This combination of engineering knowledge and hands-on project experience will support Aichelin Americas as we continue developing and delivering reliable industrial equipment solutions for our customers.”
“I’m incredibly proud and humbled to share that I have been promoted from General Manager to President of Salto Heat Treating. This is a milestone that means a great deal to me, and one that I do not take lightly. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Felix lopes for the trust and confidence he has placed in me. Being given the opportunity to lead this company into its next chapter is both an incredible honor and a responsibility I am proud to accept. To my family — thank you for your unwavering support, patience, encouragement, and for always standing behind me. None of this would mean as much without you by my side. And most importantly, to our incredible team at Salto Heat Treating — this achievement belongs to all of us. A title may belong to one person, but success is built by a team. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together, the challenges we have overcome, and the company we continue to build every single day.”
Mahdi Dhaini, AFC-Holcroft; “AFC-Holcroft is pleased to announce the promotion of Mahdi Dhaini to the position of Aftermarket Sales Engineer, effective August 31, 2026. In his new role, Mahdi will report to Adam Woelber and will work directly with customers to support the continued performance and reliability of their heat treating equipment. Since joining AFC-Holcroft as an Electrical Controls Project Engineer, Mahdi has consistently demonstrated outstanding technical expertise, a customer-first mindset, and a willingness to take on new challenges. His experience in controls engineering, PLC programming, HMI development, automation systems, and project execution has made him an important contributor to AFC-Holcroft’s engineering team.
Because of these volumes and increasing demand “Monark” has continued to expand their in-house heat-treating department which means an additional pit carburizing furnace. In late 2025 “Monark” made the decision to add another pit furnace, in February of this year a pit was installed, in June the furnace was installed, and just last week the second furnace entered production. These photos show the project as it progressed.
For Related News on Pit Carburizing we would suggest these articles from “The Monty Heat Treat News”
“Is There a Shortage of Large Pit Carburizing Capacity in North America?”
“Gear Manufacturer to Add Pit Carburizing Furnaces-Decides on Used Equipment”
“USA Heat Treater Sets Torrid Pace in 2025”
(Editors Note; For background on the growing demand for vacuum furnaces based on the power generation and aerospace industries we would suggest these stories; “AI Data Centers Spiking New Vacuum Furnace Orders-Update”, “You Can’t Buy a Vacuum Furnace This Year. You Can still buy capacity! CFC Fixturing”)
“A Chinese manufacturer of gas turbine and aircraft engine components has once again selected SECO/WARWICK technology. The Vector vacuum furnace will be equipped with an all-metal hot zone that will be used for the heat treatment of turbine blades made from high-temperature alloys. This is the second delivery of a Vector single-chamber furnace to this customer in recent months and another example of a project in which a standard solution has been tailored to very precise process requirements.
This Partner operates in one of the most demanding areas of industry: the production, repair and technical servicing of turbine blades made from high-temperature alloys. These components operate under extreme temperature, load, and material fatigue conditions. In such applications, the quality of metal heat treatment has a direct impact on the durability, microstructure stability, and the operational safety of the finished part.
SECO/WARWICK’s cooperation with this Partner began with the delivery of a vacuum furnace with a graphite hot zone in 2023. Another production need emerged in 2025, this time involving a furnace with an all-metal hot zone, higher gas cooling pressure, and even more rigorous temperature uniformity. The new requirements went beyond the standard furnace configuration. The customer expected gas cooling at pressures of up to 12 bar and temperature uniformity of ±3°C (±5.4°F). By comparison, the standard configuration for this type of furnace with a metal hot zone assumes 10 bar gas cooling and temperature uniformity of ≤±5°C (≤±9°F).
The furnace will operate at temperatures of up to 1400°C (approx. 2550°F). The equipment will ensure a temperature uniformity of ≤±3°C (≤±5.4°F) and gas cooling under pressure of up to 12 bar. The maximum gross load weight will be 600 kg (approx. 1300 lb.), enabling high process quality to be combined with efficient production. The furnace has been designed to operate in a high-vacuum range of 10⁻³ Pa. Such a low pressure level helps reduce the risk of intergranular oxidation and supports the achievement of high surface quality of the treated parts. For turbine components, this is particularly important because even minor process deviations can affect the component’s long-term durability and in-service performance.
An all-metal hot zone is particularly important in processes that require a highly clean environment and a reduced risk of contamination. Combined with high temperature accuracy and controlled gas cooling, it enables the equipment to perform the processes required for advanced aerospace, energy, medical and additive-manufactured components.
“The first unit we delivered to this Partner proved its value in everyday production. That is why the order was repeated. However, the new furnace is more technically demanding. For this reason, SECO/WARWICK’s Teams in China and Poland jointly prepared a solution tailored to the customer’s process. This project demonstrates that local presence and global technological resources can work like a system of connected vessels,” says Pan Gaojun, Managing Director of SECO/WARWICK China.”
