Safety Devices at Härterei Reese Prevent Dramatic Quench Oil Fire

In Bochum, Germany we find commercial heat treater Härterei Reese, one of the larger commercial heat treaters in Europe. “The Monty Heat Treat News” team has been privileged to visit this location twice over the years and what we saw was a very impressive facility with one of the largest pit carburizing furnaces we have ever seen; working dimensions of 5000 mm X 5000 mm (approximately 16’ X 16’) with a capacity of 50 tons. The press release below tells us how a potentially very serious fire was prevented.

“Safety devices prevented worse damage in a fire in an oil tank with a capacity of 230,000 liters at the Reese hardening shop in the industrial area of Bochum-Riemke on Thursday. According to the fire department, an employee had reported the fire at around 10:10 a.m. at the hardening shop, which specializes in the heat treatment of workpieces. A carbon dioxide extinguishing device and the mechanical closure of the oil basin had already been triggered. When the firefighters arrived with the fire engines of the city center fire station, the Werne fire station and a special vehicle of the volunteer fire department, the employees of the company were already outside.”