The furnace will be used for annealing thermocouple wires between every drawing stage. High purity is important in order to maintain perfect surface quality of the wire and this Vector HPGQ 6-bar furnace is the optimal solution for the task. The Vector® furnace for this application has a working zone size of 40”x40”x48” (1,000×1,000×1,200mm) with a 1.5 ton load capacity. The furnace package includes a 20,000 l/s diffusion pump for high vacuum operation as well as a closed loop water system, loading cart and nitrogen reservoir. It will be capable of high pressure gas quenching with Nitrogen up to 6 bar. 

The furnace was customized with an oversized work zone since the standard 36”x36”x48” zone size was too small for their needs. Some degree of customization is often requested of SECO/VACUUM since it is one of the known strengths of the company. With a very large installed base and a vertically integrated global engineering and manufacturing plant in Europe, SECO/WARWICK has the depth and capabilities to deliver on a wide range of customer needs with efficiency and dependability.

 “Watlow has had a very positive experience with us ever since we commissioned their first Vector at their Richmond IL plant in 1999. They have appreciated the aftermarket support we’ve provided along the way, and when their Mexico plant needed an upgrade, they again turned to us to meet their needs. We find that taking good care of our customers results in our customers taking good care of us. It just makes good business sense.” – said Peter Zawistowski, SECO/VACUUM Managing Director.

Karla Sarabia, Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company’s manager on the Mexican plant’s project, said, “We wanted a furnace that aligned perfectly with the exceptional capabilities and operation at our Illinois facility to ensure uniform product quality among plants. It’s also a big advantage that SECO/VACUUM has local maintenance support to serve our needs in Mexico.”