A division of the U.S. Department of Defense uses a vacuum furnace with low-pressure carburizing from Seco/Warwick Group to bolster its capability to ensure supply chain reliability.
A unique vacuum heat-treating furnace from Seco/Vacuum (SVT), a Seco/Warwick Group company, with integral oil quench will also be equipped with high-pressure gas quench as well as low-pressure carburizing capabilities, a “Swiss Army Knife” version of a heat-treating furnace.
As a critical supplier of aerospace components to the U.S. Department of Defense, this new vacuum oil quenching furnace will be able to handle any of the functions of the department’s existing heat-treatment furnaces, either in a redundant role or to provide additional capacity. Also, the addition of low-pressure carburizing (LPC) and high-pressure gas quenching (HPGQ) is new to this location. Aerospace-related process applications conducted at this facility, for which the new furnace will be equipped, include steel hardening, surface engineering, vacuum annealing, nickel alloy processing, and titanium heat treatment.
“Assuring redundancy in heating needs of this location was critical,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of Seco/Vacuum. “Seco/Vacuum has demonstrated competence and experience in delivering customized solutions. As well, vacuum oil quenching was a critical process need and LPC, combined with HPGQ, allows materials engineers with new options.”
The order is the result of two years of effort. While this is not SVT’s first order for DOD, it is one of the most advanced engineering projects to date.
Defense customer specializes in the repair and maintenance of aerospace components. The furnace not only performs vacuum oil quenching, but it also offers the ability to gas quench at 15 bar with nitrogen and 6 bar with argon and heat with diffusion pump vacuum levels.
“Any commercial or in-house heat-treat shop looking for a partner to design and deliver an advanced and unique custom solution could gain significant benefit by collaborating with us,” said Maciej Korecki, VP, vacuum business segment at Seco/Warwick. “We not only provide six unique, time-tested vacuum furnace technologies in use around the globe, we are very comfortable with our ability to innovate to solve special applications.”
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