Nichols Aluminum, a subsidiary of Quanex Building Products, purchased a Vortex® Jet Heating coil annealing furnace from SECO/WARWICK. The furnace, which incorporates SECO/WARWICK’s patented, state-of-the art Vortex jet nozzle system, will be used for processing aluminum sheet at Nichol’s Lincolnshire, Ill., facility. The nozzle system produces high heat-transfer rates without creating hot spots at the impingement point. The result is uniform heating with a reduced cycle time compared to other high-velocity convection and mass-flow alternatives.

Nichols Aluminum is an environmentally friendly aluminum sheet producer. It uses specialized blending, melting and continuous-casting processes to produce aluminum sheet from predominantly recycled materials. This furnace will increase the plant’s efficiency and productivity.