Westinghouse Specialty Metals Plant in Blairsville, Pa., purchased a high-vacuum retort annealing furnace from SECO/WARWICK. The furnace, which will be used to process zirconium tubes, is custom engineered to meet the exceptionally tight uniformity standard of ±5ºF in the 48-inch x 6-inch x 216-inch hot zone. The furnace is rated for 1200ºF and will be equipped with a cold cap high-vacuum diffusion pump. Westinghouse is increasing their plant capacity to meet the needs of customers in both China and the United States.
Westinghouse and its licensees have provided more than 40% of the world’s 434 operating commercial nuclear plants, the world’s largest installed base of operating plants. SECO/WARWICK’s Vacuum Team custom engineers quality vacuum furnaces for processes including hardening, tempering, annealing, solution heat treating, brazing, sintering, carburizing, carbon/carbon composites, CVD–graphitizing, high-pressure quench and degassing.