Ebner received an order from Northeast Light Alloy Co. Ltd. of Harbin, China, for a continuous floater furnace facility to harden and temper aluminum alloy strip. The heat-treatment facility fulfills all requirements for achieving aerospace-grade material, including optimum strip shape and surface characteristics, high-temperature uniformity throughout the heating and soaking phases, and appropriately high cooling gradients. The floater furnace, which will start operation at the end of 2019, is designed for a maximum strip width of 2,400 mm (94.5 inches) and strip thicknesses of 0.5-4.0 mm.

In related news, Ebner received an order from Guang Xi Zheng Run New Material Technology Co. Ltd. to expand its existing bell annealer facility. The contract includes three HICON workbases employing 100% argon as a process atmosphere, two heating bells and one cooling bell. The facility is designed for a charge of 28 strip coils with outside diameters up to 28 inches (715 mm).