SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK Group company, received an order from an international electric-vehicle (EV) automaker for high-pressure gas-quenching (HPGQ) and nitriding furnaces for the heat treatment of large high-pressure casting dies used in the production of aluminum underbody components. SECO/VACUUM will supply two furnaces with work zones that can accommodate loads with dimensions up to 40 x 40 x 96 inches (1,000 x 1,000 x 2,400 mm) and weighing up to 7.5 metric tons.

The Vector hardening furnace is equipped with a convection heating system to improve heat transfer at lower temperatures, thus reducing internal stresses. The cooling system can quench with nitrogen at pressures up to 25 bar. The furnace will exceed NADCA 207 requirements for quenching processes and Class 2 temperature uniformity requirements per AMS 2750F.

The pit-type nitriding furnace has working dimensions to match the hardening furnace. The patented ZeroFlow nitriding process achieves optimum results by using uniform high-convection heating, precision nitriding potential and ammonia control along with vacuum purging to reduce operating costs.