Härtewerk Chemnitz GmbH, a commercial hardening plant in Germany, purchased a horizontal, two-chamber furnace with oil or gas quenching and low-pressure carburizing from SECO/WARWICK. It has a heating chamber, loading and unloading vestibule, and a quenching bath. The load can be cooled dynamically in two different media: in an inert gas (1.5 bar abs) in the quenching vestibule above the oil table with gas flow forced with a blower installed in the ceiling of the vestibule or in quenching oil. Permanent graphite insulation in the heating chamber and graphite heating elements ensure long and reliable operation under industrial operating conditions. The heating system provides quick and even heating of the load, also in low temperatures, which makes it possible to reduce the heating time significantly.

This is the first SECO/WARWICK furnace equipped with vacuum heating at the Härtewerk Chemnitz plant. According to the company, it is the first Super IQ system in Germany. Super IQ is a hybrid system that combines the features of conventional and vacuum furnaces. It is designed mostly for carburizing processes under elevated temperatures and is equipped with traditional oil-bath quenching.

According to Härtewerk Chemnitz, the furnace enables efficient heat treatment with very high repeatability and uniformity of the carburized layer, which was only possible to a limited extent with atmosphere furnaces.