Nordic Traction Finland, a manufacturer of traction chains and tracks for forestry and agricultural machinery, upgraded its heat-treatment operations by installing a new endothermic gas generator. Nordic Traction relies on endogas to carburize its traction chains. The EndoFlex S system, designed and supplied by UPC-Marathon, a Nitrex company, replaced an outdated generator that could not effectively control volume or atmosphere quality and was incapable of scaling up when the demand increased. The new system also mixes to more precise ratios, which helps to maintain a constant furnace atmosphere and consistent gas quality at all times – improving process reliability and the quality of the finished product.

Additional benefits include increased heating efficiency and lower operating and maintenance costs. Because the multi-retort design operates at a lower temperature, the catalyst and retorts last longer, requiring less preventive maintenance. The capabilities of the EndoFlex S were further enhanced by the addition of an AtmoSense analyzer, which continuously controls and monitors methane to consistently produce the ideal gas mixture for high-quality endothermic gas.

“Since the EndoFlex S produces only the amount of gas required by the carburizing furnace, there is zero waste in endogas production. This also allows Nordic Traction to save big by maximizing energy usage and gas consumption,” said Daniel Panny, head of sales at UPC-Marathon, a Nitrex company, in Europe. “I visited the plant six months after the EndoFlex S was commissioned to see how it was working and discovered that Nordic Traction is saving up to 20% per month in energy and resource costs.”