ThermTech partnered with Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems to significantly increase its normalizing, annealing, stress relieving, tempering and neutral hardening capacity through the acquisition of three new furnaces. These furnaces are now fully operational at ThermTech’s Waukesha, Wis., facility and represent over $1 million in investments. A direct-fired box austenitizing furnace has dual load zones of 60 inches wide x 60 inches long x 60 inches high, an AMS2750 Class 5-certified operating range of 1400-2200°F and a load capacity of 15,000 pounds. As a complement to this furnace, the company acquired a large batch tempering furnace that has an AMS2750 Class 2-compliant working zone of 140 inches long x 60 inches deep x 60 inches high with a certified operating range of 300-1350°F. ThermTech also increased the throughput of its batch integral-quench furnace line with an additional tempering furnace, which is AMS2750 Class 2-compliant from 300-1350°F.  

PRCO America Inc. began production at its refractories manufacturing plant in Mayfield, Ky., in August 2022. At full production, the plant – the company’s first in the United States – will produce 50,000-60,000 tons of resin-bonded refractory products for the steelmaking industry annually and employ approximately 50 people. The facility will produce resin-bonded magnesia carbon, resin-bonded magnesia-alumina-carbon and resin-bonded alumina refractory ceramic shapes used to line steel-processing furnaces.  

In today’s heat-treatment industry, we are faced daily with the challenges of complying with the regulatory standards that are relevant to our specific markets and products.

Established in 1964, CAN-ENG has grown to become a leading global designer and manufacturer of thermal-processing equipment for ferrous and nonferrous metals. For almost 60 years, CAN-ENG’s furnace designs have served commercial and captive heat treaters.

A supplier of agricultural and lawn equipment based in the Midwest purchased a complete batch austemper facility from AFC-Holcroft. The complete line consists of two AFC-Holcroft UBQA (universal batch quench-austemper) units along with ancillary equipment including pre-treatment spray dunk wash and post-treatment multi-stage washer, preheat temper furnaces, salt reclaiming system and salt holding tank. An AFC-Holcroft EZ 4500 endothermic gas generator was also purchased to provide endo gas to the furnace units.

Thermal Product Solutions LLC (TPS), a provider of thermal-processing products and test solutions, acquired Redline Chambers. Salt Lake City, Utah-based Redline Chambers manufactures vacuum chambers and systems for the aerospace, defense, energy, electronics and medical industries. The company specializes in providing vacuum technology and leak-testing solutions.

L&L Special Furnace Co. received orders for a floor-standing box furnace for heat treating saw blades and for a large floor-standing, fiber-lined furnace that will be used to stress relieve and temper large steel castings. The box furnace has an effective work zone of 34 inches wide x 34 inches high x 44 inches deep and includes an electric vertical door, an alloy hearth and a complete control system. The furnace's primary function is to heat treat a range of tool steels that are used for saw blades. The floor-standing furnace has an effective work zone of 36 inches wide x 36 inches high x 72 inches deep. It includes a pneumatic vertical door, 24-inch-high convection alloy fan, a complete control system, castable piers and a cast-alloy load platform for forklift loading.

Gasbarre was founded in 1973 to design, manufacture and service a complete line of powder compaction and sizing presses for the powder-metallurgy industry.

Industrial furnaces are widely used to melt metals for casting or heat materials for change of shape (forging) or change of properties (heat treatment).

Harper International entered into an equipment supply agreement with Westwater Resources Inc. to produce custom-engineered systems for thermal purification of natural graphite. These furnace systems are a part of Westwater’s Phase 1 facility investment and will be installed at the Coosa Graphite production facility in Alabama. The supply contract includes the manufacture, installation and start-up services for Harper’s rotary and vertical furnace technologies. The systems will be capable of processing 7,500 metric tons of natural graphite per year by 2023.