The Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) has several educational opportunities available for members and non-members alike throughout 2020.

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems recently commissioned a precision gas nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC) furnace for a commercial heat-treating company located in the Midwest. The furnace is capable of processing workloads that are 48 inches wide x 72 inches long x 40 inches high and weigh up to 7,000 pounds. It utilizes Super Systems Inc. controls for automatic KN and KC control to AMS 2759/10 and 2759/12 specifications. The furnace is designed to meet AMS 2750E as a Class 2 furnace, which allows it to be used to perform nitrogen tempering and stress relieving.

This is a complete list of all the feature articles – by topic – that appeared in Industrial Heating in 2019. The month each article appeared in is included. All articles are hyperlinked for your convenience.

FA Krosno completed the installation of a Nitrex nitriding system at its manufacturing facility in southeastern Poland. The pit-type system has overall chamber dimensions of 86 inches (2,184 mm) in diameter x 136 inches (3,452 mm) high with a capacity to nitride an 8,400-pound (3,800-kg) load. The delivered solution includes Nitreg and ONC technologies. ONC is a post-nitriding oxidation process that further enhances the quality of the nitride layer, provides additional corrosion protection and similarly contributes to the aesthetic finish of piston rods. The system, which started production in December 2019, replaced a defunct gas nitrider that was phased out due to inconsistent results and high scrap losses.

Why is aluminum’s story only about a century old? Because although aluminum is the most abundant metallic element in the earth’s crust (8%), metallic aluminum was produced for the first time just 200 years ago.

Tenova LOI Thermprocess received an order from Russian’s JSC Pervouralsk Pipe Plant for a roller-hearth continuous furnace system for bright annealing stainless steel pipes in a 100% hydrogen atmosphere. The heat-treatment system is designed as a roller-hearth furnace for the bright annealing of 2,000 kg/hour of austenitic stainless steel and nickel-based alloy pipes. The solution annealing of these high-alloy steel grades is carried out in the temperature range of 2012-2192°F (1100-1200°C). The tubes are heat treated in this continuously operating system using a 100% hydrogen atmosphere as process gas.

Abbott Furnace Company received an order for a sintering furnace from a company that specializes in manufacturing ferrous-based, powder-metal components for the automotive, agricultural and industrial markets. The electrically heated, continuous-belt furnace, which is rated at 2150°F, will be delivered in the second quarter of 2020. Abbott Furnace will design, manufacture and install the furnace, which includes the Varicool cooling system. This will be the 36^th furnace Abbott Furnace has supplied to this company.

Lindberg/MPH shipped an electrically heated pit furnace to a manufacturer in the power industry. The furnace is designed with a maximum operating temperature of 1750°F and gross workload of 1,600 pounds. It can accommodate a work basket 25 inches in diameter and 48 inches deep. A retort minimizes atmosphere consumption and furnace conditioning time between loads. The cover lid utilizes an electrically operated boom lift, which provides ease of loading and unloading. An upper furnace fence guard was also installed to provide added safety.

After 32 years at the helm of INEX Inc., a Holland, N.Y.-based provider of silicon-carbide radiant tubes, owner Mike Kasprzyk announced his retirement. Kasprzyk will continue to be active in the company by supporting Michael Rumfola, new owner and president. Rumfola brings 25 years of experience in the heat-transfer industry to INEX. He has a bachelor’s in physics from Fredonia State University and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Buffalo. Kasprzyk, meanwhile, will also serve as a consultant.

IHEA’s Fundamentals of Industrial Process Heating online learning course is scheduled to begin April 13, 2020. Students benefit from the flexible online format that includes interactive forums with other students and scheduled office hours with the instructor. It’s an affordable alternative to campus-based classes and allows students to go at their own pace.