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.  

Solar Atmospheres Inc. announced the acquisition of commercial heat treater Vac-Met Inc., which has locations in Warren and Fraser, Mich. The addition of Vac-Met to the Solar family of companies will increase the number of commercial vacuum heat-treating and brazing facilities to five plants across the United States. Vac-Met’s goals of providing state-of-the-art commercial heat treating, primarily in a vacuum environment, aligns perfectly with Solar’s mission. Joseph White will continue to head the day-to-day operations of Vac-Met’s nine vacuum furnaces. He will report to Robert Hill, president of Solar Atmospheres of Western PA. 

Industrial Heating published its first Buyers Guide eBook in July 2021. Well, it’s back in 2022.

OWZ Ostalb, a commercial heat treater in Aalen, Germany, purchased an electrically heated endothermic gas generator to replace its old generator. The EndoFlex S, manufactured and supplied by UPC-Marathon, one of Nitrex’s business units, includes an air cooler, an automatic nitrogen purge system and additional CH₄ monitoring to meet the highest safety standards. OWZ Ostalb has been using the EndoFlex S since September 2021, and it has been running nonstop ever since. At start-up, UPC checks that all safety features function perfectly and provides detailed training to users.

Ipsen recently installed a vacuum furnace at Temprasud, a commercial heat treater in Fresagrandinaria, Italy. According to Temprasud, the vacuum hardening and low-pressure carburizing furnace will increase its production capacity and offer customers greater flexibility. The furnace, which has a 1,764-pound (800-kg) load capacity, will also help Temprasud grow its business in the automotive market and allow it to expand into the aerospace market.

SECO/WARWICK Group delivered multiple shipments of metal heat-treatment equipment to South America. The primary customers for this equipment are Brazilian commercial heat treaters. So far this year, SECO/WARWICK has shipped equipment to three heat-treating plants in Brazil. Most recently, a vacuum furnace was delivered to Supertrat in Santa Bárbara D’Oeste. The furnace has a workspace measuring 600 x 600 x 900 mm (23.5 x 23.5 x 35.5 inches), and it will streamline and improve the capacity of the heat treater’s processes.

Whether captive or commercial, the heat-treat operation faces a tougher challenge for productivity/profitability than other departments of manufacturing.

In response to the challenges of California’s energy market, Solar Atmospheres of California (SCA) installed and commissioned what it says is the state’s largest commercial Solar + Energy Storage System. By combining on-site generation, an advanced energy storage system and an AI-powered analytics platform, SCA can optimize energy use by automatically switching between on-site generation, battery power or grid power. The digitally connected energy storage network includes a 772-kW PV solar system and a 1,561-kW/3,122-kWh Tesla battery storage system.

Solar Atmospheres of California (SCA) added additional large furnace capacity to its inventory of vacuum equipment. The furnace was specifically designed to process a variety of materials that require optimum performance during controlled heating, controlled cooling, vacuum processing, positive-pressure processing and differential-pressure processing. The furnace includes an 84-inch-diameter x 144-inch-long graphite and CFC hot zone. It has a maximum operating temperature of 2650°F, temperature uniformity ±10°F and a maximum load of 50,000 pounds.

It all began with a single furnace in New Jersey. William R. Braddock started Braddock Metallurgical with that lone salt pot furnace back in 1953 offering heat-treat services for local machine shops.