Super Systems Inc. completed a nitrogen-methanol controls upgrade for an industrial furnace line at Liberty Wire in Johnstown, Pa. The scope of the project included a new control system and panel for a continuous annealing furnace line for processing coiled wire products. The SSI Matrix control system was incorporated to control the automated flow and mixing of the process gases. SSI HMI and eFlo 2.0 meters were also integrated to provide Liberty Wire with the latest in hardware, software and communications technology.

Tenova LOI Thermprocess received an order from China’s Shougang Qian’an Electrical Vehicle Steel Co. for the heat-treatment portion (furnace system) for two annealing and coating lines (ACLs) for non-grain-oriented (NGO) electrical strip. The scope of the contract includes engineering, turnkey delivery of all furnace-related key components, supervision of assembly, commissioning and training. In addition to the electrical equipment belonging to the furnaces, the control components and the associated software and a mathematical furnace-management model will also be supplied.

L&L Special Furnace Co. Inc. manufactured and supplied a high-uniformity, pit-style furnace used for annealing to a manufacturer of aerospace fasteners. The annealing process occurs when the parts are evenly heated to 1400°F (760°C) and held for a predetermined amount of time. Temperature uniformity is critical to this process, and both ambient and load temperature must maintain ±10°F throughout the cycle. The fastener parts are placed in baskets and loaded by an overhead crane into the furnace. There are guide bars to ensure that the load is centered and cannot damage the furnace liner. The program or recipe is entered into the program control, and the cycle is started. At the completion of the cycle, the parts are removed and are ready for inspection and shipment.

Danieli received the final acceptance from Turkish steelmaker Atakas for six bell annealing furnaces. The supply consisted of the addition of six new bases (three furnace bells and three cooling bells) to the existing BAF eight-base line installed and started-up by Danieli in 2018. The upgraded facility is now capable of processing prime-quality annealed sheet products of cold-rolled carbon steel for the automotive market. The maximum diameter of coils is 2,000 mm (78.7 inches), with strip thickness ranging from 0.3 up to 2.0 mm.

TAV Vacuum Furnaces supplied a vacuum furnace with rapid cooling in inert gas at high pressure to a company in the aviation industry. The furnace, which has useful dimensions of 400 mm (15.7 inches) wide x 400 mm (15.7 inches) high x 600 mm (23.6 inches) long and a maximum operating temperature of 2282°F (1250°C), is suited for hardening and annealing. An inert-gas circulation system combines high flow, high pressure and multidirectional flow distribution to ensure rapid and uniform cooling of the charge. The AMS 2750E-compliant furnace includes a SCADA supervisory system.

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems commissioned a 48-inch-wide belt annealing furnace for a global manufacturer. The furnace is equipped with three heating zones that can heat up to 1200°F (650°C). The company required a target belt speed of 10 inches per minute and 2,000 pounds per hour, which were achieved. To aid with unattended loading and offloading, Gasbarre designed a special automated parts feeder and a pneumatic unload mechanism. The furnace also includes an Allen-Bradley PanelView HMI for complete furnace control and data tracking and trending. 

Stelco Inc. commissioned a state-of-the-art batch annealing facility in Hamilton, Ontario, and is starting shipment of fully processed, annealed cold-rolled steel sheet. The restart of a modernized and upgraded temper mill, along with installation of new annealing furnaces, will allow the company to add up to 200,000 net tons of fully processed cold-rolled steel to its product mix. With completion of this $30 million project, Stelco will be able to increase service to the automotive and appliance markets.

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems manufactured and commissioned a humpback annealing furnace for a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of stainless steel sinks. The gas-fired, continuous furnace, which was custom-designed to meet the company’s strict process requirements, measured 106 feet long with a belt width of 32 inches. It is equipped with six heating zones that can heat up to 2200°F. The sink manufacturer wanted to increase production by up to 50%. A belt speed of 51 inches per minute was chosen to achieve that goal.

Andritz received an order from China’s Qinghai Zhuofeng New Material Co. Ltd. to supply two continuous annealing and processing lines, each with an annual capacity of 110,000 tons. Start-up is scheduled for the second quarter of 2021 (line 1) and the second quarter of 2022 (line 2). The lines will produce high-quality, flat aluminum product for the automotive industry. Andritz’s scope of supply also includes automation technology and commissioning.

Lindberg/MPH shipped a 2012°F (1100°C) crucible furnace to a research-and-development laboratory in the nuclear industry. The furnace will be used for laboratory melting applications including annealing, ashing, carbon firing, ceramic firing, hardening, nitriding, normalizing, sintering, solution treating and stress relieving. It is designed for use with a variety of crucibles, including alumina, mullite, quartz and metallic.