Gerdau will invest approximately $180 million in the modernization and expansion of its special steel operations in Brazil. The investment will focus on steel production units located in Pindamonhangaba and Mogi das Cruzes in São Paulo and in Charqueadas in Rio Grande do Sul. A new annealing and spheroidization furnace for steel bars will be installed at the Charqueadas plant. The equipment will bring greater capacity and productivity to the facility’s heat-treatment process. It will also allow Gerdau to meet growing demand for materials with more demanding specifications in relation to properties such as hardness and low levels of decarburization. The equipment, which has an annual capacity of 48,000 tons, will start up in August 2022.

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

Victor Oreskovich, owner of JTL Integrated Machine Ltd. (JTL) and Trenergy Inc., announced the acquisition of Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd. Niagara Falls, Ontario-based Can-Eng has been designing and manufacturing thermal-processing equipment for ferrous and nonferrous metals since 1964. The acquisition expands Oreskovich’s family of companies to further enhance and leverage each group’s ability to include customized engineered solutions. With the addition of Can-Eng, the combined resources will increase to over 250 associates, operating at four separate locations, consisting of more than 300,000 square feet of available floor space with modern manufacturing capabilities. The acquisition will position Can-Eng for strategic growth and development activity in thermal-processing and heat-treatment markets previously not explored.

When it comes to lining fired heaters in the petrochemical industry, refractory ceramic fiber has been the go-to material. However, it has its drawbacks. Consider an alternative material and learn how it can mitigate refractory ceramic fiber’s limitations.

L&L Special Furnace Co. Inc. shipped two heat-treating furnaces to a manufacturer of brick dies, textured stucco rollers and extrusion equipment for the construction industry. The furnaces, which will be used to meet an immediate need for increased heat-treating capacity, have internal working dimensions of 18 inches wide x 12 inches high x 24 inches deep. They will provide a supporting role in the company’s die manufacturing process.

Thermal-Vac Technology recently partnered with Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems to add precision gas nitriding and FNC capabilities at its facility in Orange, Calif. Gasbarre will supply an electrically heated furnace that is capable of processing workloads 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 K_N and K_C control to AMS 2759/10 and 2759/12 specifications. The furnace is designed to meet AMS 2750F as a Class 2 furnace, which allows it to perform nitrogen tempering and stress-relieving processes.

Air Liquide and ArcelorMittal have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the objective of implementing solutions to produce low-carbon steel at ArcelorMittal’s steelmaking facilities in Dunkirk, France. The companies are joining forces to transform the steel production process through the development of solutions involving low-carbon hydrogen and CO₂-capture technologies. The project, which aims to contribute significantly to the decarbonization of the Dunkirk industrial basin, will reduce yearly CO₂ emissions from ArcelorMittal’s steelmaking facilities in Dunkirk by 2.85 million tons by 2030.

Muffle furnaces are often used in wire-drawing mills for annealing and for the production of razor blades and Bundy tubes. The muffle tubes inside such furnaces protect the product during heat treatment and create conditions for more-even temperature distribution.

Lucifer Furnaces built and shipped a dual-chamber furnace to a company in the Midwest that will use it to heat treat small tool-steel parts in-house in a timely manner. The Red Devil furnace has working dimensions of 12 inches high x 14 inches wide x 18 inches long in both upper and lower chambers. The upper hardening chamber is rated up to 2200°F (1205°C), while the lower convection oven tempers up to 1200°F (650°C).  This unit was customized with a programmable controller with an over-temperature safety system for the upper chamber and a seven-day timer with alarm for audible event notification.

The MWIR-B-640 mid-wavelength borescope is designed for furnace applications. It enables highly accurate and fully radiometric temperature measurement image data to be taken, stored and trended over the lifetime of the furnace, providing a continuous and clear view – even through heavy smoke and hot atmospheres.