SECO/WARWICK Group’s subsidiary based in Meadville, Pa., has been awarded a major contract to build and commission a specialized aluminum solution heat-treating furnace for a U.S. manufacturer. The furnace, which is AMS 2750-compliant and Nadcap-capable, will be engineered to load, heat treat, quench and discharge with minimal operator assistance. It will be used to heat treat products for automotive, aerospace and medical applications.

Wisconsin Oven Corp. shipped a horizontal solution-treat system with a chiller to a manufacturer in the aerospace industry. The electrically heated system has a maximum oven operating temperature of 1100°F and work-zone dimensions of 12 feet, 3 inches wide x 3 feet, 11 inches long x 4 feet, 6 inches high. It was designed to heat a 2,840-pound gross load consisting of a mixture of aluminum and steel to 1000°F, provide a soak at temperature and then quickly move the load into a quench tank. A hydraulically operated load/unload system lowers and raises the load for quenching.

Wisconsin Oven Corp. shipped an electrically heated horizontal-quench solution-treat system to an aerospace-industry supplier. The system has a maximum oven operating temperature of 1200°F and work-zone dimensions measuring 5 feet, 4 inches wide x 5 feet, 6 inches long x 5 feet, 4 inches high (above the rollers). It was designed to heat a 565-pound gross load, consisting of a mixture of aluminum and steel, to 1000°F, provide a soak at temperature and then quickly move the load into a quench tank.

StandardAero Component Services dedicated a 30,000-square-foot expansion of its component repair facility in Miami, Fla. The additional working space and capital improvements included the installation of a vacuum furnace, state-of-the-art clean line and water-jet cleaning capabilities. According to StandardAero, the facility will now be the largest provider of aerospace and aerospace-derivative combustor overhauls in North America and the second largest in the world.

Sciaky Inc., a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries Inc., received an order from a southeast Asian aerospace parts manufacturer for a dual-purpose electron-beam additive-manufacturing (EBAM) and EB welding system. The hybrid machine will be customized with special controls to switch from 3D printing to welding in a quick and easy process. The company will utilize the system to 3D print metal structures and to weld dissimilar materials and refractory alloys for these structures and other aerospace parts.

Armil CFS Inc. of South Holland, Ill., supplied two gas-fired box furnaces with afterburners to a California-based aerospace manufacturer. The furnaces, which are designed to operate at temperatures of 450-2200°F (232-1205°C), will be used to preheat and dewax molds used in the investment casting process. Workspace dimensions of each furnace measure 6 feet wide x 5 feet deep x 4 feet high. Operators will interface with the furnaces utilizing a PC-based industrial HMI.

TAV Vacuum Furnaces shipped a vacuum furnace that offers an advanced solution for aluminide coatings of aerospace engine and industrial gas turbine components. The furnace has dimensions of 39.5 inches (1,000 mm) in diameter x 39.5 inches (1,000 mm) high and a maximum operating temperature of 2102°F (1150°C). Parts are placed inside the loading fixture, which is positioned, with an overhead crane, on the base supports. A retort is then placed on the base, evacuated and then flushed with inert gas to obtain a clean, pollution-free environment. The retort is transferred inside the furnace, where it is heated up to the process temperature.

Arconic announced the commercial availability of an advanced titanium alloy, ARCONIC-THOR, designed for higher-temperature applications in next-generation aero engines and adjacent structures. It is nearly 50% lighter than incumbent nickel-based superalloys. The alloy’s specific proprietary formulation demonstrates three times improved oxidation resistance compared to existing high-temperature titanium alloys. This improved oxidation resistance protects against deterioration at elevated temperatures.

Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) acquired New Britain, Conn.-based Addaero Manufacturing, a metal-alloy-based additive-manufacturing company for the aerospace and defense industries. The acquisition brings together ATI’s knowledge and experience in commercial aerospace and its powder-metal manufacturing capabilities with Addaero’s technical expertise to produce aerospace-quality parts using various additive-manufacturing technologies.

L&L Special Furnace Co. Inc. commissioned a large resistance box furnace and quench tank in New Zealand for an aerospace manufacturer of landing gear and associated components. The furnace has an effective work zone of 22 inches high x 34 inches wide x 68 inches deep. The quench tank provided with the furnace is capable of quenching parts up to 24 x 36 inches in oil.