Wisconsin Oven received an order for a standard draw batch (SDB) oven from a manufacturer of aerospace products. The electrically heated oven, which has been shipped, will be used for processing parts in a reduced-oxygen atmosphere utilizing nitrogen. The oven has a maximum continuous operating temperature of 1400°F (760°C), and it has the capability to operate at 230°F (110°C) above ambient. The qualified work-zone dimensions are 24 inches wide x 24 inches high x 48 inches deep, and the overall chamber dimensions are 36 inches wide x 36 inches high x 60 inches deep.

ITP Aero, a manufacturer of aviation and industrial engines, installed a high-pressure sheet hydroform press from Quintus Technologies in its recently completed plant in Bilbao, Spain. The press operates at a forming pressure of 1,400 bar (20,000 psi), which is important in jet-engine applications because it ensures close-tolerance parts direct from the press with little or no secondary hand work required. With a work area of 27.6 x 73 inches (700 mm x 1,800 mm), it introduces several production efficiencies, eliminating forming steps, intermediate heat treatments, and manual pre- and post-forming operations.

SECO/WARWICK Group sold two vacuum furnaces for aerospace applications to one company in two locations: the United States and Singapore. The aerospace manufacturer has been a SECO/WARWICK customer in Europe for many years, but this is their first vacuum furnace ordered for a U.S. installation. The first furnace will be used for the heat treatment of exotic electrical steels. The high-pressure gas-quench vacuum furnace has a horizontal chamber with a workload size of 24 inches x 24 inches x 36 inches and a 1,300-pound hearth capacity. The second furnace will be used for annealing parts produced by 3D printing.

A hot isostatic press (HIP) from Quintus Technologies will enable Italy’s Flame Spray SpA, a thermal-spray coatings provider, to respond to growing demand for densification and heat treatment as additive manufacturing (AM) increasingly takes hold in aerospace parts production. The press will streamline the workflow by integrating the ability to stress relieve, HIP, heat treat and age parts in a single cycle. The combination of high pressure and heat treatment (HPHT) in one system enhances efficiency and reduces per-unit processing costs while generating savings in space, energy and infrastructure. Uniform rapid cooling (URC) capability minimizes thermal distortion and non-uniform grain growth, producing finished parts with optimal material properties.

L&L Special Furnace Co. Inc. delivered three bench-mounted box furnaces that will be used to test high-temperature aerospace fasteners. The fastener manufacturer now has five GS series furnaces at its facility in Pennsylvania. The furnaces have internal dimensions of 18 inches wide x 12 inches high x 24 inches deep. Included is a spring-assist vertical lift door that allows for effortless loading and unloading at high temperatures. The industrial control system includes a Eurotherm temperature controller, over-temperature protection and a recirculation fan for uniformity.

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems shipped a custom-built atmosphere tempering furnace to a manufacturer in the aerospace market with captive heat-treating capabilities. With a work-load size of 84 inches wide x 42 inches deep x and 60 inches tall, coupled with a maximum load weight of 6,000 pounds, the furnace is specifically designed for the company’s manufactured components. The electrically heated furnace has an operating temperature range of 350-1600°F and passes uniformity at +/-10°F per AMS 2750E. The system is equipped with Eurotherm temperature-controlling instrumentation and an Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI. 

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.

No. 1039 is a 2000°F (1093°C) inert-atmosphere furnace used for heat treating turbine components.

Gardner Aerospace, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of aircraft parts and sub-assemblies, invested in a high-pressure fluid-cell press from Sweden’s Quintus Technologies. Gardner recently opened a 45,000-square-meter manufacturing facility in Chengdu, China, that will support China’s rapidly developing domestic market for aerospace parts. The 800-bar (11,600-psi) press has a forming area of 700 mm x 1,800 mm (27.6 x 73 inches). Gardner purchased a high-pressure fluid-cell press from Quintus in 2015. It has a central position at the company’s facility in southern France, where it has generated significant cost savings and eliminated several forming operations.

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to acquire select assets of Bombardier aerostructures and aftermarket services businesses in Belfast, Northern Ireland (known as Short Brothers); Casablanca, Morocco; and Dallas, Texas. The acquired Bombardier operations employ more than 4,000 people at three sites comprising approximately 3.4 million square feet. The backlog of work includes long-term contracts on the Airbus A220 and A320neo, along with Bombardier business and regional jets.