Nitrex received an order from gear manufacturer Capi Group for two large-capacity nitriding systems. The Italian company increased its nitriding and nitrocarburizing capacity in an effort to keep up with new orders from the automotive industry. The furnaces, which comply with the AMS2750 for pyrometry and AMS2759/10 for controlled nitriding, have been operational for months. They were integrated into the existing production line and connected to a closed-loop water cooling system. The latter is an environmentally friendly feature that recirculates a steady supply of cooling water to cool furnace elements.

Nitrex delivered a horizontal nitriding furnace to Hydro Extrusion Norway. The furnace can handle loads up to 1,760 pounds (800 kg). It includes Nitreg technology to optimize process parameters for optimal die quality and a neutralizer for a clean process. The decision to order this furnace was made because Hydro Extrusion Norway had to replace an old decommissioned furnace at its Magnor plant. The new nitriding equipment had to integrate with the existing infrastructure of the plant and fit into the specific floor space.

Qatar Aluminium Extrusion CO. (Qalex) received a second nitriding system from Nitrex. The aluminum profiles manufacturer wanted to equip a second extrusion plant with an independent nitriding furnace to save on handling, processing time and costs associated with having to transport extrusion dies back and forth from its first factory for nitriding work. The furnace is equipped with process technology designed for nitriding extrusion dies. Installation and start-up were completed in January 2022.

An automotive manufacturer in China will install a second Nitrex-supplied automated heat-treating cell for nitriding parts. As part of the company’s growth, the cell will be placed adjacent to the first cell to expand production capacity to meet increasing market demand. The investment will allow the company to bring the production process in-house for greater control and flexibility. Nitrex received an order for six continuous flow-through nitriding systems to create the fully automated cell, which is responsible for automatic loading/unloading, processing and transport. Delivery is scheduled for August 2022, and the cell should start operating in the fall.

Nitrex supplied a turnkey gas nitriding system to Ohio-based aluminum extrusion die manufacturer Youngstown Tool & Die (YTD) in the fourth quarter of 2020. The system adds Nitreg controlled nitriding to YTD’s range of heat-treating services. YTD relocated to a larger manufacturing facility in summer 2020 and made investments in new production and finishing equipment to increase its manufacturing capabilities and meet growing demand. As part of the new production, YTD installed a Nitrex pit-type nitriding system that has a 4,400-pound capacity for treating aluminum extrusion dies.

Alugen Aluminium, a Turkish aluminum extrusion company, expanded its production capabilities with a Nitrex NXK series nitriding system. The turnkey system was delivered with Nitreg potential-controlled gas nitriding and Nitreg-C potential-controlled gas nitrocarburizing technologies. Process recipes are optimized to improve the performance of aluminum extrusion dies and increase throughput. The service life of dies is also extended through periodic nitriding, which helps to control the high heat and impact pressure that dies undergo during extrusion cycles. With a work area of 23.5 x 47.25 inches (600 x 1,200 mm) and a load capacity of 1,700 pounds (800 kg), the NXK system allows Alugen to mix special dies with regular production dies for a faster turnaround of product-specific production plans.

FA Krosno completed the installation of a Nitrex nitriding system at its manufacturing facility in southeastern Poland. The pit-type system has overall chamber dimensions of 86 inches (2,184 mm) in diameter x 136 inches (3,452 mm) high with a capacity to nitride an 8,400-pound (3,800-kg) load. The delivered solution includes Nitreg and ONC technologies. ONC is a post-nitriding oxidation process that further enhances the quality of the nitride layer, provides additional corrosion protection and similarly contributes to the aesthetic finish of piston rods. The system, which started production in December 2019, replaced a defunct gas nitrider that was phased out due to inconsistent results and high scrap losses.

Nitrex Metal entered into an exclusive agreement with Voestalpine AG to bring new innovations in stainless steel hardening technologies to the Czech Republic. As a result of the agreement, Voestalpine added a nitriding system configured to process workloads 31.5 inches in diameter x 78.75 inches high (800 mm x 2,000 mm) that weigh up to 3,850 pounds (1,750 kg). The system complements a previously installed Nitrex system that combined Nitreg-C gas nitrocarburizing technology with ONC post-oxidizing technology for processing firearms.

Nitrex Metal Inc. supplied a nitriding system to Hydro Extruded Solutions in Trzcianka, Poland, to address the company’s need for improved process performance and more accurate control of nitriding results. The nitriding system replaces a decommissioned nitrider that was phased out several years ago due to extrusion die failures and inconsistent metallurgical results. It includes Nitreg technology that helps optimize parameters for maximum efficiency and quality and increase die strength and extrusion throughput while reducing the possibility of potential die failures.

Family-owned heat-treatment company GalvanoTechnik of Lombardy, Italy, expanded its portfolio to include Nitreg-controlled nitriding, Nitreg-C nitrocarburizing and ONC in-process oxidation treatments. The company invested in a compact Nitrex system configured to process 23.5-inch-diameter x 35.5-inch-high workloads that weigh up to 1,300 pounds. The system complies with the temperature-uniformity requirements of AMS 2750E and meets the specifications of ASM 2759/10, which make it possible to consistently achieve the required metallurgical and mechanical properties for controlled nitriding.