Nitrex delivered a pit nitriding furnace to Arslan Aluminyum, a Turkish aluminum producer. The company recently added three new extrusion presses, which increased the demand for nitriding dies and necessitated a large-capacity nitriding system for the biggest press. The Nitrex furnace is designed to treat workloads up to 4,400 pounds (2,000 kg) that are 39 inches (1,000 mm) in diameter and 59 inches (1,500 mm) high. The heavy-duty furnace incorporates multiple controlled heating zones for optimal temperature uniformity inside the retort. It is made to quickly heat up and maintain consistent temperatures throughout the load. Arslan uses the system to nitride H11 and H13 dies that extrude aluminum profiles.

Voestalpine High Performance Metals del Perú installed a Nitrex system for nitriding and nitrocarburizing a wide range of components made from high-performance steels. This new addition strengthens the company’s position as a provider of high-tech thermal processes on par with highly industrialized countries and expands its capabilities to meet the needs of industries such as mining, metal, energy and others. The pit-type furnace is designed to process workloads measuring 23.5 inches (600 mm) in diameter x 47.25 inches (1,200 mm) high weighing up to 1,700 pounds (800 kg). Process technologies include Nitreg controlled nitriding, Nitreg-C controlled nitrocarburizing and ONC post-oxidation.

Aluplast-ZTG, an Altest company, recently purchased a second Nitrex nitriding system. The Bulgarian aluminum extruder experienced a manufacturing boost after installing new extrusion presses to meet customer demand for its extrusion profiles. The first nitriding furnace, a compact model, had been in operation since 2011. The second furnace is the same as the first one but larger. It is capable of processing a load of extrusion dies weighing up to 1,300 pounds (600 kg). The furnace, which started up in the fourth quarter of 2021, is specially designed for nitriding H11 and H13 steel extrusion dies.

Lenox Group, an aluminum extrusion profiles company, purchased a Nitrex turnkey nitriding system after adding a second extrusion press at its plant in Bulgaria. Faced with increased production and disappointing nitriding results from third-party processing services, Lenox opted to bring operations in-house to improve die reliability through more stringent quality control. In the end, a compact-size gas nitriding furnace for low-volume quantities best suited Lenox’s production needs. The plug-and-play nitriding system is built on a self-contained platform that includes the furnace, control system with Nitreg technology and an exhaust neutralizer for clean processing. Its small footprint allows it to fit into limited spaces. With a temperature distribution of +/-5°C, it is suited for nitriding H11 and H13 extrusion dies.

P.W.P.T. Posteor purchased a turnkey nitriding system from Nitrex for its manufacturing plant in Elbląg, Poland. The company previously outsourced the nitriding of stainless steel power-generation parts to a commercial heat treater before deciding to move this part of the operation in-house and manage its production independently. The pit-type furnace will be used for nitriding steam turbine components made of ST12T stainless steel.

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.