United States Steel Corp. announced an exploratory site selection process to build a new 3-million-ton flat-rolled minimill in the United States. The planned minimill will combine two state-of-the-art electric-arc furnaces (EAFs) with differentiated steelmaking and finishing technology, including purchased equipment already owned by the company. The continued adoption of minimill technology will expand U.S. Steel’s ability to produce the next generation of proprietary sustainable steel solutions, including advanced high-strength steels (AHSS). Potential locations include states in which the company has existing EAF operations and greenfield sites. The current estimated investment is approximately $3 billion.

Lucifer Furnaces shipped a seventh dual-chamber furnace to a U.S. auto manufacturer. Each chamber measures 24 inches high x 24 inches wide x 36 inches long.  The upper hardening chamber heats with 45 kW of power to banks of elements on the sides, door and back. The heating elements are designed with heavy-gauge wire mounted in removable holders. The upper chamber’s cast hearth plates support the workload and can be easily replaced without disturbing the heating elements. The lower tempering oven has 20 kW of power and includes a stainless steel liner that shields heating elements from the workload. 

SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK Group brand, sold a vacuum aluminum brazing (VAB) furnace to an international aircraft component supplier. The furnace is designed to meet tight temperature tolerances of +/-3°C and incorporates a high-vacuum system with diffusion pump. The VAB furnace is equipped with six temperature control zones and can accommodate loads with dimensions up to 36 inches wide x 28 inches high x 48 inches deep (900 x 700 x 1,200 mm). Delivery is scheduled for early 2022.

Heat Treat 2021, the year’s premier conference and expo for heat-treating professionals, begins today in St. Louis, Mo. This year's event will include 2 ½ days of face-to-face networking opportunities with approximately 200 exhibitors, and the latest research and industry insights will be offered during more than 100 technical presentations. The exhibit hall is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. today, and educational programming will take place from 1:00-2:20 p.m. Please stop by Industrial Heating’s booth 1819 to say hello and see what we have to offer.

Alloy Engineering, a fabricator specializing in high-temperature and corrosion-resistant alloys, acquired Thermcraft Inc., a manufacturer of thermal-processing equipment. The acquisition of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Thermcraft fits into Alloy Engineering’s strategy to expand its high-temperature product offering. Berea, Ohio-based Alloy Engineering can combine its expertise in high-temperature alloys with Thermcraft’s expertise in heaters to deliver innovative products to both existing and new customers and markets.

Centorr Vacuum Industries received orders for six high-vacuum furnaces for the precision processing of metals in heat treating, annealing and brazing applications. With sizes from 12 x 12 x 24 inches to over 48 x 48 x 48 inches and from 1 cubic foot to over 100 cubic feet, Centorr’s Workhorse furnaces can handle a variety of customer loads in either high vacuum or partial pressures of inert gas. The furnace design has a refractory-metal hot zone and high-vacuum pumping system for the processing of advanced materials requiring an extremely clean high-vacuum environment.

SECO/WARWICK Group delivered multiple shipments of metal heat-treatment equipment to South America. The primary customers for this equipment are Brazilian commercial heat treaters. So far this year, SECO/WARWICK has shipped equipment to three heat-treating plants in Brazil. Most recently, a vacuum furnace was delivered to Supertrat in Santa Bárbara D’Oeste. The furnace has a workspace measuring 600 x 600 x 900 mm (23.5 x 23.5 x 35.5 inches), and it will streamline and improve the capacity of the heat treater’s processes.

The Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research & Development (OMIC R&D) selected a hot isostatic press (HIP) from Quintus Technologies to be a flagship piece of equipment when the research facility opens. The HIP will allow new research into 3D-printing technology and optimized material properties. The press model is equipped with uniform rapid cooling (URC), the proprietary Quintus technology that combines HIP and heat treatment in a single process. Accelerated cooling under pressure minimizes thermal distortion and improves material properties.

Today, Nutec Bickley is focused on understanding its customers' thermal-equipment needs and working to supply the best equipment to meet those needs at the most competitive price.

Industrial Heating is hosting a free webinar Wednesday, September 22 at 2:00 p.m. (EDT). This webinar reviews years of collective field experience with nitrogen/hydrogen-based and generated atmospheres. Tips and techniques are discussed to help furnace operators optimize and stabilize the furnace atmosphere. Also presented during this webinar are troubleshooting guides to help heat treaters identify and solve common problems and take the appropriate corrective action.