Vacuum Brazing Furnace

TAV Vacuum Furnaces produced a horizontal vacuum brazing furnace for a global manufacturer. The furnace, which has a maximum temperature of 2462°F (1350°C), was developed to braze plate heat exchangers and tailored to the company’s specific requirements. It has two loading zones, a platform on top for easy maintenance and a soundproof cabinet for vacuum pumps. Seven independently controlled heating zones, together with the wide surfaces of the heating elements, allow for fast and uniform heating ramps and shorter cycles. A graphite thermal chamber placed on supports allows for easy extraction in case of maintenance.

Control instrumentation includes a SCADA system to provide comprehensive monitoring and control of the furnace, an over-temperature controller, and a PLC that checks both the furnace components and the cycle. The furnace is configured according to the Industry 4.0 requirements. TAV engineers can remotely monitor the control system by an Internet connection.

Electric-Arc Furnace (EAF)

Tenova was awarded a contract from Tosyali for the supply of an electric-arc furnace (EAF) for its plant in Bethioua, Algeria. This will be the second EAF that Tenova has supplied to this site and is a key component of Tosyali’s current expansion project. The new EAF will be designed to be almost identical to the current EAF, which was supplied in 2016. It will process 2.5 million metric tons of DRI pellets per year to produce hot-rolled coil (HRC). A charging system will allow charging and melting of more than 12 tons of HDRI (hot DRI) per minute. The composition of the DRI produced and processed at the Bethioua site is adjusted by blending iron concentrates from different sources to achieve the most profitable balance between cost of raw materials and energy.

An advanced EAF process control system compensates for variations of the raw materials and optimizes the process to reach the optimal yield and consumption figures. The new EAF will be powered by a 240-MVA AC transformer.

Wheel Heat-Treatment Line

Andritz received an order from CAF MiiRA to supply a wheel heat-treatment line for the company’s manufacturing facility in Beasain, Spain. The plant has been designed for train wheels with diameters of approximately 19.5-59.1 inches (500-1,500 mm). Production is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2024. The heat-treatment line will enable automated and flexible operation. Andritz’s scope of supply includes high-temperature pusher-type kilns, a transport system for the pusher cars, chain conveyors, manipulators, tilting table, safety engineering, automation and visualization equipment. The pusher-type kilns feature high energy efficiency in conjunction with heat recovery to heat the combustion air.

Andritz will provide the engineering work, delivery of all mechanical and electrical equipment, and supervision of installation and start-up. CAF MiiRA manufactures and supplies major components and comprehensive solutions for rolling mechanisms and coupling systems in the railway industry.

Mesh-Belt Furnace

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems commissioning a mesh-belt annealing and brazing furnace for Bluewater Thermal Solutions, a U.S.-based commercial heat treater. The furnace is installed in Bluewater’s annealing and brazing facility in Coldwater, Mich. The 28-inch-wide, four-zone furnace is designed with a maximum operating temperature of 2100°F (1150°C) and a capacity of 1,600 pounds/hour. It utilizes a blend of nitrogen and hydrogen atmospheres.

The system incorporates an Allen-Bradley PLC and integrated dew-point meter to ensure precise process control for consistent and reliable part quality. This is the fifth Gasbarre mesh-belt furnace at Bluewater’s Coldwater, Mich., location.

Vacuum Furnace

Solar Manufacturing Inc. received an order for a vacuum heat-treating furnace order from a firearms manufacturer based in the United States. The furnace has a hot zone measuring 36 inches x 36 inches x 48 inches with a weight capacity of 5,000 pounds. It has a maximum operating temperature of 2400°F (1315°C) and heats to 2500°F (1371°C) for hot zone bake-out. The furnace design has a temperature uniformity of ±10°F and is AMS 2750-compliant with vacuum levels in the low micron range. For rapid turnaround for work cooling, a 100-HP gas blower is provided for operation at 15 PSIG (2 bar) in nitrogen gas.

The furnace is complete with a SolarVac Polaris fully automated and programmable industrial controls package and a Eurotherm digital chart recorder. The system also includes an SCR-based dry power supply rated at 225 kVa from Magnetic Specialties Inc.

Blast Furnace

SMS group has been chosen by Jindal Stainless Ltd. (JSL) to build a new blast furnace at its Kalinganagar unit in India. The blast furnace will have a production capacity of 2 million tons of hot metal per year. The plant will serve both existing downstream steelmaking facilities and future facilities. The blast furnace will be the first in JSL’s new stainless steel complex, which is currently based on electric-arc furnace (EAF) technology, and will be the core of JSL’s Kalinganagar plant expansion. Commissioning of the plant is expected by the end of 2023. The project is another step toward India’s goal of bringing the country’s domestic production to 300 million tons by the end of the decade.

Vacuum Tempering Furnace

A manufacturer of electronic components with engineering centers and factories worldwide purchased a vacuum tempering furnace from SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK Group Company, for one of its plants in Pennsylvania. With a chamber measuring 48 inches x 48 inches x 72 inches, the furnace will be used to anneal copper and steel electrical connectors used in subsequent assemblies. The furnace, which can operate up to 1382°F (750°C), will deliver added capacity to meet increased demand for the company’s products. It includes a turbo-cooling feature designed to improve turnaround time from batch to batch and maximize throughput.

Vacuum Furnaces

Ipsen’s Vacuum Technology Excellence Center received orders for 22 vacuum furnaces during the first quarter of 2022. These orders spanned industries including automotive, additive manufacturing, aerospace, commercial heat treating, and tool and die. The company will design and supply models including large vertical bottom-loading units for aerospace to small vacuum debind and sinter furnaces for additive manufacturing. Other orders included those for Ipsen’s AvaC low-pressure carburizing furnace and high-pressure gas quenching used in conjunction with vacuum compression brazing.

In addition to furnace orders, Ipsen performed over 250 field-service visits related to installation and start-up, furnace relocation, hot-zone replacement, preventive maintenance, calibrations and leak checks in the first quarter of 2022. The company also hired 12 new employees.

Nitriding System

Qatar Aluminium Extrusion (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.