Seco/Warwick to supply Jetcaster technology to Turkish aviation company

Seco/Warwick, Meadville, Pa, announced that it will deliver a JetCaster induction vacuum furnace to a Turkish aviation company. The advanced furnace is designed for producing castings using directional solidification, single crystal, and equiaxed structure methods, as well as gas-cooled crystallization. The technology addresses the precision and quality requirements of aviation component manufacturing.

The JetCaster VIM50 DS/SC/EQ furnace, with a maximum load capacity of 50 kilograms, supports various crystallization techniques, offering flexibility and high performance. Its innovative Engineered Gas Cooling (DGCC) system shortens processing times while maintaining superior product quality, making it particularly suited to the stringent demands of the aviation sector.

Seco/Warwick’s CEO, Sławomir Woźniak, highlighted the increasing demand for the company’s vacuum metallurgy solutions within the aviation industry, noting its critical role in producing components for both civil and military aircraft. He emphasized the company’s collaboration with leading corporations globally to meet the sector’s high-quality standards.

This marks the first order of a melting furnace from this specific partner. Seco/Warwick customized the furnace design to accommodate future modifications, such as the addition of feeders for bulk materials or briquettes, ensuring adaptability to evolving production needs. The solution aims to enhance the partner’s production efficiency and innovation, solidifying its contribution to the aviation industry.

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Ipsen supports Siemens AG with modernization of high-vacuum furnaces for energy infrastructure expansion

Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., announced that it has successfully modernized its VHFC high-vacuum furnaces for Siemens AG, marking a significant milestone in their shared mission to enhance sustainability and efficiency in energy infrastructure. The project supports Siemens’ strategic efforts to expand medium and high-voltage grids globally, a key component of the energy transition and the broader push for electrification.

As part of this initiative, Ipsen is delivering three new VHFC-1000x1200x1000 (HV) high-vacuum brazing systems to Siemens’ production facilities in Goa, India, and Wuxi, China. The Goa facility will receive two systems, while the Wuxi facility will add one. All systems are manufactured in Germany and are critical to the production of vacuum interrupters, which are core components of switchgears used in power distribution networks.

These vacuum brazing systems play a pivotal role in enabling the switch from gas-insulated disconnectors to vacuum interrupters, effectively eliminating the use of fluorinated gases. This shift significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with global environmental protection goals.

Ipsen’s collaboration with Siemens reflects their joint commitment to supporting the expansion of renewable energy and sustainable energy infrastructure worldwide. The increased production capacity provided by these systems underscores the importance of advanced technology in achieving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

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HAI Romania enhances sustainable extrusion production with Nitrex system

Nitrex, Quebec, announced that it has implemented a new nitriding system at Hammerer Aluminium Industries (HAI) Romania, marking a significant step in advancing the sustainability of aluminum extrusion production. This installation aligns with HAI’s corporate commitment to environmental leadership and operational modernization.

HAI Romania, a subsidiary of Austria-based Hammerer Aluminium Industries, operates a state-of-the-art extrusion plant in Chișineu-Criș, near the Hungarian border. The facility features five extrusion presses, including a recently added 10-inch press, and serves key industries such as automotive, construction, and packaging, with strategic access to both Western and Eastern European markets.

The newly installed Nitrex NX-815 nitriding system replaces the traditional salt bath nitriding process. Unlike its predecessor, which generates environmentally challenging waste, the gas nitriding process offers a sustainable alternative. The system utilizes Nitreg® controlled nitriding and Nitreg®-C ferritic nitrocarburizing technologies, ensuring superior and consistent performance while minimizing environmental impact. With a 3,300-pound load capacity, the furnace is specifically designed for treating extrusion dies.

By adopting Nitreg® technologies, HAI Romania eliminates hazardous waste, reduces energy consumption, and enhances the durability of aluminum extrusion dies. This shift not only supports eco-friendly practices but also optimizes production efficiency by eliminating costly post-finishing operations, contributing to the company’s sustainability and operational goals.

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Kanthal wins e-prize for industrial heating electrification

Kanthal, Amherst, NY, announced that it has been awarded the prestigious E-prize in the energy optimization category for its innovative technology supporting fossil-free industrial production. Organized by Sweden’s leading business newspaper Dagens Industri, Aktuell Hållbarhet, and the energy group E.ON, the E-prize recognizes groundbreaking advancements in energy innovation. This marks the 16th year the award has celebrated industry-leading solutions.

The jury highlighted Kanthal’s ability to combine a 90-year-old invention with modern innovation to replace natural gas with electric heating in high-temperature industrial processes. This transition enables fossil-free production, reducing emissions and improving working conditions. Kanthal was recognized as a global pioneer in sustainable industrial electrification, with applications ranging from steel production to manufacturing solar cells and batteries.

Robert Ståhl, president of Kanthal, noted the significance of the award, stating that the company’s technology allows industries such as steel, batteries, semiconductors, and glass to reduce emissions by transitioning to electricity for industrial heating. Nicolai Schaaf, sustainability manager at Kanthal, added that electrification not only reduces emissions but also supports the broader expansion of fossil-free energy management.

Kanthal’s technology, rooted in a 93-year-old innovation, is designed to electrify high-temperature processes across industries, eliminating CO2 emissions when powered by fossil-free electricity. These processes, integral to manufacturing sectors such as steel, aluminum, glass, and cement, account for a significant share of global industrial CO2 emissions, making Kanthal’s solutions critical for sustainable industrial transformation.

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One Minute Mentor: Distortion of Corrosion-Resistant Plastic Mold Steels

Corrosion-resistant plastic mold steels are usually tempered at lower tempering temperatures than hot-work, high-alloyed cold-work, or high-speed steels. A comparison of different types of corrosion-resistant plastic mold steels with the widely used cold-work tool steel D2 with the same dimensions as in the previous example for cold-work tool steels for such heat treatment conditions can be seen in the figure and shows that all steels show a similar low dimension change in width. Regarding the thickness of the plates there is a significantly higher increase for the ledeburitic cold-work tool steel. Vacuum heat treatment with high-pressure gas quenching leads to a similar amount of distortion as salt bath heat treatments but again shows significant scatter.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 13. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980

Aalberts Surface Technologies publishes new white paper on bainitic bearings

Aalberts Surface Technologies, Livonia, Mich., announced the release of a new white paper focused on bainitic bearings, authored by Jeremy Lipshaw, Kathy Hayrynen, and Steve Metz. This white paper complements the company’s recent ASTM publication, “A Review of Austempering for Bainitic Bearings,” providing an in-depth look at innovative techniques and advancements in the field of bainitic bearings.

In this latest work, Aalberts experts explore the applications, benefits, and advancements in materials science related to bainitic bearings, highlighting the company’s ongoing commitment to excellence in surface technologies and precision engineering. The white paper expands on research presented in the conference paper, “A Review of Austempering for Bearing Applications,” which appears in the ASTM International book Bearing and Transmission Steels Technology.

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Centorr Vacuum names Sean P. Murphy as product manager for laboratory and r&d furnaces

Centorr Vacuum, Nashua, NH, announced that Sean P. Murphy has been appointed as the product manager for its laboratory and R&D furnace product lines. Murphy will oversee more than 30 vacuum furnace lines that cater to laboratory applications across the metals, ceramics, and carbon/graphite/composites industries. His client base includes national laboratories, universities, and industrial customers worldwide who require compact laboratory and R&D equipment.

Murphy brings a wealth of experience to Centorr, having previously served as senior manufacturing manager at Osram Sylvania’s Exeter, NH location, where he focused on micro-LED ceramic automotive products. His expertise spans hydrogen sintering, spark plasma sintering, and annealing, among other manufacturing processes. Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in materials science from Alfred University and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and is actively involved in the American Ceramic Society, ASM Heat Treat Society, and Society of Automotive Engineers.

Centorr Vacuum Industries, established in 1954 and currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, is known for its high-temperature vacuum and controlled atmosphere furnaces, with over 7,000 units installed globally. The company’s Nashua headquarters includes a dedicated aftermarket field service team and an Applied Technology Center that provides R&D support and toll production services.

For more information please visit www.centorr.com

Solar atmospheres South Carolina facility earns approval from Parker Aerospace

Solar Atmospheres, Greenville, SC, announced that its facility has received approval from Parker Aerospace, further expanding the company’s capabilities to meet aerospace industry demands. With this new certification, Solar Atmospheres now operates five locations capable of fulfilling Parker Aerospace’s specific thermal processing requirements.

Steve Prout, president of Solar Atmospheres’ Greenville site, highlighted the value this approval brings to customers in the Southeastern U.S., providing them with a local, efficient option for aerospace and defense thermal processing services. He noted that this addition will help customers reduce costs and lead times while ensuring the high quality that Solar Atmospheres consistently delivers. Solar Atmospheres offers comprehensive vacuum thermal processing services, handling loads up to 50,000 pounds and temperatures reaching 2400°F. With AS9100 and Nadcap accreditations, the company maintains rigorous standards to ensure reliable and precise heat treatments, meeting the exacting requirements of the aerospace sector.

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Constellium honored with supplier of the year award from stellantis for csr excellence

Constellium, Paris, announced that it has been awarded the Supplier of the Year Award by Stellantis, recognizing the company’s strong commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This honor reflects Constellium’s dedication to high CSR standards in both its operations and supply chain, which has earned positive ratings from several international rating agencies. A long-standing supplier for Stellantis brands, Constellium provides aluminum body sheet products and extrusion-based structural solutions for various vehicle platforms across Europe and the U.S.

Constellium’s approach to sustainability has been acknowledged by independent organizations, including EcoVadis, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), MSCI ESG Ratings, and ISS-Oekom. As a founding member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), Constellium recently achieved ASI Performance Standard Certification for all global operations.

Ingrid Joerg, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Constellium, expressed pride in the award from Stellantis, noting that it underscores the company’s dedication to responsible purchasing and sustainable solutions. The award was presented at Stellantis’s annual event in Turin, Italy, where Maxime Picat, stellantis chief purchasing and supply chain officer, emphasized the critical role of suppliers in supporting Stellantis’s growth through their commitment to quality and collaboration. Constellium, dedicated to delivering sustainable aluminum products, publishes annual sustainability reports to highlight its progress and results in this area

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