Ipsen USA Receives New Vacuum Furnace Order from Urschel Laboratories

Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Illinois, announced a new equipment order from Urschel Laboratories for a MetalMaster HR 54×48 vacuum furnace. The order marks 40 years of partnership between the two companies, with the new unit replacing an original Ipsen furnace installed in 1986.

The MetalMaster HR is designed for high-performance heat treating applications including hardening, tempering, brazing, and annealing in a vacuum or partial-pressure environment. The furnace features a horizontal front-loading design with an integrated high-pressure gas quench system.

Urschel Laboratories, based in Chesterton, Indiana, is a global manufacturer of precision food cutting equipment. The company relies on vacuum heat treatment to achieve the hardness, wear resistance, and dimensional stability required for its cutting components, which operate under demanding production conditions in the food processing industry.

The replacement of the 1986 furnace reflects both the longevity of Ipsen equipment and the ongoing need for modern controls, energy efficiency, and process documentation capabilities in today’s manufacturing environment. Ipsen reported a 45% year-over-year increase in new equipment units sold in 2025.

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One Minute Mentor: Advantages and Limitations of Heat Treatment Simulation

Heat treatment simulation can be a tool for optimization of heat-treatment processes, but at the present this method is still limited. Therefore most HTS is based on rough simplifications of the process. Simplifications can involve the process, number of phases, transformation kinetics, continuums models instead of micro-mechanical models, etc. These simplifications also result in inaccuracies in the calculations.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 16. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980

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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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

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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One Minute Mentor: Improving the Homogeneity of the Distortion Behavior

Controlling out-of-roundness is important for certain precision applications, such as class C and D cutting hobs made of high-speed steels. Class C and D hobs must be held close to size limits because they are not ground to size after heat treatment, but rather are used in the unground condition.

Normal size distortion in hardening and tempering can be accommodated by making the tool slightly oversize or slightly undersize, as required, before heat treating. High-speed steel bars, however, have been observed to go out-of-round as much as 0.05 mm (0.002 in.) during heat treatment. The pattern of size distortion shown in Fig. 8 can occur. It appears to be related to the initial shape of the cast ingot and to the specific primary-mill processing used to reduce the ingot into bars.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 8. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980

Can-Eng announces expansion with subsidiary Evergreen Kiln Technologies

EvergreenKilnTechnologies, LLC, based in Niagara Falls, USA, together with Suzhou Kilnpartner Mechanical Technology Co., Ltd., based in China, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at addressing the burgeoning needs of the North American Lithium-ion battery market. This alliance is poised to offer battery material producers advanced Kiln System solutions tailored for the production of cathode (LFP, NMC) and anode active materials.

As part of the arrangement, EvergreenKilnTechnologies LLC will function as a subsidiary under Can-Eng Furnaces International LTD., leveraging Can-Eng’s extensive 60-year expertise in designing and developing bespoke thermal processing systems.

The partnership extends across various domains, including marketing, brand collaboration, technology development, production, engineering, and after-sales services. The primary objective is to innovate thermal processing methods for battery powders, ensuring that the collaborative venture can deliver superior kiln solutions to clients across North America.

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Seco/Vacuum awarded nine-furnace contract

Seco/Vacuum, Meadville, Pa., announced it has secured a record-breaking contract for nine furnaces in June. The order includes three Vector vacuum Furnaces and six tempering furnaces, along with necessary auxiliary systems, marking a significant expansion for a returning heat-treat partner that already operates twelve Seco/Vacuum furnaces across North America.

The new furnaces are part of the heat-treater’s strategic shift from atmospheric heat treatment to vacuum processes. This transition aims to modernize their facilities, offering cleaner, safer, and more cost-effective operations. Vacuum processes also allow for finer control and reduce the carbon footprint, aligning with contemporary environmental standards.

The Vector® furnaces, known for their versatility in heat-treating processes like hardening, tempering, and brazing, will primarily be used for hardening due to their high-pressure gas quench capabilities. These furnaces ensure high uniformity and consistency in heat-treated parts, with enhanced batch processing speed and reduced energy and gas usage.

The accompanying Tempering Furnaces, designed for efficient atmospheric tempering, feature convection heating for faster process temperatures and smoother workflow integration, crucial during the often-congested tempering stage.

To support the intensive hardening cycles of the Vectors, six tempering furnaces were chosen to maximize throughput and efficiency. Each furnace, both vectors and temperers, are front-loading with a capacity of 3,300 lbs and dimensions of 36 x 36 x 48 inches.

The full modernization will require a temporary shutdown of existing operations. Seco/Vacuum will mitigate downtime by also acting as the general contractor, overseeing the installation of furnaces, systems, and necessary infrastructure, ensuring a swift resumption of operations with new capabilities.

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One Minute Mentor: Gas Nitriding Equipment

Gas nitriding and nitrocarburizing can be processed in horizontal or vertical chamber furnaces with refractory insulation. However, to allow a quick change of the atmosphere and to avoid influences resulting from previous processes in the same furnace, retort furnaces are preferred.

To enable an acceptable production capacity, large vertical retort furnaces are used. Figure 23 shows a schematic sketch of a vertical retort furnace with a compensator for sealing against atmosphere. Nowadays large horizontal retort furnaces are also used. Horizontal retort furnaces of different size and execution are preferred for nitrocarburizing processes. Figure 24 shows a schematic of a typical horizontal retort furnace. Similar to the vertical execution, a good circulation of the process gas is needed to get uniform results, which can be reached by the use of a muffle and a high circulation rate. Indirect cooling is performed with an external cooling fan, blowing cold air along the retort. Other designs allow direct cooling of the process gas with an external heat exchanger.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 23. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005958

Researchers overcome manufacturing challenges in aluminum alloys with nano-treatment

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of metal additive manufacturing (AM), specifically with Al–Cu alloys like AA2024, which are prevalent in the aerospace and automotive industries. 

These alloys are known for their high strength and good fatigue resistance but have been notoriously difficult to work with in additive manufacturing due to issues like hot cracking and other solidification defects.

The UCLA team has successfully developed a nano-treated AA2024 deposition that incorporates TiC nanoparticles, leading to a groundbreaking enhancement in the manufacturing process. This new method allows for the additive manufacturing of AA2024 without the occurrence of cracks, a common issue that has hindered broader adoption of these materials in high-precision sectors.

Microstructural analysis conducted by the researchers reveals that the TiC nanoparticles not only reduce the susceptibility to hot cracking but also refine and homogenize the grain structure of the alloy. The grains were significantly refined to an average size of 23.2 ± 0.4 μm. This refinement contributes to the material’s enhanced properties, including its mechanical performance.

These findings highlight the potential of nano-treatment techniques in overcoming the longstanding challenges associated with high-strength aluminum in additive manufacturing. This advancement not only paves the way for more reliable production of critical components in aerospace and automotive applications but also promises to expand the capabilities and applications of metal additive manufacturing technology.

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