SECO/WARWICK finds the way to complete successful projects in Brazil

Seco/Warwick, Meadville, Pa., announced a significant milestone in its operations in Brazil. The company has successfully implemented a solution for Nitrion do Brasil, a leading commercial heat treater in South America, in their new production hall to manage the increasing order volume. This achievement underscores the strong synergy between SECO/WARWICK and its strategic partner in the region, Combustol.

SECO/WARWICK’s presence in Brazil has seen dynamic sales growth and promising market forecasts, driven by their popular Vector single-chamber vacuum furnaces. These furnaces are highly favored by commercial heat treaters in the region for their ability to enhance the hardening process and improve economic efficiency. The successful collaboration with Combustol has been instrumental, providing not only sales support but also service activities and the supply of spare parts, which has given SECO/WARWICK a competitive edge.

The Vector vacuum furnace ordered by Nitrion do Brasil is designed to address the challenge of hardening larger elements, thanks to its spacious working area. This feature enhances process economics through energy savings and increased efficiency of the graphite chamber, while also ensuring process cleanliness and speed. The furnace’s convection heating system improves heat transfer efficiency at lower temperatures, and its directional cooling system allows for effective cooling of parts with complex shapes.

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Constellium has announced new initiative to boost circularity of beverage cans

Constellium, Paris, has announced an initiative to enhance the circularity of beverage cans. In collaboration with three leading flat-rolled aluminium manufacturers and members of the European Aluminium Packaging Group (EAPG) – Elval, Novelis, and Speira – Constellium has signed an agreement to embark on a standardization project aimed at maximizing the recycled content in beverage cans. This initiative is a significant step towards substantially lowering carbon emissions by focusing on the increased recyclability of the can end.

This collaborative effort underscores the aluminium industry’s commitment to sustainability. By increasing the recycled content in beverage cans, the project aims to significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with aluminium production. The focus on recyclability and circularity not only benefits the environment but also sets a new standard for sustainability within the industry.

By prioritizing these eco-friendly practices, Constellium and its partners are paving the way for a more sustainable future in aluminium production, highlighting the importance of innovation and collaboration in achieving environmental goals.

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One Minute Mentor: Salt Bath Nitrocarburizing Equipment

Modern salt bath nitrocarburizing units can be arranged as fully automated and contained lines and usually consist of an air-preheating furnace, one or several salt bath nitrocarburizing furnaces, which can either be heated electrically or by gas combustion, and a cooling unit that can be an oxidizing salt bath. Such oxidizing posttreatment builds up a thin and dense oxide layer on top of the compound layer that significantly increases the corrosion resistance. 

Online monitoring of the chemical composition is not required due to the high stability of the melt and the automatic supply of refill salt and regenerators. The nitrocarburizing line usually ends with three- to four-step washing cascades that also act as a regeneration system for the salt.

Gas nitriding and nitrocarburizing is the most sensitive process regarding passivation effects typical for medium- to high-alloy tool steels. Therefore special attention must be paid to cleaning and pretreatment processes such as preoxidation, controlled oxinitriding, or the use of chemicals such as hydrazine. On the other hand, gas processes have the best accessibility for boreholes and thin gaps.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 21. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005958