Multi-furnace heat treat project for major steel forger

Nutec Bickley, Mexico, has been awarded a contract to manufacture and install five new lift-up furnaces, along with a fully modernized combustion system, for a leading U.S. manufacturer of high-quality alloy steel and carbon steel closed-die forgings. The project will take place between May and December 2023, with onsite work completed one furnace at a time to ensure the customer’s production schedules are not impacted. Two of the new furnaces will be used for tempering, while the remaining three will be used for austenitizing. Each furnace will be fitted with the latest control systems, complete fiber flues, and new exhaust and pressure control systems, along with insulation.

Nutec Bickley’s state-of-the-art combustion packages will be fully compliant with NFPA 86 standards, incorporating a fuel-only control system to allow maximum temperature uniformity potential for all cycles. The retrofitted furnaces will benefit from high-velocity nozzle mixing burners fitted with high-temperature burner blocks. The combustion systems will also feature automatic air control valves to adjust the maximum air volume used and to ensure proper burner ignition conditions.

The project will involve careful teamwork between the customer and Nutec Bickley to ensure successful delivery and highest quality outcomes. Rodrigo González, VP Metals at Nutec Bickley, emphasized the importance of constant communication and status updates with customers for a dynamic and mutually beneficial project result.

 

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Ipsen repurposes ceramics facility for expanded hot zone production capacity

Ipsen, Pecatonica, Ill., formerly known as Ipsen Ceramics, is expanding its vacuum furnace hot zone assembly. The refurbishments include new lighting, HVAC, roofing, and other interior and exterior upgrades. Located at 325 John Street, less than 30 miles from Ipsen’s Vacuum Technology Excellence Center in Cherry Valley, the factory will initially employ up to eight material assemblers.

Incorporating the Pecatonica location into Ipsen’s vacuum furnace production and aftermarket process will provide added benefits to customers. Jake Hamid, Ipsen’s director and chief Operating Officer, stated that “Our goal is to reduce delivery times and better control the critical phase of assembly.” In the future, Ipsen is considering other manufacturing activities in Pecatonica to supplement the needs of the Vacuum Technology Excellence Center.

The move to repurpose the Pecatonica plant aligns with Ipsen’s commitment to providing high-quality vacuum furnace equipment and services to customers. The company’s dedication to meeting customer needs and reducing delivery times will be further enhanced by this strategic move, ensuring that Ipsen remains a leader in the vacuum furnace industry.

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Wisconsin oven ships pin conveyor oven to automotive manufacturer

Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, has shipped one electrically heated conveyor oven to an automotive manufacturer, which will be used for tempering automotive parts. The conveyor oven features a chain style conveyor system with vertical pins, ensuring the uniform transfer of parts through the heating and cooldown zones of the oven. The maximum temperature rating of the conveyor oven is 260° C, with interior chamber dimensions of 3’6” W x 20’10” L x 9” H.

The conveyor oven also features a top-down bottom-up airflow configuration designed with a 55,000 CFM @ 50 HP blower, ensuring optimal temperature uniformity of ±2.5° C at 163°C, documented with a temperature uniformity test. The oven is equipped with a continuous chain conveyor with vertical pins, programmable temperature controller, and recorder with Ethernet capabilities.

The unique features of this tempering oven include the ability to automatically scan the parts while being loaded onto the conveyor and validate that the correct part is being loaded, providing a pass/fail regarding heating time and temperature. The conveyor oven also includes an ambient cooldown zone and supervised installation with start-up and training.

Mike Grande, vice president of sales,said that, “Our continuous designs provide customers with innovative solutions to meet their load and process requirements. This conveyor oven was designed with high-velocity impingement air nozzles for rapid, uniform heating and optimal part results.” The equipment was fully factory tested and adjusted prior to shipment from the facility, ensuring it met all Wisconsin Oven quality standards. The equipment comes with a 2-year warranty, providing peace of mind for the automotive manufacturer.

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Improving the Nitriding Process Using ZeroFlow® Gas Nitriding Technology

Gas nitriding has been performed for almost a century with many variations over the years. The benefits of nitriding are well documented and nitriding has gained amazing industrial acceptance. However, the equipment and control of the nitrided layer has continued to be challenging, and as such, nitriding is still slowly being adopted by industry, but the rate of change is improving.

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Expo sells out for Heat Treat

The ASM Heat Treating Society announced that the exposition for Heat Treat 2015 has sold out for the second time in a row. Hundreds of heat treating companies and gear manufacturers will be displaying their latest and greatest products and services next month at the 28th annual ASM Heat Treating Society Conference and Exposition in Detroit, Michigan.

With over 290 booths on the sold out floor – an increase of over 20 booths from 2013 – attendees will have plenty of opportunities to see the latest technology in action. A new addition this year are scheduled live demonstrations on the expo floor, which will educate attendees about new equipment in a hands-on way. Other exciting events happening on the show floor are plenary talk from Dr. Alan Taub of the LIFT consortium on Tuesday afternoon, and the exhibitor reception on Tuesday evening. Exhibitors are encouraged to invite their clients and prospects to attend, particularly if they are local.

Heat Treat 2015 is a biannual conference recognized by industry, academia and government professionals as the premier heat treating gathering in North America. This year it is taking placing in Detroit Michigan, a place with deep roots in heat treating and the birthplace of the ASM Heat Treat Society.

To see a list of the exhibitors, visit this page.

To register for Heat Treat 2015, visit here on the Heat Treat event website.