SECO/WARWICK, Świebodzin, Poland, received a repeat order for a Vector single-chamber vacuum furnace from a Chinese manufacturer of gas turbine and aircraft engine components. The furnace will heat treat turbine blades made from high-temperature alloys.

The order follows a vacuum furnace with a graphite hot zone that SECO/WARWICK delivered to the same customer in 2023. Based on that unit’s performance, the customer ordered a more technically demanding version for its turbine blade work.

The customer’s process required capabilities beyond the standard Vector configuration: gas cooling at up to 12 bar instead of the standard 10 bar, and temperature uniformity of ±3°C (±5.4°F) instead of ±5°C (±9°F). The furnace operates at temperatures up to 1,400°C (2,550°F), handles a maximum gross load of 600 kg (1,300 lb), and maintains vacuum levels of 10⁻³ Pa to minimize oxidation. It uses an all-metal hot zone rather than graphite, which the company notes is particularly important in processes that require a highly clean environment.

“In this project, the key was to combine two things: the proven design of the Vector vacuum furnace and a very specific adaptation to the customer’s process,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the vacuum segment, SECO/WARWICK Group.

Pan Gaojun, managing director, SECO/WARWICK China, said, “The first unit we delivered to this partner proved its value in everyday production. That is why the order was repeated.”

SECO/WARWICK Group designs and manufactures vacuum, atmosphere, and aluminum heat treatment furnaces and vacuum metallurgy equipment, with operations in Poland, the U.S., China, and India.

Read further here: https://www.secowarwick.com/en/news/another-vector-for-turbines/