Tvornica plinskih turbina d.o.o., a Croatian manufacturer of advanced components for the aerospace and energy industries, has ordered a Vector singlechamber vacuum furnace with 6 bar abs. High pressure gas quenching from SECO/WARWICK.
Tvornica plinskih turbina is building an in-house heat treatment department by acquiring its first SECO/WARWICK vacuum furnace to improve quality control and production independence.
- Acquisition of the first in-house vacuum furnace for aerospace components.
- Goal to reduce reliance on external services and mitigate delivery risks.
- Furnace features high-performance gas cooling and precise process control.
- Investment supports growth in the expanding aerospace and turbine markets.
- SECO/WARWICK provides both equipment and technical process expertise.
This is the Partner’s first vacuum furnace and the beginning of building an in-house heat treatment department. The investment will increase production independence, improve quality control, and reduce the risks related to the timely delivery of external services.
The equipment will be used for the heat treatment of aerospace and gas turbine components that require high process cleanliness, parameter repeatability, and precise cooling control. For the customer, this is the first SECO/WARWICK vacuum furnace and, at the same time, the first vacuum furnace in their machine park. Until now, the company has relied on external commercial heat treatment service providers. Rising costs of these services, limited production capacity availability, and the risk of delays prompted the company to decide to build an in-house heat treatment department.
The Technology of First Choice for Aerospace Components
Tvornica plinskih turbina d.o.o. operates in a sector where process quality has a direct impact on the quality of the final component. The company’s history dates back to 1975, when it began operations as a specialized plant manufacturing jet engine and gas turbine components. From the beginning, it developed competencies in advanced technologies, including those based on Rolls Royce licenses. In the years that followed, it implemented, among other capabilities, precision forging of turbine blades, production of components for tank and helicopter engines, turbine components for the power sector, and parts for engines used in civil aviation.
The equipment ordered has a working space of 600 x 600 x 900 mm (24 × 24 × 35 in.), while the round heating chamber also enables the processing of oversized components. The furnace has been designed to operate with two gases: argon and nitrogen, and is equipped with a high-performance cooling system with a blower enabling gas quenching up to 6 bar abs.
“In the aerospace and turbine industries, a vacuum furnace is a solution that provides process repeatability, cleanliness and safety. In this project, the customer chose the Vector furnace because it needed proven first choice technology that would allow a critical production stage to be moved in-house. This provides greater independence, better quality control, and a shorter path from component production to final heat treatment. Vector furnace lines operate for the largest manufacturers in the aerospace sector. They are present in more than 70 countries — there is probably no better recommendation,” says Maciej Korecki, Vice President of the Vacuum Furnace Segment at the SECO/WARWICK Group.
The importance of such investments is growing along with the development of the aerospace and turbine markets. The global commercial aircraft turbine engine market was valued at USD 66.2 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow to USD 96.7 billion by 2034. At the same time, the global gas turbine market is expanding, driven by demand from the energy sector, industry, gas transportation and critical infrastructure. For component manufacturers, this means growing pressure on quality, delivery reliability and access to their own process capabilities.
Independence, Quality and Cost Control
The decision to purchase a SECO/WARWICK vacuum furnace addresses the Partner’s specific operational challenges. In-house heat treatment means independence from external services, lower costs of transporting components to and from subcontractors, better production planning, and a reduced risk of delays for end customers. For an aerospace and turbine component manufacturer, this is particularly important because heat treatment processes are one of the critical stages in achieving the required material properties.
“This project clearly demonstrates the advantage of SECO/WARWICK’s standard, refined design. It is a furnace proven in many demanding applications, while still allowing us to equip it with the options required by a specific customer. In this case, the key features included operation with argon and nitrogen, convection heating, an efficient pumping system, dew point control, a partial pressure system, and 6 bar abs. gas cooling. This configuration gives the customer full control over the process and the confidence to introduce vacuum heat treatment into their facility,” says Grzegorz Głuchowski, Sales Manager at SECO/WARWICK.
Partnership in Entering into a New Stage of Production
The choice of supplier was especially important because, for the Croatian manufacturer, this will be the first piece of equipment of this type. This Partner needed not only a furnace, but also proven technology, process support, and the experience of a supplier that has already completed many similar projects for industries requiring high reliability.
“The decision to build our own heat treatment capability is an important step in the development of our plant. We needed a Partner that would provide not only the equipment, but also the know
how suited to our needs. The SECO/WARWICK equipment will allow us to increase production independence, better control process costs and quality, and reduce the risk of delays resulting from the use of external services. It is an investment in greater stability and competitiveness of our production,” says Tihomir Šoškić, representative of Tvornica plinskih turbina d.o.o.
