SECO/WARWICK will deliver a complete heat treatment line for aerospace components to a global aerospace manufacturer. The contract combines atmosphere technologies and vacuum technologies within a single automated processing line management system. The solution will include 12 industrial furnaces, 5 cooling stations, a quench tank, an automatic material handling systems, and auxiliary infrastructure. The equipment will operate in a new production facility currently under construction in Poland.
SECO/WARWICK is supplying an integrated heat treatment line for aerospace forgings, combining atmosphere and vacuum technologies with advanced automation to ensure precise process control.
- Supports aerospace component production
- Combines atmosphere and vacuum furnace technologies
- Includes automated material handling and transport
- Strict requirements for cooling dynamics and transfer timing
- Designed as an integrated, high-precision processing system
The new line will be used to heat treat forgings intended for aerospace component production. The project is connected to the launch of production of parts currently manufactured in the United States and forms part of a broader investment program implemented by this Partner.
Two Technologies in One Line
SECO/WARWICK’s scope of supply is exceptionally broad and includes both atmosphere technology equipment and vacuum furnaces, along with the complete infrastructure required for automated processing. The atmosphere section of the line will include 10 chamber furnaces, six of which are equipped with cooling systems. These will be complemented by an oil quench tank, a spray washer and five cooling stations. The second key component of the delivery will be two single chamber Vector vacuum furnaces, each equipped with a high pressure gas quenching system operating up to 20 bar absolute.
“This is a project in which we are not simply supplying individual equipment; we are co-creating a complete processing line for highly demanding aerospace production. Combining atmosphere and vacuum technologies, automated transport, and precisely defined process parameters requires close cooperation among multiple engineering teams. Aerospace imposes some of the most stringent requirements on metal heat treatment technology, which is why projects like this are particularly important references for the SECO/WARWICK Group,” said Piotr Skarbiński, Vice President of the Aluminum and CAB Products Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group.
Temperature Is Not the Only Factor. Timing Is Critical.
One of the project’s most important requirements is maintaining specified process parameters at every stage. This applies both to the cooling characteristics in the vacuum furnaces and to the precisely defined load transfer time between the atmosphere furnaces and the quench tank.
For this reason, an advanced transport and automation system will be an integral part of the line. It will include a material handling unit traveling on an external track, a robot for automatically positioning loads onto process fixtures, and two roller conveyors with turntables.
“The interdependencies among the individual units are crucial in this project. Reaching the correct process temperature is not enough. We must also ensure the required cooling dynamics in the vacuum furnaces, repeatable parameters, and a strictly defined load transfer time between the atmosphere chamber furnaces and the quench tank. When designing the line, we therefore treat it as one integrated technological process rather than a collection of independent units,” Skarbiński added.
