The Czech commercial heat treatment company CZECHmetal s.r.o. has selected SECO/WARWICK technology. The company has purchased a horizontal, two-chamber CaseMaster Evolution vacuum furnace equipped with an oil quenching system and an option for vacuum carburizing.
CZECHmetal is upgrading its Olomouc plant with a custom SECO/WARWICK vacuum furnace to boost production efficiency, precision, and capacity using advanced carburizing technologies.
Project key points:
/ SECO/WARWICK is installing a custom CaseMaster-D vacuum furnace at CZECHmetal.
/ The furnace features FineCarb, PreNitLPC, and LPCN technologies.
/ The system is custom-sized to fit existing plant infrastructure.
/ It offers improved efficiency, process repeatability, and faster quenching.
/ The deal highlights the rising demand for vacuum tech in Central Europe.
The system will be installed at the plant in Olomouc and will significantly increase the heat treater’s production capacity. The new furnace will replace an older unit, providing higher efficiency, cleaner processing, and greater repeatability of heat treatment parameters.
The contract with the Czech commercial heat treatment company confirms the growing importance of vacuum technologies in Central Europe.
„The Czech Republic is a very important market for vacuum technologies. We see increasing demand for modern carburizing and hardening processes, particularly in the machinery, automotive and tooling sectors. We are pleased that CZECHmetal is joining the group of our partners in the region. Geographic proximity, ease of communication, and fast service support foster long-term cooperation,” said Maciej Korecki, Vice President of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK.
Design Thinking by SECO/WARWICK
The system supplied is a two chamber vacuum furnace (CMe-D) equipped with an oil quenching system and the advanced FineCarb vacuum carburizing technology, featuring a custom-designed heating chamber measuring 700 × 1200 × 700 mm (27.6″ × 47.2″ × 27.6″), tailored specifically to the customer’s requirements. As a result, the new furnace can be installed in place of the existing unit without modifying the current plant infrastructure.
The design is based on proven technology, comprising a heating chamber and a charge-loading/unloading vestibule with an oilquench tank. The system enables cooling of the charge in two media – dynamically in an inert gas (1.5 bar abs) above the oil surface, or by immersing the charge directly in the quench oil.
„This solution combines the proven design of our CaseMaster Evolution furnaces with customization for customer needs. The non-standard chamber made it possible to fit the system into the existing production space perfectly while maintaining all the advantages of our technology – process stability, high efficiency and operational reliability in industrial conditions,” said Łukasz Chwiałkowski, Sales Manager at SECO/WARWICK.
The furnace is equipped with advanced technology options, including FineCarb vacuum carburizing, pre-nitriding PreNitLPC and low-pressure carbonitriding (LPCN). These technologies enable precise control of steel surface properties and the achievement of high-quality carburized layers. The heating system ensures fast and uniform heating of the load, even at low temperatures, significantly reducing heating time. A high-performance oil circulation system provides excellent load penetration, ensuring rapid and uniform quenching.
The growing vacuum technology market in the Czech Republic
The new investment will allow CZECHmetal to respond even more effectively to market needs, shorten order lead times, and increase the quality and repeatability of heat treatment processes. For the industry, this is another clear signal that commercial heat treaters in Central Europe are increasingly investing in premium-class technologies that build competitive advantage in a demanding industrial market.
“From the very beginning, our development has been based on investing in technologies that enable us to offer increasingly advanced heat treatment processes. The new vacuum furnace will allow us to increase efficiency and introduce even more precise carburizing technologies. It was also important that the SECO/WARWICK solution was adapted to the conditions of our production hall. Excellent cooperation, a goal oriented approach, and above all, a real response to our needs – this best summarizes the project,” said Adam Petrecký from CZECHmetal s.r.o.
