SECO/WARWICK
Experts in Vacuum Heat Treatment Technology

Heat treatment as an industrial process has a history spanning over two centuries, tracing its origins from the Industrial Revolution. Approximately 50 years ago, vacuum heat treatment emerged as a significant innovation in the field, signaling a gradual shift from traditional atmosphere processes.

SECO/WARWICK stands at the cusp of this transition in the industry. A frontrunner in developing heat treatment equipment, metallurgical systems and brazing and sintering technologies, the company redefines industry standards with its pioneering tech solutions. It offers comprehensive solutions for vacuum heat treatment, vacuum metallurgy, aluminum thermal treatment, controlled atmosphere and vacuum brazing of aluminum heat exchangers and atmosphere processing.

Operating across the world’s from four manufacturing centers located at major industrial regions—the North America, Europe, China, and India—SECO/WARWICK is strategically positioned to cater to varied market demands. Its global presence spans over 70 countries, with a track record of delivering over 4,000 installations worldwide, supporting global industries like aerospace, defense, automotive, machinery, energy, medical, tools&dies, mining, fasteners, electronics, etc.

“We pride ourselves on offering diverse heat treatment equipment tailored to meet the distinct vacuum furnace requirements of any industry,” says Maciej Korecki, Vice President, of Vacuum Heat Treatment Segment at SECO/ WARWICK Group.

The company’s journey began over a hundred years ago in the U.S. with Warwick Corporation, a specialist in general heat treatment and vacuum technology. Acquisitions—including of Retech C, an expert in vacuum metallurgy—brought in decades of experience. This collective knowledge propels the company to advance the field of vacuum heat treatment technology.

SECO/WARWICK promotes vacuum (deep underpressure) as a superior protective atmosphere to traditional methods, which necessitate specialized atmosphere generation, heating and naturalization that incur additional costs. In contrast, the vacuum heat treatment approach is sustainable and efficient, as it uses vacuum protection for heating and typically nitrogen and argon gases for cooling, derived from air to minimize environmental impact and operational costs.

Considering partners’ diverse heat treatment needs, SECO/WARWICK adopts an engineering-centric approach to deliver tailored, automated and turnkey solutions. Its state-of-the-art heat processing and metallurgy equipment can handle a wide range of load sizes, from small components to large-scale applications like 100-foot-length nuclear industry tubes.

SECO/WARWICK’s role in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project exemplifies its engineering excellence and precision. It supplied a heat treatment furnace critical for the project’s central magnet coil superconductor (over 100 ton load weight), which helped advance groundbreaking scientific endeavors.

Vacuum furnaces are central to SECO/WARWICK’s vacuum heat treatment solution offerings, including single-chamber and double-chamber and multi-chamber options suitable for batch or semi-continuous production and adaptable for atmosphere equipment exchanges. Its vacuum furnaces support various heat treatment, brazing and sintering processes for metals and alloys. The company specializes in numerous thermochemical processes like vacuum carburizing and nitriding, completed by high-pressure gas and oil quenching.

Its proficiency in developing customized vacuum heat treatment solutions in the automotive industry can be showcased with an example. For a leading Swedish truck manufacturer, SECO/WARWICK transitioned their traditional atmospheric technology to batch vacuum furnaces automatic line for nitriding engine gears. This upgrade improved efficiency while reducing ammonia consumption and gas emission tenfold, improving process economy and promoting environmental sustainability.

SECO/WARWICK has changed the heat treatment and metallurgy color to green. It implements innovative, ecological technologies, enabling its design team to make many pro-environmental changes in the energy, aviation, automotive and recycling industries. SECO/WARWICK changes technologies to green by providing solutions reducing energy consumption, increasing production efficiency, shortening the process and treatment time, and reducing process gas consumption.

Beyond vacuum heat treatment, SECO/WARWICK has expertise in vacuum metallurgy for melting and remelting metals, aluminum brazing technology for automotive and aerospace industries and aluminum processing solutions for aging, homogenizing and alloying. The company’s portfolio also includes traditional thermal processing methods like roller, mesh belt and pusher furnaces.

Central to SECO/WARWICK’s business philosophy is the establishment of trust and collaborative relationships with customers through robust research and development activities. Its R&D centers in the U.S. and Poland for validating and refining technologies serve as hubs of innovation.

SECO/WARWICK is set to adopt effective strategies to better navigate changing market dynamics and industry trends. It plans to decentralize operations, fostering self-sufficiency across all locations while maintaining a cohesive global structure. Becoming an attractive employer and adopting digital transformation through data analysis, machine learning and artificial intelligence are also on its agenda.

Committed to upholding the highest standards of quality, sustainability and technological advancement, SECO/WARWICK stands at the vanguard of a shift from atmosphere to vacuum heat treatment, driving innovation and shaping the future of industrial manufacturing worldwide.