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Two VIM SECO/WARWICK furnaces for aviation

May 15,2025

A valued Chinese partner has purchased two VIM furnaces, a JetCaster VIM50 EQ vacuum induction furnace for melting and producing castings using the EQ method and a JetCaster device for melting and producing castings using directional solidification, single crystal, equiaxed structure, and crystallization with gas cooling (DGCC). The furnaces will be shipped to China.

VIM furnaces – the most commonly chosen equipment in the field of vacuum metallurgy

The first device on order is a 50 kg VIM induction furnace. Castings in an equiaxed structure will be produced in it. The furnace is unique due to its high degree of automation. It is one of the most frequently chosen solutions in the field of vacuum metallurgy due to its innovation, reliability, and process repeatability thanks to a modern recipe system. It is distinguished by a modern control system and precise alloy additive feeding system. Various metals can be processed in vacuum metallurgy furnaces, such as titanium and its alloys, silicon, nickel, or cobalt alloys.

The second furnace is the JetCaster VIM DGCC, used to produce high-quality precision turbine blade castings in the aerospace and energy industries. The crystallization method is enhanced by the injection of cooling gas, which improves the casting structure and shortens the overall process time.

“Innovative JetCaster technology opens up a range of new possibilities in the field of unidirectional crystallization castings of nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys. Years of work by our R&D engineers on the development of new unidirectional crystallization casting technology has allowed us to create a device equipped with a supersonic argon stream cooling system,” explains Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of SECO/WARWICK Group.

The furnace is characterized by a modular design and easy adaptation to different casting mold geometries thanks to solutions such as automatic thermal barrier exchange, interchangeable melting containers adapted to different charge sizes, and the ability to easily configure the gas cooling system.

“The growing popularity of VIM furnaces and the increasing importance of vacuum metallurgy is a consequence of the constantly changing production needs of heavy industries. We see a significant increase in demand for products from this segment throughout Asia. Thanks to the cooperation of our companies within the SECO/WARWICK Group, we can deliver induction furnaces worldwide. An essential aspect of this contract is our reliable service. According to recent research, as many as 98% of our customers recommend SECO/WARWICK’s after-sales services,” said Liu Yedong, Managing Director of SECO/WARWICK China.

Technology developments for the aviation industry

SECO/WARWICK has pioneered JetCaster technology, an improved method that enhances the capabilities for single-crystal casting of nickel and cobalt superalloys.

The JetCaster technology enables users to optimize the single-crystal casting cycle by increasing the crystallization speed, which in most applications does not exceed 3 mm/min. Additionally, it reduces energy consumption of the entire process, generating a smaller carbon footprint, and minimizing the issue of casting defects.

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