SECO/WARWICK, a manufacturer of industrial furnaces for metal heat treatment, proves that heavy industry can be green. For years, SECO/WARWICK has been trying to actively protect the environment, not only by sorting waste, installing photovoltaic panels, saving water, introducing electronic document circulation, or involving its partners in the SECO/ECO idea. The Group is the Winner of the Social Responsibility Program Leaders and the Emblem in the category of ECO Company 2023, once again proving that care for the natural environment is in its DNA.
SECO/WARWICK primarily implements innovative, ecological technologies that allow users to make proactive upgrades in equipment that protect the environment in the energy, aviation, automotive and recycling industries. Thus, it makes the world a better place – an ecological place.
One of the most dynamically developing sectors in terms of implementing ecological innovation is within the aluminium heat treatment segment.
Furnaces that change the industry image
Many innovations at SECO/WARWICK are implemented with environmental safety and security in mind. An example is the patented Vortex® technology for aluminium coil annealing, which reduces coil processing time by up to 30% compared to other available technologies. This increases productivity and thus reduces energy consumption and costs. VORTEX® furnaces execute intermediate or final heat treatment of loads in the form of sheets or foil in coils made of aluminium and its alloys, in particular stress relieving and recrystallizing annealing. The Vortex furnace uses burners with an auto-recuperation of high efficiency (up to 86%) and specialized insulation designed to optimize heat losses.
Innovative tools such as SeCoil® allow users to design, optimize and control the real-time aluminium sheet coil process cycle. The main element of the SeCoil® system is the load heating mathematical model, which can be used to determine the temperature field in the coil cross-section at any moment of the process without the need to use load thermocouples. SeCoil optimizes the process, reducing energy and media consumption.
Another tool used in the operation of aluminium heat treatment furnaces is SECO/PREDICTIVE, an advanced equipment control system that allows users to detect potential failures before they occur. This system collects data from sensors and saves them in the SECO/WARWICK cloud. In the next step, the information obtained is analyzed. Both systems can work together and significantly affect production efficiency, and thus reduce the negative impact on the natural environment.
The Vortex system uses heat recovery from the exhaust to heat the nitrogen. The latest version ( 2.0) has been equipped with a more efficient system of straight nozzles. We tested various configurations of nozzle settings and their diameter. As a result of many tests, we achieved the goal of significantly reducing the load heating time. This is a big saving for users because a shorter cycle ensures greater efficiency and savings. Vortex systems provide a higher production volume with less energy consumption. Therefore, these furnaces are economical and ecological simultaneously.
Aluminium treatment with SECO/WARWICK
SECO/WARWICK also manufactures furnaces for the solution treatment of aluminium alloys. This equipment is dedicated to the aerospace industry and meets the stringent requirements of the latest AMS2750F aerospace and AMS2770 material standards. The VertiQuench drop-bottom furnace is a perfect fit for the aerospace industry. An important parameter, apart from the working zone size, is the full immersion velocity of the load in the quenching bath. In this solution, the quench cycle begins in 5 seconds. VertiQuench is equipped with a high-performance, energy-saving and low-emission heating system. Ecological insulation with appropriate thickness has been used in order to optimize heat loss through the furnace shell.
Furnaces for annealing, solution heat treatment and aging processes, as well as furnaces for homogenizing aluminium under the SECO/WARWICK brand, are characterized by the use of burners with high-efficiency auto-recuperation with efficiencies up to 86% and heat recovery from the exhaust for nitrogen heating when used in the furnace protective atmosphere.
We fully understand for the environmental protection implementations to be accepted, they must also bring real financial profits for the recipients. That is why we do not approach SECO/ECO purely ideologically. Each time, we make sure that the innovation brings additional benefits such as shortening the processing time, higher efficiency, or lower gas consumption. Being greener is also a more efficient company, achieving the same results at a lower cost. Our customers appreciate it. This is a typical example of a win-win activity. The producer wins, and our planet wins.
Another eco-friendly solution is the afterburner system, which has been used for years in aluminium heat exchanger production lines and is currently used in furnaces for annealing aluminium coils, both Mass flow and Vortex® technologies. Thermal afterburners are used in the automotive and aluminium industries to remove industrial pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly aromatic hydrocarbons. The afterburner is a SECO/WARWICK standard, delivered together with a degreaser (a unit for thermal oil removal from the aluminium heat exchanger surface) as a component of the CAB line. This design is used during aluminium strip coil annealing in Vortex® and mass-flow furnaces. Large amounts of oil are often used during the rolling and grooving process. The oil evaporates during the heat treatment process, releasing hazardous organic compounds. Concerned about health and the environment, SECO/WARWICK provides a solution ensuring compliance with emission standards.
It is worth noting that all these solutions can be equipped with an electric heating option, which completely eliminates CO2 emissions when using a green source of electricity.
Caring for the planet
Secology is a set of projects and ecological social initiatives, ecological investments within the company, and the green technologies that SECO/WARWICK creates. Secology, thus, is not a new science or religion, it is the SECO/WARWICK Group’s attitude and strategy visible in various aspects of its operation.
We are working to implement our solutions by using remote processes, which will minimize CO2 emissions resulting from travel and paper use. But we also strongly focus on building the ecological awareness of our team through regular publications in the internal newsletter and organizing activities for the sake of ecology, for example, planting and cleaning forests. Care for the environment and the planet means responsibility for all of our actions affecting the natural environment now as well as in the future. It is our duty to the planet and generations. So, we plant trees, clean forests, and care for environmentally friendly production as well as pro-ecological solutions and the products we offer.
SECO/WARWICK has been proving for years that the ECO acronym is inscribed in its DNA and not only in its name. Constant striving to offer innovative products and care for even the smallest matters makes SECO/WARWICK one of the most proactive companies pioneering ecological solutions for the metal heat treatment and metallurgical industries.
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