The Lenox Group started up a compact-size gas nitriding system for its aluminum extrusion plant in Bulgaria, where it recently expanded its operations with a second extrusion press. Faced with increased production and disappointing nitriding results from third-party processing services, Lenox decided to bring the nitriding operations in-house to improve die reliability through more stringent quality control.
“Previously, the company sent extrusion dies for salt bath nitriding and gas nitriding, but there were quality issues and results were inconsistent, never living up to customer expectations,” explained Marcin Stokłosa, project manager at Nitrex. “Lenox Group experimented with various case hardening technologies in search of the best one, the results of which would be repeatable and consistent with their expectations.”
As a result, Lenox selected a N-EXT 412 nitriding system from Nitrex, which was designed for low volume quantities in accordance with the extruder’s production needs. The nitriding system features a small footprint, which allows it to easily fit within the limited space within the plant. The system is a self-contained platform, which includes the furnace, a control system with Nitreg® technology, and an exhaust neutralizer for clean processing. With a temperature distribution of ±5°C, the system is suitable for nitriding H11 and H13 extrusion dies. It also complies with AMS 2750 for pyrometry and AMS 2759/10 for controlled nitriding standards.
“Lenox Group could always count on our guidance and involvement through every stage of the project,” noted Stokłosa. “This is the story of a long-term relationship, and an experience rewarded with a signed contract after talks spanning several years.”