Youngstown Tools & Die (YTD) upgraded their existing heat treatment capabilities by installing two new high-pressure gas quench (HPGQ) vacuum furnaces. YTD, located in Ohio, specializes in manufacturing aluminum extrusion dies (since 1961) and are in the process of moving into a larger facility to accommodate increased production needs due to rising demand.
This May, the city council of Youngstown, Ohio, approved three pieces of legislation for YTD, helping them move forward with their expansion. According to the legislation, Youngstown Tool & Die plans to retain 46 full-time employees and create an additional 54 jobs.
“Our expansion has been facilitated by a localized government development program to expand employment and business development in our area, so we are moving quickly to take advantage of the program,” said Dave Mrdjenovic, general manager at YTD.
The new Vector® HPGQ vacuum furnaces — which were manufactured and delivered by SECO/VACUUM, a daughter company of SECO/WARWICK — accelerate the speed of quenching through densification gas cooling. Vectors can provide a faster quench without compromising the integrity of metallurgical, mechanical, or physical properties. They retain the ability to transform a material to a microstructure that is similar, identical, or superior to that of a known quenching medium (e.g. oil or salt). Common quench gases include nitrogen, argon, and helium.
The Vector furnaces can heat treat dies for a variety of applications, including: stamping, molding, and extrusion. Their high-pressure gas quench system cools dense masses evenly and quickly without distortion. This results in improved die quality and consistency when compared with atmosphere heat treatment methods, according to SECO.
“Upgrading our existing atmosphere furnaces to high pressure gas quench vacuum furnaces will significantly improve our performance as we grow,” “Our expansion has been facilitated by a localized government development program to expand employment and business development in our area, so we are moving quickly to take advantage of the program,” said Dave Mrdjenovic, general manager at YTD. “Having worked with Vector vacuum furnaces at my prior company, I was already comfortable that it was the right technology for our needs.”