Five Homogenizing Furnaces for Hodaka Technology in Taiwan
This is the second collaboration between the SECO/WARWICK Group and Taiwan Hodaka Technology. This partner’s most recent order was an aluminum aging furnace.
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Each of the five furnaces will have a net capacity of 40 tons. They will operate within temperature ranges of 300-610°C with a guaranteed distribution during the final holding phase of ±5°C. The furnaces on order are four-zone gas-fired furnaces. After the heating process in the furnace, there is automatic unloading and loading into one of the cooling chambers. Each line will operate as a fully automatic system integrated with the client’s ingot stacking system. The technological line will be built in the new Hodaka Technology plant in Tainan.
“The essence of this project is a unique cooperation based on the exchange of know-how. Additionally, we will deliver a complete loader to Hodaka Technology, manufactured in Europe,” explains Piotr Skarbiński, Vice President of the CAB and Aluminum Product Segment at SECO/WARWICK.
Gas-Fired Ingot Homogenizing Furnaces – DIY
The furnaces will be used in the client’s newly built, third plant in Taiwan, located in Tainan. Thanks to the new project, Hodaka will significantly increase its production of aluminum ingots, which, after the extrusion process, will be used in many industries.
The homogenization of aluminum ingots is a heat treatment process aimed at improving the mechanical and structural properties of the material. This process involves heating the ingots to a high temperature, usually in the range of 0.90-0.95 Tm (on the Kelvin scale), but below the solidus temperature, and then soaking and cooling them for a certain period. During the homogenization of aluminum ingots, the main goal is to remove casting stresses and change the structure of the elements in the given aluminum alloy.
“Thanks to our recent delivery – the aluminum aging furnace – a new player has emerged on the Taiwanese market producing profiles in T77 technology for the aerospace industry. The current order – the homogenizing furnaces – will allow Taiwan Hodaka Technology to increase production efficiency for the aerospace industry following the AMS standard. The project is distinguished by two unique features: the temperature distribution in the final heating phase at the level of ±5°C and the use of movable baffles, allowing the working space to be reduced when loading an incomplete charge,” added Tomasz Kaczmarczyk, Sales Manager of the Aluminum and CAB Plant at SECO/WARWICK.
The aluminum heat treatment technology designed by SECO/WARWICK allows operators to prepare several batches in a continuous, sliding production system. This reduces the cycle time by eliminating the need to transfer the product to stationary cooling chambers.
Close Partnership
Established in 2002, Hodaka Technology Co., Ltd. supplies high-strength aluminum parts and components to many industries, including the automotive and aerospace sectors.
“This is our second collaboration with the SECO/WARWICK Group. The previous contract allowed us to enter a new market segment. The current order, and above all, the way it is being executed, is the result of excellent cooperation and partnership. We receive great technical support from SECO/WARWICK and feel confident about the implementation of the entire project,” said Dr. Sam Chiang, Vice President of R&D, Taiwan Hodaka Technology Co. Ltd.
