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Heat treating furnace

Efficient and reliable Heat Treating Solutions with top-class performance

Heat treating furnace

Definition

Heat treating is a group of industrial, thermal and metalworking processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material. The most common application is metallurgical.

How does Heat Treating in a furnace work?

Heat treating involves the use of heating or chilling, normally to extreme temperatures, to achieve the desired result such as hardening or softening of a material. Heat treatment techniques include annealing, hardening, tempering, normalizing, and quenching.

Although the term heat treating applies only to processes where the heating and cooling are done for the specific purpose of altering properties intentionally, heating and cooling often occur incidentally during other manufacturing processes such as hot forming or welding.

Processes and applications where this heat treating furnace is for you

We have a wide experience supplying both continuous and batch heat treat furnaces/ovens, including austenitizing, tempering, annealing and stress relieving furnaces for the steel forging, casting and fabrication industries. Complete automatic handling systems can be included.

Austenitizing

NUTEC Bickley is renowned worldwide as a leading innovator and manufacturer of austenitizing heat treating furnaces, available in custom designs and dimensions to match customer production and process requirements. This heat treatment process of steel and other ferrous alloys consists of heating materials above their critical temperatures long enough for transformations to take place. If an austenitized material is followed by a quenching process, then this material becomes hardened. Quenching is performed at a rate that is fast enough to transform the austenite into martensite.

Quenching

NUTEC Bickley is an industrial quenching equipment manufacturer, among other products for the metals industry, in custom designs and dimensions to match customer production and process requirements. We can include high velocity agitation, heating and cooling options.

Tempering

NUTEC Bickley is renowned worldwide as a leading innovator and manufacturer of tempering heat treating furnaces. Tempering is a heat treatment technique applied to ferrous alloys, such as steel or cast iron, to achieve greater toughness by decreasing the hardness of the alloy. Tempering is usually performed after quenching. Tempering is accomplished by controlled heating of the quenched work-piece to a temperature below its lower critical temperature.

Stress Relief

NUTEC Bickley is renowned worldwide as a leading innovator and manufacturer of stress relief heat treating furnaces. Stress Relieving is the treatment of a metal or alloy by heating to a predetermined temperature below its lower transformation temperature followed by cooling in air. The primary purpose is to relieve stresses that have been absorbed by the metal from processes such as forming, straightening, machining, rolling or welding,

Advantages of solution heat treating furnaces

The purpose is to provide enough thermal energy to dissolve, in a solid solution, the alloy elements present. Without getting into the solid state physics of the metallurgical reactions, dissolution does occur but only at this high temperature. However, if you slowly cool down the part, the copper wants to come back out of solution.
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Here is where the important step of quenching takes place. Quenching is a very rapid cool-down, usually using water, at a rate of 260°C to 315°C (500°F to 600°F) per second. Quenching locks in place all alloy elements that have been dissolved at the high solution heat treat temperature. Before the alloy additions can think about changing places and moving back out of solution, they are locked in place by the rapid quench cool-down. The result is called a ‘supersaturated solid solution’, an unstable condition. Quenching is critical to proper solution heat treatment.

The main purpose of aluminum heat treatments is to increase the strength and hardness of a specific subset of aluminum alloys, namely the wrought and cast alloys that are precipitation hardenable.
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For a certain period after quenching, aluminum alloys are softer and easier to form, following which age hardening occurs.
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The solution heat treatment process improves mechanical properties.

Furnaces we manufacture for Solution Heat Treatment

Some typical operations might incorporate our roller hearth or basketless carousel furnaces/ovens. Where solution treatment is needed, we can fabricate custom designed water and air quench systems. Solution heat treating furnaces manufacturers generally take place up to a maximum temperature of 600°C (1,110°F), and for aging around 260°C (500°F).

Box furnaces - ovens

We provide box furnaces and ovens for temperatures ranging from 150°C to 1,340°C (300ºF to 2,450ºF) to perform a wide variety of process applications.

Drop bottom furnaces

We supply drop bottom quench furnaces to complete the solution and T6 heat treatment furnace manufacturers in a batch configuration.

Roller hearth furnaces

Roller hearth furnaces and ovens are designed for batch process applications, and for indexing–continuous production.

Advantages of our heat treating furnaces

Nutec Bickley supplies aluminum alloy solution heat treating furnaces featuring the latest technology. Some of the main features are:

Gas-fired heating system (direct or indirect fired)

Electrically heated with low density Incoloy sheathed element

Best soft/low storage insulation available

High velocity air recirculation system with stainless steel baffles

Electromechanical or hydraulic hoist system

Temperature uniformity as good as ±3°C (±5°F)

The quench delay can be as low as five seconds from the time the door begins to open, and our quench tanks are supplied with a high agitation system (water or polyalkylene glycol quenchant)

State-of-the-art instrumentation and control is available on all our furnaces and ovens

Our systems conform to the AMS2750, AMS2770, AMS2771 and AMS2772 aerospace standards and are also in compliance with ASTM B917/B917M and B918/B918M standards

An optional PAG (polyalkylene glycol) management system can be provided

Our heat treating furnaces are built with heavy duty and stable steel frame and refractory construction.

Best insulation combination available

State-of-the-art instrumentation and control is available

Best pulse firing combustion system to allow excellent temperature uniformity and improved fuel consumption is available

Heat recovery combustion equipment is optionally available for heat treating furnaces

Heat treat process

A heat treat process involves heating and cooling metals or alloys under controlled conditions to change their physical and mechanical properties. By carefully managing factors like temperature, duration, and cooling rate, manufacturers can achieve specific outcomes—such as increased hardness, improved strength, enhanced wear resistance, or greater ductility.

Common heat treatment processes include annealing, quenching, tempering, normalizing, and case hardening.

3 key steps of the heat treating process

A typical heat treatment process involves three main steps:

Heating: The metal is heated to a specific temperature range, usually above its critical transformation point.

Soaking: The metal is held at this temperature for a set duration so the entire part reaches the target temperature and desired structural changes can occur.

Cooling: The metal is cooled at a controlled rate—often in air, oil, or water—to lock in the new properties.

Heat treating benefits

Heat treatment offers several key benefits:

Increased Hardness or Strength. Processes like quenching or case hardening can significantly boost a material’s hardness or tensile strength.

Improved Ductility. Annealing or tempering can make metals less brittle and easier to form or machine.

Enhanced Wear Resistance. Certain heat treatments can create tougher surfaces that resist abrasion and extend the component’s lifespan.

Refined Microstructure. Uniform heating and controlled cooling lead to a more consistent internal structure, reducing defects and improving overall performance.

Learn more about the different industrial heat treatment furnaces we offer

Products for aluminum
Box furnaces 
Drop Bottom furnaces 
Aging ovens 
Roller hearth ovens and furnaces Car bottom furnaces, etc.

Products for steel
‍Box furnaces Car bottom furnaces 
Roller hearth furnaces Bell furnaces, etc.

Related Industries

At NUTEC Bickley we are committed to engineering and design excellence and to delivering the very best equipment to our customers. We assure this by analyzing all of our customers’ needs and complying with rigorous quality standards.

Forging

NUTEC Bickley provides heat treating Forging furnaces for the heating and reheating of large steel ingots, blooms and cast parts.

Learn more about Forging

Steel & Aluminum

NUTEC Bickley is an international leader in the design, manufacture and installation of innovative energy efficient systems for the Steel and Aluminum industry

Learn more about Steel & Aluminum

Related Resources

Metals Industry - Industrial Furnaces

(E-book)

Date Added: 02/14/2023

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Frequently asked questions about our heat treating furnaces

What is the process of heat treating a furnace?

Heat treating involves the use of heating or chilling, normally to extreme temperatures, to achieve the desired result such as hardening or softening of a material.

What type of furnace is used for heat treatment?

Common types of furnaces used for heat treatment include batch (box) furnaces, continuous belt furnaces, pit furnaces, drop bottom furnaces and roller hearth furnaces. The choice depends on factors like production volume, temperature requirements, desired atmosphere control, and part size. Each furnace type provides specific advantages—for example, vacuum furnaces minimize oxidation, while continuous belt furnaces excel in high-volume production.

Is heat treating the same as tempering?

Heat treating is a broad category of processes (like annealing, quenching, normalizing, and tempering) used to change a metal’s properties. Tempering is a specific heat treatment step—usually performed after quenching—to reduce brittleness and improve toughness. While tempering is part of heat treating, it represents only one method within the larger heat treatment spectrum.

What is the difference between heat treating and annealing?

Heat treating is a broad category of processes (e.g., annealing, quenching, tempering) that modify the mechanical and physical properties of metals by controlled heating and cooling. Annealing, on the other hand, is one specific heat treatment method designed to soften metal, relieve internal stresses, and improve ductility by heating to a specific temperature and then cooling slowly.

What are the benefits of a heat treatment furnace?

A heat treatment furnace offers several benefits for industrial processes and product quality:

Consistent Temperature Control

Precise heating ensures uniform material properties and reduces defects.

Improved Mechanical Properties

Enhances hardness, strength, and wear resistance or increases ductility, depending on the specific treatment.

Process Efficiency

Automated controls and advanced insulation improve energy efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Versatility

Capable of handling a wide range of heat treatment processes (e.g., annealing, tempering, quenching) in one setup.

Scalability

Furnaces come in various sizes and configurations, supporting both small batches and high-volume production.

This is Nutec Bickley

Providing Thermal Equipment Solutions that go beyond expectations

We serve multiple industries through the design, building and installation of combustion systems, thermal insulation and highly specialized industrial furnaces, kilns and ovens. We are focused on understanding our customers’ needs and supplying the best equipment at the most competitive price.

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Aluminum Heat Treatment

Industry leading manufacturer, specializing in rotary forging, metal spinning, and the flow forming of aluminum and other alloys into complex shapes.

Do you want advice to select the ideal furnace or spare part for your project?

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