Akademi Metalurji, a full-service commercial heat-treating solutions provider located in Türkiye, has recently upgraded its heat treatment facility with a turnkey nitriding installation provided by Nitrex. The project includes a mid-sized pit-type furnace, advanced controls, three process technologies (Nitreg® controlled nitriding, Nitreg-C controlled nitrocarburizing, and ONC® post-oxidation), along with accelerated cooling. The latter is an add-on equipment that will help the customer reduce cycle times, optimize production between batches, and run more cycles.

The decision to invest in a new nitriding system was driven by the company’s objective to overcome efficiency and quality challenges faced with their previous furnace at the Gebze facility. The prior system consumed excessive amounts of process gases and yielded inconsistent nitriding results. With the addition of a Nitrex NX-1015 pit furnace, Akademi Metalurji can now save on process gases and production time, while also expanding their heat treatment capabilities to accommodate wider-dimensioned parts. The nitriding furnace offers an effective work zone of 39” diameter by 59” high (1000 x 1500 mm) and can handle a load of up to 4400 lbs. (2000 kg). The supplied library of Nitreg®-based recipes is tailored to meet different application requirements, resulting in a hardened surface that is highly wear-resistant. For applications like machinery components, tooling, dies, and molds, where Akademi Metalurji specializes, Nitreg delivers improved tooling performance, ensuring longer service life and higher throughput. Ultimately, this leads to tool cost savings for their customers.

According to Marcin Stoklosa, Product Manager at Nitrex, “Although there were other contenders for this project, our solution and proven references within the local market were instrumental in choosing Nitrex. While we were priced higher, the guarantee of consistent nitriding results, savings in process gases, shortened production times, and accelerated return on investment, all helped to secure this order.”

“This Nitrex system is not only compact but also adaptable, making it a perfect fit for any facility,” affirms Utku Inan, the local Nitrex representative who coordinated the sales and commissioning process. “We extend our sincerest gratitude to Akademi Metalurji for entrusting us with their heat treatment capital needs and development project. Today, we proudly welcome a new member to the Nitrex family, and we look forward to many years of collaboration and shared success.”

The system was successfully installed at the Gebze facility, located southeast of Istanbul, and commenced operations in April 2023. Since then, it has been running smoothly, delivering excellent results.