Custom 1250°C Vacuum Furnace Fixtures for Korean Customer | FH® Alloy

Custom Multi-Purpose Vacuum Furnace Fixtures for Gas Turbine Hot-Section Components
Customer Case Study | Engineering Design, 3D Modeling, Manufacturing, Inspection & Delivery
Customer Location: South Korea
Application: Heat Treatment of Gas Turbine Hot-Section Components
Product: Custom Multi-Purpose Furnace Fixtures
Furnace Type: Vacuum Furnace
Maximum Temperature: 1250°C
Cooling Method: Argon Gas Cooling
Fixture Configuration: 2-Layer Loading System
Project Scope: Requirement Analysis → Material Evaluation → Engineering Design → 3D Modeling → Manufacturing → Final Inspection → Delivery
Manufacturer: Wuxi Junteng Fanghu Alloy Technology Co., Ltd. (FH® Alloy)

Project Overview
FH® Alloy received an inquiry from a South Korean customer specializing in the production of gas turbine hot-section components.
The customer required two different sizes of multi-purpose heat treatment fixtures for use in a high-temperature vacuum furnace.
Unlike a conventional build-to-print project, the customer did not provide finished fixture drawings.

Instead, the customer supplied only the main technical information, including:

• required fixture dimensions,
• loading capacity,
• number of loading levels,
• furnace type,
• maximum working temperature,
• cooling medium,
• quantity,
• and a request for FH® Alloy to recommend a suitable material.

Based on these operating conditions, FH® Alloy was responsible for developing the fixture structures and preparing the final 3D engineering models.

After design confirmation, the project proceeded through:
Engineering Design → Manufacturing → Final Inspection → Shipment

Customer Requirements
The customer requested two different fixture sizes.

Fixture Type 1
Product: Multi-Purpose Furnace Fixture
Overall Size: 1100 × 1100 × 500 mm (H)
Loading Structure: 2 layers
Target Load: 800 kg
Furnace: Vacuum Furnace
Maximum Temperature: 1250°C
Cooling: Argon Gas Cooling
Quantity: 2 sets
Material: To be recommended by FH® Alloy

Fixture Type 2
Product: Multi-Purpose Furnace Fixture
Overall Size: 800 × 1000 × 500 mm (H)
Loading Structure: 2 layers
Target Load: 500 kg
Furnace: Vacuum Furnace
Maximum Temperature: 1250°C
Cooling: Argon Gas Cooling
Quantity: 2 sets
Material: To be recommended by FH® Alloy

Project Specification Summary

Customer Challenge: No Finished Fixture Drawings
One of the most important aspects of this project was that the customer did not have complete manufacturing drawings.

The customer knew:

• what furnace would be used,
• the maximum operating temperature,
• the required fixture dimensions,
• the loading capacity,
• the number of loading levels,
• and the type of parts being processed.

However, they needed FH® Alloy to convert these process parameters into a complete and manufacturable fixture solution.
This meant the project required engineering design, rather than simple fabrication according to an existing drawing.

High-Temperature Vacuum Furnace Conditions
Both fixture systems were designed for operation in a vacuum furnace at temperatures up to:
1250°C
with:
Argon Gas Cooling
This is a demanding operating environment for heat treatment tooling.

At 1250°C, fixture design must consider several factors simultaneously:

• high-temperature strength,
• creep and deformation risk,
• load distribution,
• thermal expansion,
• repeated heating and cooling cycles,
• and fixture self-weight.

For this reason, FH® Alloy evaluated the structural layout together with the material requirement during the design stage.

Application: Gas Turbine Hot-Section Components
The customer manufactures gas turbine hot-section components, which typically require controlled and repeatable high-temperature heat treatment.

For these applications, furnace fixtures need to provide:

• stable part support,
• consistent loading geometry,
• adequate high-temperature rigidity,
• efficient furnace atmosphere circulation,
• and reliable positioning during heating and cooling.

The tooling must therefore be designed around both the furnace conditions and the geometry of the customer’s components.

FH® Alloy Engineering Approach
FH® Alloy developed two customized 2-layer fixture systems according to the customer’s different furnace loading dimensions and load requirements.
The engineering process focused on four key areas.

1. Two-Layer Loading Structure
Both fixtures were designed with a 2-layer configuration.
This arrangement allows the customer to improve furnace loading efficiency while keeping parts separated and supported during heat treatment.
The design needed to provide sufficient spacing between the two loading levels while maintaining the required overall height of:
500 mm

2. Load-Bearing Structure
The two fixtures had different load requirements:
Fixture Type 1
800 kg
Fixture Type 2
500 kg

The structural design therefore needed to consider:

• base tray rigidity,
• vertical support positions,
• load transfer between layers,
• support-column arrangement,
• and high-temperature deformation resistance.

The objective was not simply to increase material thickness, but to develop a rational structure that distributes the load efficiently.

Fixture Type 1 – 1100 × 1100 × 500 mm
The first fixture is the larger of the two systems.
Final Design Parameters
Size: 1100 × 1100 × 500 mm
Structure: 2 layers
Target Load: 800 kg
Quantity: 2 sets
The final 3D model developed by FH® Alloy uses a large square loading platform with multiple structural support points and vertical positioning elements.

The design incorporates:

• reinforced tray sections,
• distributed support geometry,
• perimeter retaining structure,
• vertical guide / positioning members,
• and a two-level loading arrangement.

Because this fixture carries the higher load, structural rigidity was a major design consideration.

Fixture Type 2 – 800 × 1000 × 500 mm
The second fixture was developed for a smaller loading area.
Final Design Parameters
Size: 800 × 1000 × 500 mm
Structure: 2 layers
Target Load: 500 kg
Quantity: 2 sets

Although the overall footprint is smaller, the fixture still needed to operate under the same demanding conditions:
1250°C vacuum heat treatment + Argon gas cooling
FH® Alloy therefore designed a separate structure rather than simply scaling down the larger fixture.

The final 3D model was adapted according to:

• the reduced loading area,
• the 500 kg target load,
• the 2-layer requirement,
• and the furnace operating conditions.

Why Two Separate Fixture Designs Were Necessary
A common mistake in furnace tooling design is to assume that one fixture structure can simply be enlarged or reduced for another furnace size.

In reality, changing the fixture dimensions also changes:

• unsupported span,
• load distribution,
• self-weight,
• thermal deformation behavior,
• support spacing,
• and overall structural rigidity.

For this Korean project, FH® Alloy therefore developed two independent engineering models based on the actual requirements of each fixture size.

Material Recommendation as Part of the Engineering Scope
The customer specifically requested:
“Material: Your recommend.”
This meant material selection was not predetermined by the customer.

FH® Alloy therefore needed to evaluate the material requirement together with:

• 1250°C maximum temperature,
• vacuum furnace atmosphere,
• argon gas cooling,
• fixture load,
• fixture geometry,
• and expected thermal cycling.

For high-temperature furnace fixtures, the material cannot be selected only according to nominal temperature resistance.

The final material solution also needs to consider:

• high-temperature strength,
• creep resistance,
• oxidation characteristics,
• thermal fatigue,
• and compatibility with the fixture design.

For this project, material evaluation formed part of the overall engineering process before production.

Open Structure for Furnace Circulation
The final fixture models use an open load-bearing structure.

This type of configuration is particularly suitable for vacuum furnace heat treatment because it helps provide:

• open gas flow paths,
• more effective heat transfer,
• improved cooling-gas circulation,
• reduced unnecessary fixture mass,
• and more uniform exposure of loaded parts.

During Argon gas cooling, unobstructed circulation around the workpieces and fixture structure is especially important.

Structural Support and Positioning System
The final 3D designs also incorporate multiple vertical supports and positioning components.

These components serve several purposes:

• maintaining the distance between loading levels,
• supporting the upper tray,
• aligning the fixture assembly,
• improving structural stability,
• and helping maintain consistent loading geometry.

The final support positions were determined during the engineering design stage rather than added after manufacturing.

From Customer Parameters to Final 3D Models
This project followed a complete engineering workflow.
Customer Application Information
↓
Furnace Condition Analysis
↓
Load Requirement Evaluation
↓
Material Evaluation
↓
Structural Concept Development
↓
2-Layer Fixture Design
↓
Final 3D Modeling
↓
Customer Confirmation
↓
Manufacturing
This approach allowed FH® Alloy to convert basic customer requirements into production-ready tooling without requiring the customer to supply complete fixture drawings.

Manufacturing
After the two final designs were confirmed, FH® Alloy proceeded with manufacturing.
The project included:

• 2 sets of 1100 × 1100 × 500 mm fixtures
• 2 sets of 800 × 1000 × 500 mm fixtures

Production followed the approved engineering models.

Key manufacturing control points included:

• overall dimensions,
• tray geometry,
• support positions,
• vertical alignment,
• assembly compatibility,
• and structural consistency.

Final Quality Inspection
Before shipment, the completed fixtures underwent final inspection.
Dimensional Inspection
Key dimensions were checked against the approved engineering drawings.
Structural Inspection
The tray structure, vertical supports, connection areas and overall geometry were inspected.
Assembly Inspection
Because the fixtures use multi-level structures, the relationship between the lower and upper loading levels was checked carefully.
Drawing Conformity
The finished products were verified against the final approved 3D design before release for shipment.

Delivery
After manufacturing and inspection were completed, the fixtures were prepared for delivery to the South Korean customer.

The complete project workflow was:
Customer Requirements
→ FH® Alloy Engineering Design
→ 3D Model Confirmation
→ Manufacturing
→ Final Quality Inspection
→ Shipment
This enabled the customer to obtain complete custom vacuum furnace tooling without needing to develop the production drawings internally.

Project Highlights
No Customer Drawing Required
The customer provided application parameters rather than completed fixture drawings.
FH® Alloy completed the engineering design from the customer’s furnace and loading information.

Two Custom Fixture Sizes
Two independent tooling designs were developed:
1100 × 1100 × 500 mm
and
800 × 1000 × 500 mm

Heavy Load Requirements
The two fixture systems were designed around target loads of:
800 kg
and
500 kg

Extreme High-Temperature Application
Both fixtures were developed for:
1250°C vacuum furnace operation
with:
Argon Gas Cooling

Complete Engineering-to-Delivery Service
FH® Alloy supported the entire project:
Design → Material Evaluation → 3D Modeling → Manufacturing → Inspection → Delivery

More Than Build-to-Print Manufacturing
This project demonstrates an important capability of FH® Alloy.
Some customers already have complete fixture drawings and only need a manufacturer.

Other customers, such as this South Korean gas turbine component manufacturer, know their:

• furnace conditions,
• load requirements,
• workpiece application,
• and target fixture dimensions,

but need a supplier to complete the engineering design.

FH® Alloy supports both project types.

Customers can provide:

• complete drawings,
• partial sketches,
• existing fixture photos,
• furnace parameters,
• or simply application requirements.

Our engineering team can then develop the fixture structure required for production.

Custom Vacuum Furnace Fixtures by FH® Alloy
Wuxi Junteng Fanghu Alloy Technology Co., Ltd. (FH® Alloy) designs and manufactures customized heat treatment tooling for demanding industrial furnace applications.

Our capabilities include:

• Vacuum Furnace Fixtures
• Heat Treatment Trays
• Heat Treatment Baskets
• Multi-Layer Furnace Fixtures
• Gas Turbine Component Heat Treatment Tooling
• Continuous Furnace Fixtures
• Pit Furnace Fixtures
• Custom Heat-Resistant Alloy Castings

We can support projects from initial operating information through final production.

Need a Fixture Designed for Your Vacuum Furnace?
If you need custom furnace tooling but do not have a completed drawing, you can send FH® Alloy your operating information.

Useful design inputs include:

• furnace type,
• loading space,
• maximum temperature,
• cooling medium,
• required load,
• number of loading levels,
• workpiece type,
• required fixture dimensions,
• quantity,
• and any existing photos or sketches.

Based on these parameters, FH® Alloy can provide:
Engineering Evaluation → Material Recommendation → 3D Design → Manufacturing → Final Inspection → Delivery

About FH® Alloy
Wuxi Junteng Fanghu Alloy Technology Co., Ltd. (FH® Alloy) specializes in customized heat-resistant alloy components and heat treatment furnace tooling for global industrial customers.
We provide engineering and manufacturing support for high-temperature applications where standard furnace tooling cannot meet the customer’s process requirements.

Custom Engineering | High-Temperature Tooling | Vacuum Furnace Solutions