Heat Treatment Furnaces
4D Quench® / UniCase Master – Single-Piece Flow Vacuum Quenching System
A vacuum system for single-piece nitrogen quenching with distortion control, offering an alternative to press quenching with high repeatability and clean processing.
Manufactured bySECO/WARWICK
4DNitrogen quenching
Single-pieceProcess flow
No oilNo helium needed
Overview
Single-piece vacuum hardening
The 4D Quench® / UniCase Master is a vacuum heat-treatment system designed for individual hardening of components such as gears, shafts, bearing races, rings and sleeves.the system uses a vacuum heating chamber combined with a high-pressure nitrogen quench chamber. Parts are heated under vacuum, preventing oxidation and surface contamination, and then quenched using a proprietary multi-directional gas-flow system.
The quenching chamber uses a specialized arrangement of cooling nozzles surrounding the part from all sides as well as above and below, enabling true ‘3D’ quenching. In addition, rotation of the part during quenching creates a fourth dimension, resulting in ‘4D’ quenching for exceptional uniformity. This approach delivers oil-quench-equivalent performance without the use of oil or helium. The system ensures low distortion, high precision, excellent repeatability and full single-piece flow integration for in-line manufacturing.
Applications
Where 4D Quench® is used
Gears, shafts, bearing races, rings and sleeves
Precision components requiring distortion-controlled hardening
Ideal for in-line manufacturing and CNC-integrated production
Features
4D quenching and automation
- Single-piece flow vacuum heat-treatment system
- 4D nitrogen quenching (multi-directional gas flow + part rotation)
- Vacuum heating chamber for clean, oxidation-free processing
- High-pressure nitrogen quenching (no oil, no helium required)
- Adjustable cooling-nozzle configuration for different part geometries
- Fully automated operation with part tracking
- Integration with in-line CNC and production systems
- Eliminates furnace fixtures and press tooling
- Suitable for gears, shafts, bearings and precision components
Benefits
Distortion control and traceability
Excellent distortion control, reduction and prediction
Absolute precision and repeatability of results
Improved safety with no fire or explosion risk
Clean vacuum surface finish with no oxidation or decarburization
No need for oil, washers or cleaning chemicals
Environmentally friendly, safe operation
Eliminates use of press quenching and its disadvantages
Reduced machining cost thanks to lower distortion
Full traceability and reporting for each individual part
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