The 17th China Metal & Metallurgy Exhibition

SECOWARWICK is preparing to deploy the Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality technology in its operations worldwide. The SECOWARWICK application will be one of the first in the world, and the first in the heavy industry.

Holographic goggles by Microsoft were originally conceived as a top secret project. It’s not a surprise since the AR (Augmented Reality) technologies have been enjoying increasing interest in commercial applications and is among one of the most prominent new technologies global players have been continuously researching and developing. Holographic solutions naturally targeted the gaming market as early adapters. This technology, however, has gained interest among heavy industry representatives, including SECO/WARWICK, a leader in heat treatment solutions.

“This is a new era of SECO/WARWICK equipment application – the interaction era. Probably nobody could envision that cyber goggles, which naturally apply to gaming, can be used in the metallurgy industry so soon after the introduction of the technology. The implementation of virtual technology to our production, maintenance and service processes has become reality”, says Katarzyna Sawka, SECO/WARWICK Group Marketing Director.

SECO/WARWICK has always had a special interest in new technologies due to its innovative culture, hence the company immediately identified the HoloLens technical potential and has taken steps to practical implementation of the technology globally. The synergy of both heavy industry and holographic solutions may completely redefine the metallurgy and heat treatment market. Why? It has been long believed that new technologies in metallurgy industry are not only impractical but also obsolete. The implementation of virtual technologies for the production, maintenance and servicing of SECO/WARWICK solutions is already a reality.

“We pride ourselves as leaders in innovation as members of the prestigious techBrainers R&D Club along with our significant investment in research and development obligates and allows us to reach for the newest technologies”, adds Paweł Wyrzykowski CEO of SECO/WARWICK Group.

HoloLens is a device fitted on the head and equipped with a number of sensors, processor and screen in one. The cyber goggles are designed to implement previously mapped 3D models to the real time view.

“Deployment of virtual technologies to production, training and servicing of our devices globally is going to result in substantial benefits for us and our clients. We are counting on increasing the intuitiveness of our equipment servicing, mobility, effectiveness and shortening our technicians reaction times”, explains Paweł Wyrzykowski.

SECO/WARWICK has a proven record of an innovative approach to business. It spends millions of dollars annually for research and development, leads in national and international business innovation rankings, constantly patents its solutions and cooperates with Technical Universities all over the world. Thanks to this commitment to the industry, the company has a solid leadership position within the industry in over 70 countries worldwide.

The company is reaching for the high-end IT solutions to continue to evolve in-house technical capabilities. Currently SECO/WARWICK is working on the application specification and functions based on the technical capabilities of the newest development version of HoloLens which has been available on the market for just a month.

“At this time we cannot reveal the details of the project but we have completed first test with our partners and clients. The results are more than promising. We have set the world premiere at the end of October at the HK 2016 in Koln”, says Katarzyna Sawka.

Last week, SECO/WARWICK proudly hosted the China Heat Treatment Society (CHTS), one of the leading and oldest non-governmental organizations in China, at their headquarters in Poland. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen SECO/WARWICK’s long-term business relationship with China and exchange experience in heat processing trends.

The China Heat Treatment Society’s visit started off with a meeting with SECO/WARWICK Group CEO, Paweł Wyrzykowski and the management team, discussing some of the shared priorities of SECO/WARWICK and CHTS including heat processing technologies, processes, latest trends and expansion plans. This meeting was followed by a tour of theoffices, production hall and R&D department, essential assets that give SECO/WARWICK a competitive advantage in challenging markets. During the CHTS stay, the group toured the Vacuum Metallurgy, Thermal and Aluminum Departments to take a closer look at SECO/WARWICK diversified portfolio of the most advanced heat processing technologies:ZeroFlow® single-component atmosphere nitriding, VertiQuench® solution heat treatment furnaces and aging systems, and Vortex – SECO/WARWICK patented technology that produces superior aluminum coil metallurgy while reducing cycle times up to 20-30%.

“We are pleased to host the China Heat Treatment Society at our company. We hope that this meeting will result in strengthening our cooperation with China, Asia’s largest economy. Such visits are an excellent opportunity not only to foster long-term business relationships, but also to see how SECO/WARWICK engineers develop world-class heat treatment solutions. We always welcome the opportunity to host customers at our facilities to discuss areas of common interest as well as exchange technological information,” says Paweł Wyrzykowski, CEO of SECO/WARWICK Group.

“SECO/WARWICK is one of the world’s leading providers of heat processing technologies. With customers in nearly 70 countries, we provide standard or customized state-of-the-art heat processing equipment to forward-thinking companies. China is a key market for SECO/WARWICK in executing a global expansion strategy,” adds Wyrzykowski.

“I would like stand for the Chinese Heat Treatment Society to express our most sincere appreciation for being invited to visit the SECO/WARWICK Europe facility and being given a grand and worm reception. Both the high quality facility and good management are very impressive. We are confident that this visit marks the beginning of close cooperation between SECO/WARWICK and the China heat treatment industry,” says Zhao Huimin the CHTS Group Representative.

About China Heat Treatment Society

The Chinese Heat Treatment Society (CHTS) was found in 1963. As one of the oldest non-governmental organization in China, CHTS has been keeping a long-history friendship and frequent cooperation with other foreign organization for heat treatment. Over 1000 CHTS Group Members and 2000 CHTS Personal Members find advanced technologies here and also meet their new partners or customers from around the world.