Retech Systems LLC has been a global leader in the supply of metallurgical processing equipment for the melting and refining of titanium, nickel, and various alloys since 1963. Currently, the company leads the vacuum melting market in the areas of Electron Beam (EB) and Plasma (PAM) Cold Hearth systems. Retech also offers Vacuum Arc Remelt (VAR), VAR Consumable (Skull) Casting, EB and PAM Consolidation Furnaces, Plasma Welders, Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM), Precision Investment Casting (DS/SC/EQ) services.
Additionally, Retech offers a range of furnace sizes and configurations, ranging from basic laboratory-scale units to expansive, custom systems. Furthermore, the company offers its clientele access to an extensive array of internal resources, encompassing technology as well as material and process development. Retech is based on identifying client demands and realizing the value of developing applicable, feasible, and economical technologies to meet those demands.
Their most recent advancement in Plasma Gas Atomization goes far beyond incremental improvement, positioning them to offer technology that significantly broadens the possibilities for additive manufacturing industry leaders while also significantly lowering the barrier to entry into additive manufacturing for start-ups.
Retech Systems: The Driving Force Behind Company’s Growth
Earl Good, President and Managing Director at Retech Systems LLC, is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of enhancing performance in every role, including expansion and financial success. Earl has been directly responsible for profit and loss in his various roles for over fourteen years and has a wealth of worldwide experience.
Almost all of Retech’s clients purchase customized furnaces, designed with specific modifications that give their furnaces a unique flavor in terms of the particular application(s). The furnace size and output vary, and each one is made to produce a certain item or serve a specific purpose within their process.
Their upward trajectory is largely coming from Retech’s strongest-performing product categories, which are:
- Electron Beam (EB) melters are ideal for melting and refining reactive and refractory alloys.
- Plasma Arc Remelt (PAM) is best suited for melting reactive or refractory metals being alloyed with lighter, lower vaporization temperatures than the primary alloying metal.
- Vacuum Arc Remelt (VAR) systems are the workhorse of reactive/refractory metal ingot casting for later rework in mills.
Innovation, Collaboration And Customer Centricity At Its Best
The company celebrated its 60th anniversary this past year and is globally the most comprehensively integrated furnace producer. Retech’s experts collaborate with each client to offer pertinent solutions to meet every project’s specific needs. The customization focus gives Retech an advantage over its competitors, who primarily offer low-cost, standard-type furnaces. Additionally, some clients want Retech to handle the installation; many decide to install the equipment themselves and have Retech supervise their on-site contractors or workers. The business offers comprehensive aftermarket services, including spare parts, field service, and retrofits/rebuilds for continuing client assistance. The process of melting metal is an art which takes time to learn, so Retech and their client’s success is largely due to experience, service, and an extensive R&D, engineering, and manufacturing skills portfolio.
Retech joined the SECO/WARWICK group of enterprises in 2011. SECO/WARWICK is a pioneer in heat treatment technology. With business units spread across three continents, the SECO/WARWICK Group serves clients in almost 70 nations and maintains industrial sites in Poland, the US, India, and China. Furthermore, the Group maintains service and sales offices in Germany, China, and India, among other nations. Leading businesses in the following sectors are served by the company’s cutting-edge heat processing equipment and technologies: automotive, aerospace, electronics, tooling, medical, recycling, energy (including nuclear, wind, oil, gas, and solar), and the manufacture of steel, titanium, and aluminum.
Retech has been commissioning more furnaces each year for the past few years. In 2018, Retech transferred all of its US manufacturing and the majority of its office space from Ukiah, California, to Buffalo, New York. It met orders with meticulous preparation and a deep pool of dedicated employees, vendors, and fabricators throughout the relocation and subsequent hiring.
In an interesting move, Retech Systems announced earlier this year that they were taking on a second long-term lease in Buffalo, New York, allowing the company to continue growing and supporting a growing market. This move will put Retech Systems in a better position to support large capital projects in the United States while meeting the regular, daily customer service needs that its clients demand and deserve. According to Good, this second facility will provide Retech with over 100,000 sq ft of manufacturing space and close to 20,000 sq ft of office space for its staff.
Growing Big With SECO/WARWICK
The SECO/WARWICK Group has made great progress towards its 2023-2026 strategic targets. The Foreign Expansion Fund 2 FIZ AN, controlled by PFR TFI SA, loaned the Group $10 million (PLN 39.81 million). The Group hopes to strengthen its position in the global vacuum metallurgy sector, particularly in 3D metal printing.
SECO/WARWICK’s strategy involves consolidating positions, creating new technologies, and increasing subsidiary operational independence. By 2026, the Group expects consolidated sales revenues of PLN 980 million and EBITDA of PLN 92 million. Strategic projects will account for 55% of the PLN 110 million expenditure from 2023 to 2026. Replacement CAPEX would account for 45%.
Vision For Future
There are many customers currently coming to Retech asking for powder solutions. Their team has been doing an excellent job developing the powder portfolio. Good believes they have some unique expertise that their customers in the market will find quite interesting. They see powder technology as an additional area of growth in the coming years.
Conclusion
In summary, Retech has been a leader in vacuum metallurgy for over 60 years, and now it aims to doggedly seek opportunities to develop novel technologies that meet expanding market demands. The business has been doing rather well, and this year, they will have set a new company record for aftermarket and new capital equipment orders. Despite the recent successes, work continues as the team focuses on growing the company. Regarding the future of Retech Systems and the advancements they have made over the past 18 months, they are quite optimistic in every respect.
