Surface Gas Heated Vacuum Technology Leads the Industry

Gas Heated Vacuum Furnace Designs Lower Operating Costs for Vacuum Heat Treatment The advantages of vacuum heat treating are numerous and well documented. These advantages have traditionally been opposed by a few negatives such as furnace cost, overall operating cost, and in most cases, the cost of electricity as a utility. Typically, these negatives have been countered by the heat treater’s desire to provide vacuum processing to their customers or the requirement of certain materials to be vacuum processed. Over the history of this type of equipment, electric heating has been the primary heating source offered by manufacturers. This scenario has resulted in a well-established vacuum furnace installed base that uses electricity as the heating source. A Longer History Than You May Think Surface® Combustion initially investigated the use of natural gas heating in vacuum equipment as early as 1946 when a U.S. Patent was received for a fuel-fired vacuum furnace for the...

Surface® Combustion Is Building a Smarter Charge Car

Updated August 2026

Surface® Combustion charge cars are proven, rugged material handling machines for batch heat treat lines. The cars transfer loads between washers, Allcase® Furnaces, Uni-DRAW® Temper furnaces, Storage Tables and Air Cool Station. Our standard charge car options include a single or double ended design, Extended Reach™ or System #1™, and automation ready and fully automated designs.

The AP™ Torque system is now available on Surface Combustion Charge Cars and can transform an ordinary means of transport for workloads into a Predictive Maintenance Machine for an entire heat treat line. At minimum, the AP Torque system will eliminate the headaches of maintaining a mechanical clutch. Under the fullest utilization, the system can be used to track worn alloy in furnaces and alert users when replacement of alloy is required, before larger problems occur.

The AP Torque...

RX® Endothermic Atmosphere Gas Generators for Heat Treating

Updated August 2026

Surface® Combustion RX® Endothermic Atmosphere Gas Generators provide onsite generation of endothermic gas for controlled atmosphere furnaces performing metallurgical heat treatments, such as carburizing, carbonitriding, ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC), hardening, and annealing. Industries using RX gas include Automotive, Energy, Mining, Agricultural, and Commercial Heat Treating.

Surface Combustion pioneered the development of RX gas to be used as the atmosphere for modern gas carburizing. RX gas is produced by heating a mixture of natural gas[1] and air as it moves through catalyst and converts to a composition of 40% N2, 40% H2, and 20% CO. The RX gas generator's reliable production of consistent atmosphere chemistry with low oxidation, decarburization, and soot potential revolutionized the heat-treating industry by enabling boost / diffuse carburizing, as well as atmosphere carbon control.

Our standard modular RX generator designs range...

Allcase® Is the Industry Standard for Versatile, Reliable, High Production, Controlled Atmosphere Heat Treating

Updated August 2026 Allcase® Furnaces are installed around the world to heat treat a wide range of components from small fasteners to large, heavy, castings. With continued advances in process control, energy efficiency, and automation, the Allcase remains the most respected furnace in the industry. Surface designed the first ever batch integral quench furnace, the Allcase over 75 years ago. Reliable, repeatable, and rugged performance controls and automation available in six (6) standard effective work sizes with multiple configurations and options, an Allcase line can be fully automated with companion equipment to process loads from start to finish. Allcase Batch Integral Quench Furnaces provide heat treaters value through greater process control, higher production, and consistent results. The efficient gas heated units can be equipped with either bung mounted vertical "U" tubes or rear mounted horizontal trident® tubes. Electrically...