The field trip to FERRUM has been a regular feature of Prof. Springer’s “Functional Metallic Materials” master’s module since 2018. For the students, this is always a particularly exciting experience, as it allows them to experience the complex processes firsthand with all their senses. In addition to long-established processes such as hardening in salt baths, in inert gas and vacuum furnaces, or in nitriding systems, state-of-the-art technologies such as induction and laser hardening are also used here to efficiently meet customer-specific requirements. Since 2022, FERRUM has been one of the few hardening shops to master the technically demanding process of laser beam hardening. The foundation for this was laid as early as 2019 in the laser technology laboratory at the (TH) OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
FERRUM was founded in 1975 as a small and medium-sized business (SMB) that is family-run and today plays a pioneering role in the field of modern tool treatment. During the nearly three-hour tour, Sascha Weber, technical director at FERRUM, took plenty of time to answer all of the students’ questions in detail, drawing on numerous real-world examples.
