Meet TAV, the Italian manufacturer behind the world’s top vacuum furnaces
Equipped with two decades of experience, TAV VACUUM FURNACES SPA (TAV) is a leading furnace manufacturer defined by three qualities: customization, technology and quality. Headquartered in Caravaggio, Italy, TAV specializes in the design and manufacture of horizontal and vertical vacuum furnaces for heat treatment processes across various industries and applications, including aerospace, automotive, IGT (Industrial Gas Turbines), additive manufacturing, commercial heat treating, and component sintering.
Since its founding in 1984, TAV has been committed to fabricating top-quality vacuum furnaces that are reliable, configured to clients’ specifications and compliant with industry standards and regulations. Driven by constant innovation, TAV distributes to over 45 countries across the globe, and is the trusted supplier of vacuum furnaces for the industry’s biggest players, including CERN, Siemens and Modine.
Committed to customers
Whether you’re working with steels, alloys, superalloys, ceramics, or other advanced materials, TAV can fashion the right bespoke furnace for the job. All of its products can be customized for various different configurations, working pressures and temperatures; for instance, its Ultra High Vacuum, which is used for hot isostatic pressure application in nuclear research facilities, is able to withstand temperatures up to 2800°C.
In 2024, TAV is proudly celebrating its 40th anniversary, alongside 40 years of experience and expertise. In light of this milestone, Manufacturing Today sat down with Guido Locatelli, General Manager at TAV, to learn more about the company’s approach to innovation and development, as well as what it takes to be an established industry leader.
“TAV VACUUM FURNACES is an Italian company founded in 1984 by a group of entrepreneurs active in the field of heat treatments,” Guido begins. “Strong entrepreneurial spirit, engineering skills and hard work has led TAV to be one of the key players in the production of high-quality vacuum furnaces, with an established presence across the European market.”
The business soon expanded, establishing two new businesses: TAVENGINEERING in 1998 and Furnacare Inc in 2015. In 2000, TAV grew its international presence into the North American, Chinese and Asian Pacific markets. The addition of these two companies, paired with rapid global expansion, allowed TAV to further exemplify its commitment to customer service, which led to the business being widely renowned for its industry-leading after-sales team.
“A key part of our business is our after-sales service,” Guido continues. “Throughout our history, we have embraced the idea of having separate dedicated companies, located close to our customer base to guarantee the fastest response times. Both TAVENGINEERING and Furnacare Inc. benefit from TAV’s lengthy experience in the field of advance vacuum technology to carry on its mission of providing reliable, flexible support in the supply and maintenance of vacuum furnaces and their accessories, such as control cabinets, cooling circuits and loading systems.”
Product development
To stay ahead of the curve and continue providing its customers with the best, most efficient products for their needs, TAV places a significant emphasis on research and development.
“We’re always looking for the most efficient solution for our customers; we are passionately dedicated to studying new solutions to build vacuum furnaces suitable for different industry sectors,” Guido details. “Close collaborations with our customers, universities and excellence centers are important for the development of new products and processes. TAV has a dedicated team and internal performance lab, equipped with our latest technologies and products, where we develop new processes and test our new equipment. Our R&D team follow the customer from the very beginning until the commencement of mass production, performing tests, analyzing results and developing new solutions.”
In line with its dedication to research and development, TAV has implemented a plethora of machinery and technology into its production processes. By constantly investing in new state-of-the-art equipment, TAV is able to remain a step ahead of its competitors, offering unique, cutting-edge manufacturing processes and testing practices.
“Over the years, TAV has adopted the best electrical and mechanical design software for the realization of its plants,” Guido explains. “For example, we’ve introduced the most advanced multiphysics finite element simulation software to study and validate new proposed solutions.
“Our TAV facility in Caravaggio is equipped with all the necessary utilities – cooling water system, inert gas and electricity, a 1.5 MW electrical cabinet – to fully test each piece of equipment before shipment. Not all manufacturers producing similar equipment have this capability and it’s a real benefit for our customers because all equipment acceptance tests can be performed prior to shipping.”
Positive and supportive
In conjunction with its unparalleled commitment to customer care, TAV prides itself on being a ‘human-centric’ business. Robust relationships are at the core of its company ethos, and TAV is dedicated to nurturing its relationships with both its strategic partners and own workforce.
“At TAV, we believe in a business model that prioritizes people, sustainability, and society,” Guido shares. “Our team is the cornerstone of our success, and we’re committed to fostering a positive and supportive work environment. Our goal is to empower our team and cultivate a culture of growth and innovation. Since 2015, we’ve dedicated significant resources to employee welfare. We’re also dedicated to environmental sustainability. Our strategic initiatives focus on energy efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint. By embracing these principles, we strive to be a responsible corporate citizen and make a positive difference.”
Moving onto TAV’s supply chain, Guido goes on to highlight some of the business’ key longstanding relationships – which are all built on the foundations of mutual care and respect – and how each one has assisted in TAV’s tremendous growth and innovation.
“Our longstanding collaboration with Edwards Vacuum, one of TAV’s key partners for pump and vacuum instruments, has helped boost our presence in US territories. Our partnerships with VFE in the UK, LMTERM in Brazil and South America, BYB Thermal Technology in China, and ALS in Australia, have all supported us in increasing our presence in the vacuum furnace market,” he says.
With the sun setting on 2024, and as our interview draws to a close, we asked Guido about TAV’s plans for the coming years. “This year, we celebrate our 40th anniversary. The longevity of our company is credited to the high technological value of our products, the strong relationships we hold with universities, and the increasing demand for sustainable and green technology,” he reveals.
“Next year will be a year of transition; the vacuum furnace market is currently struggling,” he reveals. “The Ukrainian and Israeli conflicts, green economies, American elections, and the European political situation have led to a time of unease. The current market is characterized by buoyant demand. This will be the right time to invest in our future, and we’ll make a big effort to increase our presence in the US and other emerging markets.
“Over the next five years, we are committed to strengthening TAV’s position in the global vacuum furnace market, positioning our company as one of the leading manufacturers in terms of quality, technology and service,” Guido concludes.