A heating arrangement for heating a work load in a vacuum heat treating furnace, wherein said heating arrangement comprises: a hot zone wall constructed for installation inside a vacuum heat treating furnace, said hot zone wall defining a hot zone; a central heating element array positioned inside the hot zone concentrically with the hot zone wall, said central heating element array being constructed and arranged to fit substantially around the inner side of the hot zone wall; a first outboard heating element array spaced apart coaxially from a first end of said central heating element array, said first outboard heating element array being positioned inside the hot zone concentrically with the hot zone wall and being constructed and arranged to fit substantially around the inner side of the hot zone wall; a second outboard heating element array spaced coaxially from said central heating element array, said second heating element array being positioned inside the hot zone concentrically with the hot zone wall and constructed and arranged to fit substantially around the inner side of the hot zone wall, said second outboard heating element array being positioned on an opposite end of said central heating element array from said first outboard heating element; a first end heating element disposed at a first end of the hot zone wall adjacent to the first outboard heating element array and in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hot zone wall; a second end heating element disposed at a second end of the hot zone wall adjacent to the second outboard heating element array and in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hot zone wall; a first transformer operatively connected to the central heating element array for providing electric current to said central heating element array; a second transformer operatively connected to said first outboard heating element array and said first end heating element array for providing electric current to said first outboard heating element array and said first end heating element array; and a third transformer operatively connected to said second outboard heating element array and said second end heating element array for providing electric current to said second outboard heating element array and said second end heating element array. a hot zone wall constructed for installation inside a vacuum heat treating furnace, said hot zone wall defining a hot zone; a central heating element array positioned inside the hot zone concentrically with the hot zone wall, said central heating element array being constructed and arranged to fit substantially around the inner side of the hot zone wall; a first outboard heating element array spaced apart coaxially from a first end of said central heating element array, said first outboard heating element array being positioned inside the hot zone concentrically with the hot zone wall and being constructed and arranged to fit substantially around the inner side of the hot zone wall; a second outboard heating element array spaced coaxially from said central heating element array, said second heating element array being positioned inside the hot zone concentrically with the hot zone wall and constructed and arranged to fit substantially around the inner side of the hot zone wall, said second outboard heating element array being positioned on an opposite end of said central heating element array from said first outboard heating element; a first end heating element disposed at a first end of the hot zone wall adjacent to the first outboard heating element array and in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hot zone wall; a second end heating element disposed at a second end of the hot zone wall adjacent to the second outboard heating element array and in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hot zone wall; a first transformer operatively connected to the central heating element array for providing electric current to said central heating element array; a second transformer operatively connected to said first outboard heating element array and said first end heating element array for providing electric current to said first outboard heating element array and said first end heating element array; and a third transformer operatively connected to said second outboard heating element array and said second end heating element array for providing electric current to said second outboard heating element array and said second end heating element array.