Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, Hermitage, announces the installation of a new high-temperature, high-purity, production-scale, 2-bar vacuum furnace in an environmentally controlled room for heat treating and brazing of small to mid-size loads. The “Mentor” furnace is designed for processing medical, tool & die, aerospace, nuclear, and other industrial heat treated or brazed parts.
The furnace has an effective workload area of 12″ wide by 12″ high by 18″ deep, is capable of holding a load of up to 250 pounds, and is rated at a normal operating temperature of 2500°F/1370°C. The hot zone is constructed of high-efficiency graphite felt and boards and allows for rapid heat-up and cool-down cycles. In order to achieve desired metallurgical properties for some metals, the furnace is equipped with a 2-bar quenching capability.
The furnace, designed and built by sister company, Solar Manufacturing, is installed in an environmental cleanroom where humidity and temperature remain stable compared to typical heat treat facility conditions. The controlled environmental will allow Solar to more quickly and efficiently process parts providing quick turnaround to customers.
“This new furnace will give us the ability to process a variety of loads we were not competitively able to quote using our larger furnaces,” says Michael Johnson, sales manager at Hermitage. “The Mentor is a great furnace and we’re excited about the heat treating and brazing opportunities that this little workhorse is opening up to us.”
The furnace went online in March 2014 and is expected to run at full capacity before October 2014.
