Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania will soon welcome a custom-built horizontal 20 bar vacuum furnace (40” wide x 50” deep x 36” high, 3500 max load) to its Hermitage facility. Designed and built by sister company Solar Manufacturing this new furnace is the fastest cooling furnace in the Solar fleet and one of only a few of its kind in the U.S.
The excessive pressure and high speed gas velocities of the 20 bar simulate the benefits of oil quenching. Using inert gas as an alternative to oil minimizes distortion and provides a much cleaner and greener process. Solar can also better serve customers requiring vacuum carburizing by increasing core hardnesses of large cross-sections. This a particular benefit to those in the gear industry. President Bob Hill says that “By adding these unique capabilities of the 20 bar to our resources, we can now effectively process a wider range of materials and assist more customers than we could with our 10 bar furnaces.”
The high-tech furnace was designed with many innovative features to improve cost-efficiency and results including an improved gas-flow system to minimizes pressure drops and a radial heat exchange. State of the technology is incorporated throughout including an interactive touch screen interface and a compact design.
Vacuum heat treating and brazing services provided by Solar Atmospheres produce bright, scale-free parts with minimal distortion. The Hermitage plant, 60 miles North of Pittsburgh, specializes in thermal processing of large, mainly titanium manufacturing parts. This facility houses the world’s largest commercial vacuum furnace (5′ wide x 5′ high x 36′ long work zone—150,000 lb. workload capacity), which uniquely benefits the aerospace industry. With a variety of furnaces processing smaller parts, Solar Atmospheres serves 18 different industries. State of the art services also include carburizing, nitriding, and R&D. Additional plants are located in Fontana, California, and Souderton, Pennsylvania. Go online to [www.solaratm.com].
