Solar Atmospheres in Souderton, Pennsylvania, recently commissioned a new vacuum furnace capable of using high-pressure gas quenching at 20-bar (about 300 PSI) to meet demanding cooling rate specifications for the heat treatment of nickel-based superalloys.
The installation represents an investment of more than $2.5 million in support of the aerospace and power generation markets. The vacuum furnace, manufactured by sister company Solar Manufacturing, has a working hot zone of 24” x 24” x 72” deep and uses several unique hot zone design features to increase the quench rate. The furnace is rated for operation to 2,400°F and temperature uniformity plus/minus 10°F.
“Solar has again raised the bar in the design and capabilities of the gas quench vacuum furnace,” said Mike Moyer, Solar’s vice president of sales. “The furnace utilizes a 600-HP cooling motor and fan with a creative gas nozzle design to maximize gas flow as it moves through the hot zone and the heat exchanger and back across the workload. For more than 40 years Solar has continuously improved the design of our furnaces to achieve rapid cooling rate while using gas in lieu of oil or water quench.”
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