Graphite Machining, Inc. (GMI) in Topton, Pennsylvania, and Solar Manufacturing in Souderton, Pennsylvania, have been cooperating for the past year on the development and testing of a new graphite board material and its application for vacuum furnace hot zones. This new graphite board material has undergone extensive thermal and vacuum testing to prove its improved thermal efficiency and excellent vacuum performance compared to prior or present graphite board designs.
GMI intends to market this new graphite board under the name Heatguard insulation, while Solar Manufacturing will incorporate this new material into its vacuum furnace hot zones under the trade name Hefvac™ (high-efficiency vacuum).
“After extensive testing against our existing and competitive insulating materials, Solar Manufacturing and Graphite Machining combined our respective experience and created this new thermally efficient graphite board insulation material,” said Frank C. Schoch, president of GMI.
Incorporating this new Hefvac™ board insulation, Solar Manufacturing has now developed a proven, more thermally efficient vacuum furnace hot zone design that is capable of achieving faster and better vacuum levels because of the Hefvac™ sealed and low moisture absorption structure.
“I will be giving a presentation at the 2016 FNA (Furnaces North America) show in Nashville, Tennessee, to highlight the testing and comparisons of prior designs to this new board material and to illustrate not only the more thermally efficient aspect of the new material but also the ease and advantage of its use,” said William R. Jones, CEO of the Solar Atmospheres family of companies. “Hefvac™ will be on display at Solar Manufacturing’s Booth #301-303 with a full size hot zone.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: solarmfg.com graphitemachininginc.com
