Premier Furnace Specialists designed, built and installed an aluminum solution heat-treat system for a manufacturing company located in the eastern U.S. The electrically heated system consists of two 48-inch-diameter x 72-inch-deep pit-mounted furnaces and a quench tank. Each furnace can process two 36-inch-tall stacking baskets holding 3,000 pounds of aluminum castings with an overall capacity of 4,000 pounds. They are capable of heating aluminum product from 250°F to 1100°F while maintaining the customer’s requirement for a tight temperature tolerance of ±10°F at 1100°F.            

The furnaces are fully insulated with a combination of ceramic fiber and firebrick, and they are rated at 150 kW each. The water-based quench system is capable of processing a 4,000-pound load at 160°F inside a stainless steel tank.  Agitation is provided by a large nonferrous prop mounted in a draft tube driven by a motor and VFD. The furnaces also incorporate the latest features in Honeywell temperature control.