Thermal Technology received an order for a large tungsten and molybdenum sintering furnace from a Japanese refractory metals producer. The system’s hot zone has a spatial capacity of 25 cubic feet, a weight capacity of 1,500 kilograms (3,307 pounds) and a maximum temperature of 2200°C (3992°F). It can operate in either a pure hydrogen or high-vacuum environment.

Thermal Technology was selected over Japanese and European suppliers due to its ability to meet the large-scale design requirements. The company has designed similar sintering systems for customers in China. Sintering is a method of making objects from powder by heating the material in a sintering furnace below its melting point until its particles adhere to each other.