Following up on a story IH reported on May 18, Solar Atmospheres of California (SACA) has completed construction of a new 22,000-square-foot facility situated on 2.5 acres in Fontana, Calif. Previously unreported is the addition of a vacuum brazing room, which is currently under construction and will be able to handle the preparation of parts as long as 24 feet. Vacuum brazing equipment will be installed prior to opening. The facility will also be equipped with air furnaces, cryogenic freezers and hardness testing machines.

As previously reported, five vacuum furnaces will be installed initially – two high-pressure, 10-bar quench furnaces and three 2-bar quench furnaces. The largest furnace will be a 24-foot car-bottom vacuum furnace with two load cars for optimum utilization. Other vacuum furnaces will include a 6-foot furnace, two 4-foot furnaces and a lab furnace. A 10-ton crane spans the entire building, allowing for overhead access to virtually every piece of equipment in the facility. A drive-in bay has been added to the facility to facilitate loading and unloading of large flatbed trucks, and an on-site bulk gas storage facility will supply nitrogen, argon and helium.