Solar Manufacturing shipped the largest vacuum car-bottom furnace ever manufactured to Baoji Titanium Industry Co. Ltd. in Shaanxi, China. The furnace will be used primarily for the annealing of large CP1 titanium coils. The furnace is a Solar Manufacturing model HCB-120432-2EQ horizontal car-bottom furnace with powered loading systems at both front and back ends of the furnace. Its work zone measures 80 inches wide x 80 inches high x 432 inches long with a gross weight capacity of 150,000 pounds. The hot zone incorporates a Flexshield graphite hot face backed by multiple layers of high-purity graphite felt for operation up to 2250°F.

Curved graphite heating elements provide for rapid and uniform heating with multiple zones of control along the length of the hot zone to ensure uniformity in accordance with AMS 2750D. Dual vacuum pumping systems each consisting of a 35-inch diffusion pump, a 48-inch-high vacuum valve and high-capacity roughing pumps to provide processing in the low 10-5Torr range are also featured. Baoji Titanium is the largest producer of all types of titanium and titanium alloy products in China supplying domestic and international customers in the aerospace, energy, chemical, medical and automotive industries.