Solar Manufacturing received an order for a car-bottom-type vacuum heat-treating furnace from a major Chinese aircraft manufacturer. It is expected that the furnace will be used for the processing of various titanium aircraft parts and other related products. The Model HCB-120180-2EQ horizontal furnace incorporates a special motorized in/out front-loading system. Solar is modifying the design of its standard car-bottom loading system to uniquely suit the customer’s needs.

The furnace work zone measures 99 inches wide x 48 inches high x 180 inches long and has a hearth designed to accommodate up to a 15,000-pound workload. The hot zone is an all-metal design incorporating molybdenum/stainless steel shields and molybdenum heating elements with a maximum operating temperature of 1000°C (1832°F). Each of the two vacuum pumping systems will consist of a 35-inch diffusion pump with appropriate roughing and booster pumps to provide vacuum operation in the 10-5Torr range.