The Velocity Gauge enables the gas flow in the batch chamber to be checked during gas quenching.

We live in the real world, and things break down or otherwise drift from factory settings. Patchwork repairs (that all too often become permanent) and temporary fixes are poor substitutes for properly planned and well-executed maintenance activities.

Solar Manufacturing shipped a vacuum furnace for processing additively manufactured parts to a large science and technology laboratory. The lab requires the furnace, which has a maximum temperature of 2400°F (1315°C), to further their research and development work. Built with Solar Manufacturing’s SolarVac Polaris control system and a graphite-insulated hot zone, the furnace is designed to accommodate loads up to 36 inches wide x 36 inches high x 48 inches deep with a maximum weight of 5,000 pounds.

Just as we’ve done in the past with other topics, Industrial Heating will take a look at the most-viewed Vacuum/Surface Treating articles (in terms of page views) on our website. Data was collected for 12 months, from August 2018 to August 2019.

Solar Manufacturing Inc. relocated Souderton, Pa., to Sellersville, Pa. Situated on a combined 8.5 acres just 3 miles from the previous location, the newly constructed $10 million building has 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 17,500 square feet of office space. Solar Manufacturing has the option of adding an extra 22,500 square feet to the manufacturing building in the future.

The use of vacuum technology for carburizing has always shown the most potential for improving the manufacturing process by reducing both processing time and the number of manufacturing steps required to produce a part.

SECO/VACUUM Technologies (SVT), a SECO/WARWICK Group division with headquarters in Meadville, Pa., will supply a dual-chamber vacuum oil-quench furnace to an aerospace equipment manufacturer. The company is bringing its low-pressure carburizing and hardening work in-house. The furnace uses one chamber for vacuum heat treatment and the second chamber for oil quenching.

Many papers have been written on the subject of vacuum furnace leaks, how to detect them and how to find them.

Ipsen USA announced its next Corporate Academy class for training field service engineers, part of a fast-track development strategy to continue increasing technical service capacity in the field. This strategy provides a solution to drive the success of heat treating in the industrial manufacturing space. Participants get 26 weeks of comprehensive classroom knowledge, hands-on troubleshooting experience and on-the-job field training. The goal is that participants leave the program with expertise in servicing and maintaining furnace equipment.

Launched annually on the first Friday in October, and with events continuing throughout the month, Manufacturing (MFG) Day helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders.