Solar Atmospheres of Western PA entered a five-year partnering agreement with energy storage company HI-POWER, a Holtec International and Eos Energy Storage joint venture. HI-POWER builds a safe and fully integrated DC storage battery, Znyth, which is especially stable when housed in extreme temperatures, nonflammable and 100% recyclable. One of the critical components within the battery system requires a vacuum cathodic heat-treatment process. This newly developed surface heat-treatment process enables the product to last 5,000 cycles for a 15-year calendar life with no sub-cooling or pumps required.

TAV Vacuum Furnaces of Italy will design, build and ship two horizontal vacuum heat-treatment and brazing furnaces to a manufacturer of aircraft structural components that specializes in spherical bearing solutions. The furnaces have useful dimensions of 600 mm wide x 600 mm high x 900 mm deep (23.5 x 23.5 x 35.5 inches) with a maximum gross charge of 600 kg (1,323 pounds). They have a maximum operating temperature of 2192°F (1200°C). An AMS 2750F-compliant SCADA system provides comprehensive furnace monitoring and control. The configuration of the furnaces enables quick and easy loading of different volumes.

The Mint of Poland, a producer of circulation and collector coins for the National Bank of Poland, purchased a vacuum furnace from SECO/WARWICK. The 250-year-old institution will use the furnace to produce stamps and coins. Equipped with 15-bar high-pressure gas-quenching (HPGQ) capability, this is the second furnace of the same type purchased by the Mint of Poland. The first furnace, which was purchased in 2012, has provided quick hardening for the past eight years in the Mint of Poland’s Warsaw facility.

Ipsen delivered a vacuum furnace specially designed for carburizing and solution nitriding to Vacu Braze, a specialty commercial heat-treating facility in Quakertown, Pa. Vacu Braze uses the furnace to harden steels with Ipsen’s patented SolNit (solution nitriding) process. The SolNit process increases surface hardness and improves resistance against wear, erosion and cavitation. Parts treated in Ipsen’s Turbo²Treater range from surgical instruments to household appliances.

Solar Atmospheres of Western PA successfully vacuum hardened one of the largest aluminum extrusion liners ever produced by Lake Park Tool and Machine in Youngstown, Ohio. The H13 liner measured over 100 inches OAL and weighed a total of 16,000 pounds. The liner was turned on Lake Park’s new large-capacity lathe, which has a maximum diameter of 34 inches and a maximum length of 200 inches. This H13 liner arrived at Solar Atmospheres of Western PA only one month after the large vacuum furnace was installed and started up. The 10-bar furnace, which was built by Solar Manufacturing, is equipped with a hot zone measuring 48 inches wide x 108 inches OAL.

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems designed and commissioned a vacuum oil-quench furnace to an international manufacturer. The batch system, which has an isolated graphite heating chamber, is capable of processing 12-inch-wide x 12-inch-high x 36-inch-long loads weighing up to 500 pounds. It is rated for operation up to 3000°F (1649°C). The modular furnace design gives the company the capability of utilizing the 2-bar gas quench in the heating chamber or transferring through internal doors to the oil-quench module.

Solar Atmospheres of California and Kittyhawk announced a strategic partnership for vacuum heat treating and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) services. Because many parts require both heat treating and HIP, the relationship allows the customer to work with two companies that have extensive experience and a strong reputation within the industry. Solar Atmospheres and Kittyhawk are both Nadcap, ISO 9001 and AS9100 certified, and both companies maintain source approvals for a full line of major aerospace primes.

Italy’s TAV Vacuum Furnaces received an order for two horizontal vacuum heat-treatment furnaces from a leading global energy company. The equipment will be used for the production and maintenance of gas turbine components used to generate power from natural gas. The furnaces have useful dimensions of 48 inches wide x 48 inches high x 72 inches deep with a maximum charge weight of 4,850 pounds and peak operating temperature of 2360°F (1293°C). The equipment’s configuration enables quick and easy loading of different volumes using a customized TAV loading truck.

Solar Manufacturing recently shipped five Mentor vacuum furnaces to a company in the southeast United States that provides products to industries including aerospace and medical. The furnaces include a graphite-insulated hot zone, a load weight capacity of up to 250 pounds and a maximum operating temperature of 2400°F (1315°C). They will be used primarily to sinter and stress relieve stainless steel components.

G-M Enterprises, a Nitrex company, received a multimillion-dollar order from a global manufacturer of metal injection molding (MIM) products for two horizontal vacuum furnaces. These 2-bar sintering furnaces have a work area measuring 36 inches wide x 30 inches high x 84 inches long (900 x 762 x 2,100 mm), a 4,400-pound weight capacity, a maximum operating temperature of 2600°F (1430°C) and uniformity of +/- 10°F (+/- 5.5°C). A multistage debinder trap system designed to thermally extract binder from the parts is integral to the vacuum system. Sintering and debinding occur in a single cycle using a unique system design that is optimized to handle the maximum designed load capacity. Consequently, there is never a need to operate below the rated load capacity to achieve the required part quality.