Process Overview

Vacuum furnaces are manufactured to satisfy each customer’s temperature and vacuum atmosphere requirements. These furnaces are capable of reaching temperatures up to 2500°C, with vacuum performance ranging from partial pressure gas atmospheres to high vacuum environments in the 10⁻⁶ torr range. Vacuum chambers are also capable of handling positive pressures up to 1 atmosphere (14.7 psig), enabling a wide variety of processing capabilities. In-house capabilities include fabrication of graphite hot zones using soft felt or rigid g-board insulation, as well as non-particulate metal hot zones utilizing stainless steel, nichrome, Inconel, molybdenum, or tungsten, based on material compatibility requirements. If needed, temperatures can be managed by multiple-zone heating and control for superior uniformity and product quality. Independently controlling each zone allows for the induction or minimization of thermal gradients in the hot zone, depending on specific process requirements.

Applications

• Heat Treatment of Metals and Alloys
• Vacuum Brazing of Aerospace and Medical Components
• Annealing and Stress Relieving
• Sintering of Ceramics and Powder Metallurgy Parts
• Degassing and Decontamination Processes
• Thermal Processing of High-Purity Materials
• Graphite and Refractory Metal Processing
• Crystal Growth and Semiconductor Material Processing
• Surface Treatment and Diffusion Processes
• Research & Development in Material Science