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DVUA Selected to Coordinate Power Supply for World’s Largest Vacuum Furnace |
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Solar
Atmospheres, Inc. of Souderton, PA, issued a press release on August
10, 2000, announcing the construction of the world’s largest capacity vacuum
furnace. The facility to house this furnace will be constructed in
Western Pennsylvania, and electric power costs are important in selecting
a site due to the furnace’s electric power demand in of 1.5 megawatts.
Bill Jones, CEO of Solar stated, “Because of the large electrical load,
Solar has retained Jim Watters of Delaware Valley Utility Advisors to coordinate
with potential electric power providers.” DVUA is helping to ensure
that Solar Atmospheres receives the best possible pricing and service for
its electric power needs.
August 10, 2000 The World’s Largest Capacity Vacuum Furnace Ordered Souderton, PA…Solar Atmospheres, Inc. has placed on order a 50,000 lb. capacity, 4’ deep, 6.5’ diameter, horizontal vacuum furnace for operation from ambient to 650F and 10-5 torr with Vacuum Furnace Systems Corp.(VFS). The new furnace will be dual vacuum pumped with two 35” Varian diffusion pumps and two 48” oversized right angle cryo cooled main valves for added vacuum pumping, and backed by dual Stokes 000 cfm fully canned roots blowers. The furnace is of the cold wall type, dual autoclave doors, either end of the furnace of a carbottom design. Heating is via internal formed graphite elements and powered by a “unity power factor,” Magnetic Specialties, Inc.(MSI) power supply rated for 1500 kW. Work cooling is provided by two 300 hp canned radial fan blowers operated over speed to 6000 rpm and controlled from dual variable speed motor drives optimized for use with high velocity helium gas at two atmospheres (2 bar) positive pressure. The furnace order placed with VFS is a combined engineering effort between VFS, lead by Engineering Department Manager Mike Simmermon; Solar Atmospheres; Fabricated Alloy Products, Bob Caldwell, President, the chamber vendor; Millard Fitzgerald, mechanical design engineer responsible for the c arbottom/work handling mechanisms; and Bruce Ruhf, President, of MSI for the overall main electrical power. William R. Jones, CEO of Solar Atmospheres, states the new furnace will be operational in the spring of 001 in a new plant site as yet unnamed, but most probably in Western Pennsylvania. Because of the large electrical load, Solar has retained Jim Watters of Delaware Valley Utility Advisors to coordinate with potential electric power providers. Mr. Jones states, “This is the largest and most prestigious single project of my career with over a $3 million budget.” Market objectives are to service large components and/or heavy, quantity work loads. Specific processes performed are solution heat treating, stress relieving, and brazing. Targeted markets include current or emerging titanium products for use in commercial electric power generation, commercial aircraft, space shuttle, and other related defense needs. The new plant will be equipped with additional vacuum furnace capacity
to service existing commercial heat treating needs and supervised by Bob
Hill, currently Vice president of Heat Treating for Solar. Supervision,
installation, and start up of the new plant site will be by Bob Sandora,
currently Maintenance Manager for Solar.
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