VACUUM FURNACE HOT-ZONE RELINES

You can unlock significant energy consumption cost savings by refurbishing a furnace hot zone. Vacuum & Atmosphere Services is the UK’s leading specialist for refurbishing and repairing vacuum furnaces including overhauls of hot zones, pumping groups and control systems.

Furnace hot zones are available in all-graphite, all-metal or a combination of both materials. When using graphite, a combination of enhanced materials are used including carbon fibre composite ensuring improved performance and reliability.

The relining and refurbishment of vacuum furnace hot zones using VAS expertise and the most energy efficient materials on offer can bring a major reduction of power usage, improve thermal uniformity and lower a furnaces carbon footprint.

Closer attention to the energy consumption of vacuum furnaces will be required in the future due to environmental drivers such as the EuP (Energy using Products Directive).

OUTSTANDING RELIABILITY

VAS offers a comprehensive range of graphitic hot zones, with all makes and models of vacuum furnaces covered. VAS offer outstanding reliability and energy efficiency operation at temperatures of up to 2400ºC.

Our design philosophy utilises only the highest quality enhanced graphite materials and Carbon Fibre Composites (CFC) which are pre-fired at high temperature to ensure total compatibility to a wide range of metallurgical processes including:

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Vacuum heat treatment
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Vacuum brazing
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Solution heat treatment of single crystal
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Vacuum sintering
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High temperature ceramic sintering
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MIM

Metal hot zones

Metal hot zones allow higher vacuum levels, quicker vacuum pump-down plus a cleaner atmosphere, all for a lower capital outlay when compared to non-metallic hot zones.

VAS supplies a wide range of all metal hot zones, covering all makes and models of vacuum furnaces, using a combination of molybdenum and stainless steel shields.

The systems offer the benefit of low outgassing rates and improved vacuum pump down.

VAS designs are used for a wide variety of metallurgical processes including:

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Metal-ceramic brazing
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Vacuum degassing of ultraclean components
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MIM

Recognised for technical excellence and an all encompassing focus on quality, VAS can offer high quality hot zone refurbishments, working in partnership with our key UK-based suppliers. VAS undertake all hot zone internal constructions, such as graphite, molybdenum and tungsten.

Meeting customer requirements and specifications, VAS also provide additional ancillary items, such as new hot zone frames, hearth assemblies and heater set arrangements, again in various materials.

Our UK-based team of highly skilled engineers undertake the full refurbishment, either on site or at our West Midlands HQ, as well reinstallation, commissioning and testing of the newly refurbished hot zone for customer approval.

Work can also be carried out on existing hot zone cages or alternatively, new cages can also be manufactured to customers specification.

Refurbishing existing hot zones

All materials can be catered for when refurbishing existing hot zones. They include, but are not limited to, the following materials:

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Graphite insulation board long fibre (20mm, 30mm, 40mm in thickness)
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Graphite foil sheet
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Carbon fibre composite sheet or plate
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Molybdenum sheet
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Graphite felt
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Carbon fibre composite elements
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Graphite elements
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Molybdenum elements
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Carbon fibre composite gas deflectors
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Graphite gas deflectors
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Ceramic insulations
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Molybdenum wire
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Graphite hearth assemblies
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Molybdenum hearth assemblies
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Carbon fibre composite angle
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Carbon fibre composite channel
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Molybdenum hanger arrangements (various sizes and lengths)
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Carbon fibre composite washers
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Molybdenum washers
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Carbon fibre composite hanger arrangements
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Molybdenum nuts
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Carbon fibre composite nuts

Please contact VAS for further information