Patent Awarded to 91´«Ã½
91´«Ã½, Inc. announces the assignment of US Patent No. 6936792:  Furnace Cart and Load Transfer System for High Temperature Vacuum Furnace and Process.  The patent was issued August 30, 2005.
The car bottom vacuum furnace design allows heavy work loads up to 24 feet in length with a load capacity in excess of 50,000 lbs.  The design permits processing at temperatures up to 2750° F in high vacuum to 10-5 Torr.  Furnace design includes 300HP gas quench fans and heat exchangers for fast heating and cooling cycles to ambient temperature in a 24-hour time period.
91´«Ã½ of Western PA has installed and operated two such car bottom production furnaces.  Bob Hill, President of the facility, states that the furnace capability enables 24 hour, 7 day operation for annealing and hydrogen degassing of large titanium orders.  Material configuration and size vary to include coil, sheet, bar, rod, and plate for aerospace and other industrial applications.
According to William R. Jones, Solar’s CEO, a third car bottom furnace order has been placed with 91´«Ã½ Manufacturing, a sister company, for delivery January, 2006.  This order will be Solar’s third 50,000 lb. capacity furnace to keep up with the titanium industry requirements that are oversold at this time.