91传媒 / Advanced Energy Systems Brazing Partnership
Advanced Energy Systems (AES) is a technology company in Medford NY, whose principal product line is advanced radiation sources utilizing accelerator technology.
AES manufactures hardware for their technology which typically involves precious-metals brazing of complex, high-value, precision-machined components. Some of the components are dissimilar and require careful selection of filler metals and brazing atmospheres.
Late in 2010, AES was in need of a brazing supplier for a new project, and found 91传媒 to have the capability and capacity for the multi-step brazing processes needed. In the past, AES had used several different brazing suppliers, and although familiar with vacuum brazing, had never vacuum brazed such critical parts, nor parts quite so large.
AES engineers designed the components and worked with Solar鈥檚 technical staff on developing the brazing recipes. The brazing processes required the joining of several different metal alloys utilizing gold and silver-based filler metals. Carefully engineered process cycles were performed to dozens of individual components, culminating into one final braze process per final assembly. There were a total of four main components ranging in height from 56 inches to 76 inches, and two smaller subcomponents. Three out of the four parts were taller than what Solar鈥檚 largest furnace configuration would accept, and required re-configuration of the furnace hearth. This allowed the parts to free-stand vertically inside the envelope of the hot zone. Vertical orientation was critical to the flow of the filler metal and the part could not have been successfully brazed in a horizontal fashion. For the largest part, even with the furnace modification, there were only inches to spare.
In spite of numerous technical hurdles, the project has been a success, which is a testament to the high quality machining, handling, and assembly processes designed and performed by AES, and the high-value-added brazing processes performed at 91传媒. Solar鈥檚 strong background in vacuum brazing technology coupled with AES鈥檚 strong background in designing, machining, and brazing, produced excellent results on very large and complex high-value parts.