91´«Ã½

91´«Ã½ Lean Manufacturing Advantages

The advantage of matching machined part requirements with heat treating capabilities is critical in the day of Lean Manufacturing.  Outside or commercial heat treating is an excellent alternative when batch size and heat treating requirements can be met by the service provider.

91´«Ã½, located in Eastern and Western Pennsylvania offers numerous vacuum heat treating and brazing options.  Solar offers over 30 vacuum furnaces of various sizes for efficient heat treating and quick turnaround.  With furnaces of varied sizes, Solar is able to match job requirements with furnace capability.  Vacuum heat treating offers the advantage of minimized distortion, bright, clean parts and precise temperature processing.

Furnaces are as small as 12″ for very small parts or jobs.  At the other end of the spectrum are Solar’s largest furnaces with lengths of 8′, 10′, 12′ and 24′.  Recently, a 12 foot long vacuum furnace successfully hardened and tempered 20,000 lbs. of tool steel roll dies.  In between the large and small sizes, Solar offers furnaces from 3 to 6 feet in length.  With the use of fixturing, large loads of various configured machined parts are efficiently processed.  Solar’s plants operate 24/7 to offer the best possible turnaround.

Other capability advantages are state-of-the-art furnaces that include Solar’s Advanced Quenching technology.  Solar’s quenching technology enhances the ability of gas pressure quenching (up to 10 bar) to harden and temper metals.  Specifically, gas pressure quenching cooling rates are enhanced through improved gas velocity.  Materials attain specified hardness, even for small oil quench parts, but with bright finishes and minimized distortion.  Another Solar furnace capability that improves turnaround is double entry furnaces for more efficient unloading and loading.

Solar’s other heat treating options include all metal hot zones, often specified for medical work.  Partial pressure processing enables vacuum heat treating of metals that would outgas during the heat treat cycle, e.g., brass and mu-metal.  Supplementary processes offered by Solar include cryogenic freezing for part stability, vacuum brazing to join metal components and ion nitriding to surface harden wear areas.