VAC AERO will be installing another large vacuum oil quench furnace which will be the fourth such furnace in operation at its Oakville, Ontario Thermal Processing facility. The new furnace is required to accommodate the continuing strong demand for VAC AERO’s vacuum oil quench process. It will be used for vacuum hardening of large aircraft…

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Whenever the door to a vacuum furnace chamber is open, humidity from the air will enter the chamber and condense in a very thin film on the chamber walls or be absorbed into the hot zone materials.

When the chamber is subsequently evacuated (before heating) and the furnace internals are exposed to this lower pressure, “outgassing” of the entrapped moisture will occur. If sufficient moisture has been entrapped (such as in very humid environments), the outgassing effect will slow the pumpdown process and may even give the appearance of a malfunction in the pumping system. Eventually, the outgassed moisture will be pulled out of the chamber by the pumping system and evacuation rates will improve. This same effect will be apparent when oily or contaminated workloads are placed in the furnace. It may be more pronounced in furnaces with graphite-based hot zone insulation materials. READ MORE

This is the third in a series of four articles on Vacuum Furnace Maintenance. (read part 1) / (read part 2)

Request For Quote (RFQ) Form – Vertical Vacuum Furnaces Please use this form to Request a Quote for the following: Bottom-Loading Vacuum Furnace Systems & Controls. Thank you for your interest in our Vacuum Furnace Systems & Controls. Information provided here will be used to prepare a budgetary Quote for your New VAC AERO Vacuum…

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VAC AERO is a leading vacuum furnace manufacturer and metallurgical service provider to aerospace and high-tech industries worldwide. A pioneer in vacuum heat treating since 1959, VAC AERO is one of the world’s largest subcontractors for processing landing gear components for global aerospace prime contractors. Since then VAC AERO has expanded its operations to offer…

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VAC AERO is a leading vacuum furnace manufacturer and metallurgical service provider to aerospace and high-tech industries worldwide. A pioneer in vacuum heat treating since 1959, VAC AERO is one of the world’s largest subcontractors for processing landing gear components for global aerospace prime contractors. Since then VAC AERO has expanded its operations to offer…

Read More

VAC AERO is a leading vacuum furnace manufacturer and metallurgical service provider to aerospace and high-tech industries worldwide. A pioneer in vacuum heat treating since 1959, VAC AERO is one of the world’s largest subcontractors for processing landing gear components for global aerospace prime contractors. Since then VAC AERO has expanded its operations to offer…

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Clean, oxide-free surfaces are essential to achieve sound brazed joints. 

Uniform capillary action will occur only when all grease, oil, dirt and oxides have been removed from both the braze alloy and base metal prior to brazing. The length of time that cleaning remains effective depends on the material involved, atmospheric conditions, storage techniques and the amount of handling that may be involved. It is recommended that brazing be performed as soon as possible after the material has been cleaned. The selection of a cleaning technique depends on the nature of the contaminant, the base metals involved and the joint design. The same cleaning practices used for vacuum heat treating (ie. manual cleaning, vapour degreasing, etc.) are applicable to vacuum brazing. READ MORE

This is the third in a series of four articles on Vacuum Brazing Tecniques. (read part 1) / (read part 2)

Besides catastrophic damage due to mechanical abuse, eutectic melting or braze alloy spillage, vacuum furnace hot zones will deteriorate over time as a result of the repeated thermal cycling to which they are exposed.

The life of a hot zone may vary widely depending on operating conditions. Furnaces that are operated constantly in aggressive environments (eg. sintering) or consistently at temperatures over 1370ºC (2500ºF) may require fairly major hot zone maintenance as often as once per year. Hot zones in furnaces used for standard heat treating operations can be expected to last from 5 to 7 years. READ MORE

Brazing involves the joining of two or more base metal components by melting a thin layer of filler metal into the space between them. 

Bonding results from the intimate contact produced by the dissolution of a small amount of base metal into the filler metal, without melting of the base metal. Brazing differs from welding, in which the joint is formed through melting of the base metal. Brazing is similar to soldering but, by definition, is performed at higher temperatures. In brazing, the filler metal can be placed within the joint as a foil, or placed over the joint in the form of paste or wire. Joint clearances must be very carefully controlled and usually do not exceed .12mm (.005"). Capillary action draws the molten filler metal into the joint and holds it there. The base metal components must be designed to enhance the capillary action. Brazing is a process that has been well adapted to vacuum heating methods. READ MORE

This is the second in a series of four articles on Vacuum Brazing Tecniques. (read part 1)