Solar Atmospheres is bolstering its heat treatment capabilities with a second all-metal hot zone vacuum furnace within the climate-controlled processing area at the company’s Hermitage, Pa., facility. The new system significantly augments Solar Atmospheres’ ability to treat highly sensitive materials such as precipitation-hardened stainless steels, nickel-chrome-based superalloys, titanium, and niobium.

Engineered for precision and performance, the furnace incorporates strategically placed isolation valves, an oversized main valve, a high-capacity diffusion pump, and a polished stainless steel chamber. Together, these features create an ultra-clean processing environment that meets the stringent demands of the medical and aerospace industries, according to Solar Atmospheres. Capable of achieving vacuum levels below 5 x 10^-6 Torr, the system ensures bright contamination-free results.

“The all-metal vacuum furnace plays a critical role in delivering the purest possible processing environment,” said Michael Johnson, Western Pennsylvania sales director at Solar Atmospheres. “This level of cleanliness and control results in pristine end products that meet the most demanding industry standards. We’re proud to partner with the engineers at Solar Manufacturing to bring this advanced technology to fruition.”

Solar Atmospheres is the largest family-owned commercial heat treating company in the United States. Its facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art vacuum furnaces designed for precision heat treatment of metallic medical components, ensuring superior hardness and durability. The vacuum heat-treating process removes oxygen from the furnace, preventing oxidation, which typically occurs when metals are exposed to high temperatures. This environment allows for highly controlled heating at pre-set temperatures ranging from below 900 to 2,450°F.

Solar Atmospheres specializes in the vacuum heat treatment and processing of stainless steels, performing procedures such as annealing, stress relieving, age hardening, hardening and tempering, precipitation hardening, and brazing. This advanced process eliminates the need for additional cleaning or polishing after heat treatment. The company’s expertise extends to heat-treating high-quality materials such as nickel, nickel chromium super alloys, Inconel, nitinol, niobium, elgiloy, cobalt alloys, titanium, and air-hardening tool steels, delivering results across various critical applications.