Solar Manufacturing recently shipped a large, state-of-the-art vacuum carburizing furnace to a prominent aerospace company known for producing advanced, high-precision components for the global aviation and aerospace engine industry. Headquartered in North America, the company’s aerospace division has been a trusted supplier to the aeroengine sector for decades, with manufacturing operations spanning the globe.

To support the development of a specialized carburizing process, Solar Manufacturing partnered closely with the R&D team at its sister company, Solar Atmospheres, a commercial heat-treating affiliate. Collaborative testing was conducted at Solar Atmospheres’ Technology Center in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where engineers from both organizations worked together to fine-tune the process to meet the customer’s exacting metallurgical specifications.

“This collaboration was invaluable in achieving the desired metallurgical results,” said Rick Jones, Regional Sales Manager at Solar Manufacturing. “The successful process development, supported by the expertise of Solar Atmospheres, gave the customer full confidence in our ability to deliver a high-performance furnace solution.”

The delivered system features a graphite-insulated hot zone measuring 48” wide × 48” high × 60” deep, capable of reaching temperatures up to 2400°F (1370°C). The furnace can accommodate workloads up to 5,000 pounds and includes an internal gas cooling system that provides rapid 2-bar nitrogen quenching, powered by a 100 HP motor with variable frequency drive control.