Refrac Systems

The world’s first 100-ton vacuum hot press with gas fan quench cooling capability for up to a 4,000 pound part has recently been installed and is in operation at a commercial and aerospace diffusion bonding operation in Chandler, Arizona.

Refrac Systems selected Solar Manufacturing, part of the Solar Atmospheres family of companies and based in Souderton, Pennsylvania, to perform the installation and startup of a large 100-ton force vacuum hot press that includes a 2-Bar Gas Fan Quench cooling system (GFQVHP). The furnace hot zone was modified to contain 100-ton on load hydraulic ram centered over the zone which is configured to diffusion bond parts up to 36″ wide x 48″ long x 30″ tall. Besides being specifically designed to diffusion bond large plastic injection molding dies, and concurrently quench hardening them, the system is finding applications in bonding advanced superalloy heat exchangers where the quench cooling offers a significant improvement on performance.

“We really drew on the extensive engineering experience base that Solar Manufacturing has for building large gas fan quench cooled vacuum furnaces coupled with our own vacuum hot pressing experience to build this very unique hot press system,” said Norm Hubele, President of Refrac Systems. “Solar’s engineering team really helped out with a lot of great design ideas and manufacturing experience, and the system really contains the most robust and reliable furnace engineering content that both companies could muster.”

“Norm put together a team of engineers to design and build this state-of-the-art GFQVHP, and it contains many innovations,” said William Jones, CEO of Solar Atmospheres. “Throughout the entire process, Norm personally reviewed all aspects of the design and added considerable insight to the development of this unique vacuum furnace system.”