Chamber
Access to the furnace for loading and unloading is done by lifting the hinged chamber backwards, giving complete access to the loading area, hearth plate and the chamber interior. The chamber is constructed of 304L grade stainless steel and electro-polished for good vacuum integrity and appearance. The chamber is double-walled for water cooling to maintain a cool chamber temperature during operation. The chamber is vacuum rated to 10-6 Torr (mbar).
An illumination port with halogen light is provided on the side, the vacuum port for a pumping system is located on the bottom of the chamber, and a 4″ viewport with swinging eye shield is supplied for operator viewing during operation. Clamps seal the chamber to the base and isolate the chamber atmosphere.
The copper water-cooled hearth plate has cavities to hold melt material. Custom cavity shapes are available at no charge when specified at the time of order.
Electrode stinger
The copper water-cooled stinger with replaceable tungsten electrode provides the tip for the melting arc. A ball joint with gas pressurized bellows allows the stinger to move easily around the chamber and stay in position once released.
Inert gas system with indicating flow control, pressure gauge, and relief valve
Pumping system with roughing pump, vacuum gauge and manual valve
Vacuum System
A 2 CFM (56 LPM) vacuum pump is offered standard with a vacuum valve and a vacuum compound gauge, which allows the chamber to be evacuated to the 10-2 Torr (mbar) range. The vacuum system allows the removal of air/oxygen followed by an inert gas back-fill. This prevents oxidation of the material during heat up and melting. A diffusion or turbo pumping system is available as an option for ultra clean environments.
Gas System
A manual gas valve is supplied to quickly back-fill the chamber to a slightly positive pressure after evacuation and to keep a blanket gas flowing while arc melting. A 2 PSI relief valve will relieve excess gas while maintaining a positive pressure in the chamber. This furnace system was designed to operate in argon, nitrogen, or non-flammable forming gas. The standard positive pressure for operation is .14 kg/cm sq (2 PSIG). A 30/30 compound gauge (30 PSIG x 30 in. Hg) is located on the chamber to observe chamber pressure.
Water System
A water inlet and outlet manifold distributes water to the various furnace components to keep them cool during operation. A water flow switch is provided to interrupt power in case water flow is interrupted.
