Arc Melt Furnace ABJ-338

Chamber:

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 chamber temperature below 50°C (120 F) during normal use. The chamber is rated for vacuum to 10-6 Torr (mbar). Access to the furnace for loading and unloading is done by lifting the hinged chamber backwards, which give complete access to the loading area.

One illumination port with halogen light is provided, the port for a pumping system is located on the bottom of the chamber, and a 2″ viewport with swinging eye shield is supplied.  Clamps are provided to seal the chamber and isolate the chamber atmosphere.

The copper water-cooled heart 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 water-cooled power cable supplies power to the stinger, and a ball joint allows the stinger to move easily around the chamber. The stinger tip consists of a 0.25” (6.4 mm) diameter thoriated tungsten rod, for easy arc starting and longevity.

Vacuum System:

A 2 CFM (56  LPM) evacuation pump is offered standard with a manual vacuum valve, which allows the chamber to be evacuated to the 10-1 Torr (mbar) range easily. A vacuum compound gauge allows chamber pressure to be observed. A back-to-atmosphere valve is provided to air release the system. A diffusion or turbo pumping system is available as an option.

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) are located on the chamber to observe chamber pressure.

Water System:

A water inlet and outlet manifold is supplied to distribute water to the various water cooled components such as the main chamber, power cables, chamber base, hearth plate, etc. A water strainer is supplied to prevent larger particles from entering the cooling circuits. A water flow switch is provided to interrupt power in case water flow is interrupted.