Solar Manufacturing Provides Blazing Fast Response To Emergency Hot Zone Rebuild
Solar Manufacturing of Souderton, PA recently shipped a complete rebuild of a large vacuum furnace hot zone with a turn-around time of just one week. The customer, a predominant player in the manufacture of thermal transfer components for the automotive industry, requested Solar Mfg to rebuild a competitor's aging hot zone in order to put their vacuum furnace back in service quickly. The customer's production demands were so great, it was not possible to wait for a traditional new hot zone replacement, which could have taken 8-10 weeks or more.
After awarding the job to Solar Mfg, the customer sent five hot zone ring assemblies to the Souderton, PA facility via overnight delivery. Solar Mfg aggressively began production with the removal of the existing graphite insulation, gas quench nozzles, plenum shields and all related hardware. The support bushings were either replaced or repaired. Then the stripped hot zone rings were cleaned and jacked back to concentricity. New insulation, new element support assemblies, new gas quench nozzles, and new plenum shields were installed. The hot zone was shipped back to the customer in just seven days.
Upon receipt, the newly rebuilt hot zone was installed and the furnace resumed operation with a total down time of less than two weeks. The customer realized a substantial direct cost savings of about 25% compared to a traditional new replacement hot zone. In addition, the customer was spared further costs in the form of lost production time because the hot zone was returned so quickly.
Solar Manufacturing manufactures vacuum heat treating and brazing furnaces and offers replacement hot zones and spare parts for various vacuum furnaces. To learn more about their diverse product line, contact Peter Reh, Vice President of Sales pkr@solarmfg.com or Dennis Hiddemen, Aftermarket Sales Manager, drh@solarmfg.com at 267-384-5040.
More information can also be found at www.solarmfg.com.
