Workhorse® Furnaces

VACUUM/CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE BATCH FURNACE

The basic design comprises of three standard hot zone sizes in four different temperature ranges (1000°C, 1315°C, 1650°C, and 2200°C), with a long list of optional equipment that makes this one of the most versatile custom-designed furnaces available today. The furnace chamber is console-mounted for a compact and highly efficient design and is a "front-loading" design which offers better ergonomics and temperature uniformity compared with vertical top/bottom loaders or round hot zones.

Unlike laboratory or smaller research furnaces, the Workhorse® contains features only found on high-end heat treat furnaces, such as a stainless steel interior vacuum chamber with manual door clamps; heavy duty Molybdenum or Tungsten rod heating elements; and all-metal Tungsten, Molybdenum, or SS radiation shield hot zone for fast heating and cooling, and excellent process cleanliness. You won't find any refractory ceramic insulation or graphite felt/board in this hot zone.

Standard Furnace instrumentation includes a programmable controller with PLC for process control. Name brand vacuum sensors and gauges are available on all systems as well as analog/ digital chart recorders. CVI's "one-button start" control system initiates a complete cycle including pumping, heating, and cooling modes. A full complement of program interlocks and safeties ensures safe and efficient furnace operation and reduces the chance of operator vacuum pumping errors, with our unique "keylock" override design.

The Workhorse® furnace line is available with high-vacuum or low vacuum pumping systems and can include Diffusion pumps, Turbomolecular pumps, or Cryogenic pumping systems, with or without cold traps and refrigerated baffles. A variety of processing environments are available including high/low vacuum and partial and/or positive pressures of Ar, He, and N2 gases, or H2 process gas with our Factory Mutual approved G-10503A gas system.

Variations of the standard Workhorse® design are available for Co-Firing (Series 3560) and Metal Injection Molding (Series 3570). With over 500 units in the field, the Workhorse® design is one of the most proven production designs for heat treating and brazing furnaces worldwide.

Features

Cold Wall Vacuum furnace design with stainless steel inner jacket and outer jackets with baffled water cooling.
No epoxy coated surfaces on chamber interiors results in higher vacuum integrity.
Heavy duty rod elements used instead of thin strip or foil elements which can be easily damaged. Hot zones use a 30° rule to ensure proper radiation on all sides.
Operation to 2600°C with two- or four-sided heating elements in partial pressures from 10^-3 torr up to 1-3 psig positive pressures of Argon, Nitrogen, Helium, and Hydrogen.
PLC with Industrial Programmable Controller or PC system using Intellution™ FIX32 HMI software customized by CVI for vacuum furnaces, with extensive data acquisition; and remote operation capabilities.
High and low vacuum pumping systems including diffusion, cyrogenic, and turbomolecular.
G-10504A Partial Pressure control system (1-1000 microns) available for suppression of low vapor pressure braze compounds, and our G-10503A positive pressure Hydrogen gas system with FM approval.
Graphic control panel shows location of vacuum pumps and system status using indicator lamps, and provides for manual operation of the furnace.
Water cooled power cables for effcient power capacity instead of low cost welding cables.
Integrated water cooling piping with color-coded hoses.
Analog Ammeters and Voltmeters on control cabinet for each leg of the power supply for operator feedback.

Specifications

STD MODEL*	USABLE CU. FT.	EFFECT HOT ZONE WxHxD (in/mm)
I-3024	1 (28)	12 x 12 x 12 (300 x 300 x 300)
II-3040	2 (57)	12 x 12 x 24 (300 x 300 x 610)
III-3056	3 (85)	12 x 12 x 36 (300 x 300 x 913)
4060	4.5 (127)	18 x 18 x24 (457 x 457 x 610)
4860	9 (255)	18 x 24 x 36 (457 x 610 x 914)
5672	16 (453)	24 x 24 x48 (610 x 610 x 1220)

*Custom sizes available upon request.

Options

Optional Features

Manual rotameter or Mass Flow Controllers for precise, repeatable gas flow.
Integrated cooling fans available with or without integral heat exchangers.
CE / VDE / TüV / CSA approvals and other non-U.S. standards for compliance.
Rigid or Flexible water cooled busswork for improved maintenance and best electrical efficiency.
Chambers constructed of stainless steel interiors to provide improved vacuum pumping performance when compared to mild steel epoxy coated chambers. We grind smooth all internal welds, and polish them.
Stainless steel outer jackets available for long furnace life in areas with poor water.
Cylindrical chamber are structurally more sound, avoiding the multiple welds and resultant stresses inherent in a rectangular chamber.
The doors of the chamber are dished for strength thereby avoiding the possibility of warpage.
Integrated water flow indicators/flow switches with low water alarm setpoint for safe operation.