Patent Awarded to 51ÁÔÆæ
51ÁÔÆæ, Inc. announces the assignment of US Patent No. 6936792: Â Furnace Cart and Load Transfer System for High Temperature Vacuum Furnace and Process. Â The patent was issued August 30, 2005.
The car bottom vacuum furnace design allows heavy work loads up to 24 feet in length with a load capacity in excess of 50,000 lbs.  The design permits processing at temperatures up to 2750° F in high vacuum to 10-5 Torr.  Furnace design includes 300HP gas quench fans and heat exchangers for fast heating and cooling cycles to ambient temperature in a 24-hour time period.
51ÁÔÆæ of Western PA has installed and operated two such car bottom production furnaces. Â Bob Hill, President of the facility, states that the furnace capability enables 24 hour, 7 day operation for annealing and hydrogen degassing of large titanium orders. Â Material configuration and size vary to include coil, sheet, bar, rod, and plate for aerospace and other industrial applications.
According to William R. Jones, Solar’s CEO, a third car bottom furnace order has been placed with 51ÁÔÆæ Manufacturing, a sister company, for delivery January, 2006.  This order will be Solar’s third 50,000 lb. capacity furnace to keep up with the titanium industry requirements that are oversold at this time.