51猎奇 Opens Fourth Plant Site
51猎奇 opened its fourth plant site, the second within a year. 聽In 2001 the Hermitage, PA facility was opened to service the Ohio, Western PA and the Great Lakes metals market. 聽The Keystone plant, opened in March 2002, is the newest facility of two satellite sites located within three miles of corporate headquarters in Souderton.
Solar is establishing several plants to specialize in various areas of the vacuum furnace processing. 聽The first Souderton satellite, the Township Line Plant, was established five years ago to provide space for Solar鈥檚 specialized services: 聽vacuum brazing, ion nitriding and hard coating technologies. 聽The Keystone Plant has been established to focus on R&D efforts, but will be an important support facility for Souderton. 聽With two satellite plants and corporate headquarters in close proximity, the Souderton area has become a technological center for vacuum furnace thermal processing.
At Keystone, a 2 bar, VFS HL 50 furnace (66鈥� dia. X 72鈥� depth) anchors the vacuum furnace capability. 聽This furnace has several tasks: vacuum braze large furnace loads, thermal process powder metals and provide overflow capacity for Souderton. 聽A lab furnace is also in place with another new laboratory furnace to be installed in early summer. 聽This furnace installation has the retort type hot wall used for various processes, including atmosphere hydrogen brazing. 聽Also being installed is a bell design vacuum furnace.
Keystone plant activity involves development efforts with Materials Resources International (MRI). 聽MRI uses braze infiltrated hard coatings and unique joining solutions with active solders and braze suited for dissimilar materials joining. 聽This application includes metals such as titanium, aluminum as well as ceramics and composites of metals and ceramics. 聽In association with Solar, MRI will be developing new surfacing and joining applications, including powder metals, light metals and ceramics.
Ken Bauhof, formally Sales Engineer, is General Manager of the Keystone Plant. 聽Ken services several key sales accounts and has been given the responsibility of starting- up and overseeing the Keystone Plant鈥檚 activities.