Hot Zone Repair, Re-build and Retrofit
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The life of a hot zone may vary widely depending on operating conditions. Furnaces that are operated constantly in aggressive environments (eg. sintering) or consistently at temperatures over 1370ºC (2500ºF) may require fairly major hot zone maintenance as often as once per year. Hot zones in furnaces used for standard heat treating operations can be expected to last from 5 to 7 years. READ MORE
VAC AERO Specializes in Custom Designed Vacuum Furnaces
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VAC AERO provides custom furnace designs and process capabilities to suit your specific requirements.
In addition to standard vacuum heat treating and brazing furnaces, VAC AERO also manufactures custom vacuum systems for a wide variety of special processing applications. VAC AERO’s skilled team of engineers works closely with the customer from concept through design, final manufacture and installation. VAC AERO designs and builds standard Gas Quench furnaces for maximum durability, reliability and trouble-free operation and provides an outstanding level of training, field and technical support based on decades of commercial heat treating experience.
VAC AERO Develops New Hybrid Vacuum Furnace Control System
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VAC AERO’s latest advancement in vacuum furnace controls is a hybrid system based on the Honeywell HC 900 controller for mechanical and thermal functions integrated with Honeywell Plantscape Vista for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). Operator interface is provided through a large, colour touchscreen. Using this system, process information is accessible by operators at the furnace and by process engineers via the network. This provides comprehensive control and monitoring capabilities for higher productivity, reduced costs and increased quality.
Click here for more information on our HC 900 Control System
Energy Optimization in the Heat-Treat Department
Savings can be achieved by improving energy efficiency, which reduces the amount of electricity consumed. Savings can also be easily achieved by making slight changes to the timing of this consumption, thereby reducing the peak electricity demand.
Large heat-treating facilities are substantial electricity consumers. Specializing in vacuum heat treating and brazing for aerospace and other high-technology industries, VAC AERO International’s Oakville, Ontario, plant operates more than 24 vacuum, air and controlled-atmosphere furnaces. Included are three very large vacuum oil-quench furnaces, all of which result in substantial electricity consumption. Indeed, the company’s electricity costs have increased by more than 30% in recent years, thereby driving an effort to find lower-cost solutions. by Mark Passalent
Using Thermal Spray for Repair of Service-Damaged Parts
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Thermal spray processes like air plasma spray and High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) are usually thought of as being used primarily for applying protective coatings to new parts. While new part applications do indeed constitute the majority of their use, there are also a wide variety of repair techniques that employ thermal spray processes. VAC AERO has been a leader in developing repairs for aircraft structural components and gas turbine engine parts using thermal spray processes. An example of a structural component repair involves a flap track from a popular turbo-prop aircraft. As the wing flaps of this aircraft are extended and retracted during landing and take-off, rollers run along the surfaces of a series of components known as flap tracks.
Abradable Coatings used for Gas Path Seals in Turbine Engines
By J.E. Pritchard, S. Rush, A. Kiela
VAC AERO International Inc.
Abstract
Application of sacrificial coatings has long been used to reduce rotor-shroud clearances in gas turbine engines. Materials normally used for these coatings include sintered metal-powder segments, sintered metal-fibre segments, metallic honeycomb (filled and unfilled), elastomers and thermally sprayed abradable coatings. Thermally sprayed coatings offer advantages over the other materials, including direct application, easy removal and repair, variety of coating materials and good performance. New abradable thermal spray coating materials have been developed for performance in industrial turbine engines at operating temperatures up to 980ºC. Results are presented from laboratory evaluations of these coatings by burner rig and hot abradability testing.
Abradable Coatings for Gas Path Seals in Turbine Engines
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For maximum fuel efficiency, many gas turbine engine designs depend on sacrificial coatings to tighten internal clearances between moving parts. An extra gap of .005" between the rotating blades and the engine casing can increase fuel consumption by as much as 0.5%. As fuel comprises more than half of direct operating costs, this waste can be significant. Engine efficiency largely depends on close clearance between blades and casing. Clearance can be affected by a number of engine operating variables, including casing expansion and contraction, loading due to maneuvering, thrust, gust, stall, vibration and manufacturing tolerances. An industrial turbine engine manufacturer was experiencing unsatisfactory results with the ring segment coatings used to maintain rotor-shroud clearance. Because of poor abradability, the coatings caused excessive wear on the tips of the turbine blades. The engine manufacturer and VAC AERO agreed to work cooperatively to develop an improved abradable coating for these applications. Read More
VAC AERO Brazes Aluminum for Airborne Electronics
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When joining aluminum for aerospace electronics, brazing often is the most practical choice for creating a continuous all-metal joint interface. Because of its light weight and excellent thermal conductivity, aluminum often is the material of choice for assemblies that house or cool airborne electronics. These complex assemblies often are manufactured from numerous individual components that must be joined. There are many ways to join aluminum including mechanical fastening (screws, rivets, etc.), adhesive bonding, welding and brazing. The selection of a joining process must be based on a careful analysis of the service requirements and the materials involved.
