Custom Graphite Furnace Solutions from AVS, Inc.

When off-the-shelf furnace systems don’t match your needs, Advanced Vacuum Systems (AVS), can supply solutions to your most exacting furnace parameters.

AVS has invested in a entire array of in-house capabilities. Everything from furnace concept design, process engineering, ASME certified welding & controls systems to complete integration is carried out under one roof. This vertical integration offers unmatched control over the quality of our furnace systems and gives us total process control.

Whether it is a graphite furnace or a furnace with refractory metal hot zones, our products are intelligently designed and flawlessly manufactured. That’s precisely how we have managed to consolidate our position as a leading manufacturer of custom furnaces, serving industries worldwide.

Graphite furnace solutions for high temperature applications

No matter how complex your high temperature application, AVS can manufacture leading-edge graphite furnaces using graphite heater elements and felt or rigid graphite board insulation materials.

These furnaces can be used in applications subjected to temperatures up to 3000°C, vacuum levels to 10-6 torr, gas pressures to 3000 psig (200 bar), and hydraulic hot pressing forces greater than 1200 tons. The high temperature furnace range is capable of meeting the most critical gas & atmospheric control your process demands. In applications where graphite elements could pose a risk of contamination or carbon reaction, refractory metal hot zones can be provided.

Our custom furnaces will not only outperform, but also outlast any standard furnace. Read more about our products and services at www.avsinc.com, and we will be glad to take up your next challenge.

Get More Value with a Standard or Custom Vacuum Furnace from AVS

The conventional benefits associated with a vacuum furnace include uniform heating & low part contamination. However, when you use an AVS vacuum furnace, you can expect several benefits over and above the conventional ones.

For instance, our vacuum furnaces allow a myriad of high-temperature process combinations up to 3000°C, high vacuum to 10^-6Torr, partial pressure gas atmospheres in the millitorr or Torr ranges, and positive pressures up to 1 atmosphere (14.7 psig).

AVS is a vacuum and pressure furnace manufacturer with a global reputation& reach. When you approach us for standard or custom furnace requirements, we draw from our 45 years of rich experience in furnace design, engineering, ASME certified welding, controls engineering, and new process comercialization to come up with ingenious solutions.

Here’s where this excellence stems from:

• We boast of in-house capabilities to fabricate graphite hot zones using soft felt or rigid g-board insulation.
• AVS can fabricate metal / metal - ceramic hot zones using stainless steel, Nichrome, Inconel, Molybdenum or Tungsten.
• We strictly conform to ASME codes and other industry directives. Vacuum chambers are manufactured by certified AVS welders inour vertically integrated facility.
• Our impeccable product quality enables us to offer you the only standard 5-year chamber warranty in the industry.

At AVS we stand committed to the safety and efficiency of your process. Partner with us to see how our vacuum furnace can transform the way you carry out processes such as sintering, heat treatment, MIM debind or CVD. You might also like to know that AVS offers a full suite of aftermarket and field services worldwide for both AVS and competitive systems.

For more, please visit our website www.avsinc.com or call +1.978.391.5104

A Decidedly Superior Vacuum Furnace Range from AVS

Heat treating, brazing and sintering processes with zero contamination requirements stand to highly benefit from AVS vacuum furnace offerings. Our furnaces are intelligently engineered to satisfy the stringent temperature and vacuum requirements of our customers. With these vacuum furnace systems, you can achieve a multitude of high temperature combinations up to the range of 3000 degrees centigrade. Additionally, our furnaces designed for high vacuum application to 10-6torr, partial pressure gas atmospheres in the millitorr or torr ranges, and positive pressures up to 1bar.

Having registered a proactive presence in the pressure and vacuum furnace industry for over 45 years, we boast of numerousin-house capabilities that enable us to fabricate graphite hot zones using soft felt or rigid G-board insulation. We also offer non-particulate metal hot zones including stainless steel, nichrome, inconel, molybdenum or tungsten, if so needed.

To ensure quality manufacturing standards that meet or exceed industry requirements, AVS adheres to ASME Code VIII codes in design and fabrication; we are only firm offering a standard 5 year chamber warranty in the industry. Additionally, we give you the assurance of employing only certified AVS welders on your vacuum furnace project. To date, we have fabricated furnaces from mild steel, 304 &316 stainless steels.

While a regular AVS vacuum furnace chamber reports a standard leak rate of 5 microns or less per hour, this figure can be brought down by our engineers to meet your exacting requirements. We can easily combine various condensing, tempering and burn-off systems based on your individual process needs. To understand how AVS can be your trusted partner, please visit www.avsinc.com and we would be glad to talk with you.

AVS Inc.: The Industry Leader in High Temperature Furnace Manufacturing

At AVS, Inc. we are constantly tuned in to the emerging technologies that necessitate newer and smarter furnace parameters. Our high temperature furnace equipment is suited for the most demanding applications. AVS has manufactured custom furnaces for operations such as production of ceramics, purification of graphite and melting quartz.

Our furnaces care capable of providing consistent and precisely controllable temperatures up to 3000°C, vacuum levels to 10-6 torr, gas pressures to 3000 psig (200 bar), hydraulic hot pressing forces greater than 1200 tons, and critical gas atmospheric control. Besides, we can also integrate other crucial features such as differential pressure control, partial pressure sweep gas, CVD, and hydrogen burn-off for high temperature processes with greater efficiency.

We can entirely custom build hot zones for the most complex high temperature furnace applications. A case in point would be our furnaces that have been used for processing specialty materials such as carbides and nitrides. Besides, our furnaces are widely used today for creating silicon carbide, boron carbide and silicon nitride components for industrial, aerospace and military use. AVS custom builds furnaces with both, graphite heater elements or refractory metal hot zones.

Indeed, these are just a few of the attributes that have made us the most respectable name in the high temperature furnace manufacturing industry today. With over four decades of experience in cutting-edge furnace technology, AVS, Inc. is your partner in perfection. For more details about our capabilities and services, please visit www.avsinc.com.

Your Definitive Source for Furnaces and Industrial Autoclave

For over four decades, AVS, Inc. has been manufacturing fully compliant and certified vacuum furnaces and pressure furnaces to customers across the globe. With cutting-edge expertise in furnace design, engineering, ASME certified welding, controls engineering, and integration of fully customized furnace systems, we have been able to keep pace with the evolving requirements of different industry verticals. The AVS blog is an extension of our efforts to keep existing and potential clientele updated about our latest product information, tips and events.

AVS industrial autoclave range is extensively used in industries such as composites manufacturing and metal heat treating. We are fully certified for ASME Section VIII, Division 1, enabling us to weld our own pressure vessels under the most stringent parameters. AVS is almost certainly the only industry player that offers a standard 5 year chamber warranty, and this is a clear reflection of the confidence we have in our products.

When it comes to the safety of an industrial autoclave, our team leaves absolutely nothing to chance. A case in point would be the AVS automatic hydraulic locking rings that securely seal the chamber door for safe, reliable operation under pressure. We can meet your exacting specifications pertaining to convective temperature, product heat and cool at your prescribed rates, vacuum controls, and other criteria.

We encourage you to visit www.avsinc.com to learn more about how our industrial autoclave solutions can complement your business. Let us know about your requirements and an AVS representative will expeditiously be in touch.

AVS, Custom Furnace Manufacturer

To remain the premier provider of custom furnaces in the industry AVS applies more than 40 years of experience as a furnace manufacturer. Hundreds of AVS furnaces sold worldwide include all types of vacuum furnaces, sintering furnaces, HIP furnaces and other high temperature furnaces. Expanded functionality also enables the fabrication of debinding furnaces, hot press furnaces and industrial autoclaves. The mastery of more complex capabilities enables AVS to design, engineer and manufacture of furnaces requiring the most sophisticated of process and furnace controls, such as those necessary for CVD furnaces or MIM furnaces.

AVS Sinter HIPs have been tailored for the specific requirements of tungsten carbide sintering, combining unique capabilities for paraffin or binder removal, pre-sintering and hot isostatic press densification into a single piece of equipment for production of tungsten carbide hard metal products. AVS also provides custom furnaces enabling tungsten carbide manufacturers to recycle tungsten carbide using the zinc reclaim process. AVS zinc reclaim furnaces have the capacity to recover batches of 600# or 1200# of tungsten carbide in a single furnace run. Today these AVS specialty furnaces dominate the tungsten carbide sintering furnace market.

In 2006, AVS acquired exclusive ownership of the Hetherington line of bell style furnaces. These vertical furnaces feature all-metal hot zones with stationary hearths, high vacuum and wet or dry hydrogen capabilities, making them ideal for semiconductor or medical products. Current owners of Hetherington furnaces can get replacement Hetherington components, or have their equipment serviced by AVS. AVS is also the only authorized manufacturer of new Hetherington bell style furnaces.

In addition to designing and building furnaces, AVS offers unique aftermarket and field services, such as furnace control upgrades, furnace retro-fits, refurbishment and other furnace upgrades. AVS also maintains toll furnaces on site to help our customers prove-out or optimize their processes.

New AVS Website

The new AVS website has been launched on January 20, 2012! Check us out at http://avsinc.com/.

AVS to attend ICONSAT 2012 exhibition in India

AVS will attend the International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology from January 20 to 23 in Hyderabad, India. The conference is intended to promote scientific exchange between experts in India and abroad in the area of nanoscience and technology. http://www.iconsat2012.com/

AVS to attend ACerS ICACC 2012

AVS will exhibit at the 36th International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites on January 24 and 25, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida. This conference showcases cutting-edge research and product developments in advanced ceramics, armor ceramics, solid oxide fuel cells, ceramic coatings, bioceramics and more. Be sure to visit AVS at booth 210. http://ceramics.org/meetings/36th-international-conference-and-expo-on-advanced-ceramics-and-composites

AVS Toll Furnaces temporarily unavailable

AVS is creating a dedicated room for our toll furnace equipment. This separate area will isolate the toll furnaces from the main production floor and provide a well-lit, isolated work space for customers to load and unload their products. The three toll furnaces will be powered down and relocated during the next several weeks. AVS expects the furnaces will be again available in February.

Holiday Wishes from AVS Inc.

At this joyous time of year, the entire AVS family extends our warmest holiday wishes to all of our past, present and future customers. Enjoy sharing this special time with your families and friends and may you have a New Year of health, happiness and prosperity.

Toll Furnace Capabilities

AVS offers toll furnace runs or R&D test services to our customers developing new materials or new process development using one of three on-site furnaces. AVS customers often use AVS toll furnaces to prove out a new process or product before purchasing a furnace. Other AVS customers purchase furnace toll runs to supplement small capacity overruns or to maintain some production capacity while their furnace is down for service or maintenance.

• The HIP furnace has a 6? diameter x 12? tall graphite hot zone for temperatures up to 2300°C, vacuum in the millitorr range and/or HIP pressure up to 1500 psig (100 bar). This furnace can be run with many gas types, including nitrogen below 1900°C, or with argon, helium or hydrogen at various pressures.

• The Lab furnace has a 12? diameter x 24? tall graphite hot zone for temperatures up to 1600°C, vacuum in the 10-5 torr range, and flowing or static nitrogen or argon atmospheres up to 760 torr.

• AVS has a Bell-Style (Hetherington) furnace with a 10? diameter x 20? tall molybdenum hot zone for temperatures up to 1600°C, vacuum to the low millitorr range, and flowing or static gases, nitrogen, argon, wet hydrogen or dry hydrogen atmospheres up to 760 torr.

Industries and Applications

AVS furnaces are used for numerous industries and applications. Our customers may be in the medical, aerospace, body and vehicle armor, metallurgical, machine tools, mining and electronics industries. AVS furnaces are used in the production of ceramics, graphite and purified graphite, tungsten carbide, quartz, metal matrix and fiber composites. AVS furnaces have been used for vapor deposition, diffusion bonding, crystal growing, metal casting, directional solidification, densification and vacuum brazing.

Lifetime Support for ACE™

With customer-provided high speed broadband internet access and a fixed IP address, remote access to the ACE™ Control System is available to the customer for anytime access from a desktop, laptop, or smart media device to check the status of the furnace. In addition to data recording, the ACE™ Control System monitors all PLC signals to provide alarms or alerts for safety interlock controls or for scheduled preventative maintenance alerts. The same internet access along with a licensed copy of Microsoft Outlook, enables the ACE™ Control System to also send remote alerts, alarms and notifications via TEXT or E-Mail. Also where electricity consumption is tightly regulated, the ACE™ “SMART” Energy Management System has the ability to limit furnace power consumption using either a static, recipe programmable maximum kW draw, or with customer-provided signal, a dynamic maximum kW draw based on power / demand values.

AVS at Termotech 2011 wrap-up

AVS, Inc. recently participatedin the TERMOTECH 2011 exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil.The event, hosted in the Sao Paulo Exposition Center,was focused on Tubing, Piping, Valves, Steel, Wire & Cable, as well as relevant Manufacturing Equipment. AVS exhibited as part of the Industrial Heating pavilion, along with other furnace manufacturers from the USA and China.

Being the only American manufacturer of Vacuum and Pressure Furnaces at the event, AVS received plenty of attention. A highlight of the exhibition was the 60 persons who signed up attend the AVS presentation on De-bind / Sinter / Hip furnace technology for hard metal manufacture. Overall, AVS generated numerous promising leads and contacts among attendees of this high profile Brazilian exhibition.

ACE™ Data Acquisition and Control System

Customer specifications drive the performance of every AVS furnace. The AVS ACE™ Data Acquisition and Control System allows easy, understandable recipe creation and management. Using Wonderware as the Graphic User Interface, each ACE™ Control System has a custom-configured graphic display, unique to each furnace, and is custom programmed to allow the customer complete recipe control of their most critical process parameters. Continuous data recording of all digital signals allows an AVS customer to chart and record the most important data together in custom combinations for meaningful review of key parameter correlations. Continuous data recording also enables quick access to the run history of the furnace for reference or even live side-by-side comparison of the current run to a benchmark run.

AVS Support

AVS not only supplies furnaces throughout the world, but also offers ongoing technical support to our many customers. An AVS furnace with the ACE™ Data Acquisition and Control System includes lifetime technical support via telephone and internet access via a customer-provided fixed IP address for remote control diagnostics and furnace troubleshooting. AVS also offers on-site furnace inspection, furnace repair, furnace rebuilds, furnace refurbishment, and furnace upgrade installation services. All AVS furnace customers have access to aftermarket replacement parts, spare parts and maintenance services to keep their furnaces up and running. On-site controls upgrades and on-site training are also available.

AVS Code Compliance

To provide custom furnaces throughout the world, AVS maintains code certifications to manufacture pressure vessels to ASME Section VIII div I, PED (European pressure equipment directive), Japanese code, Chinese code, Russian code, and will qualify for others if necessary. AVS adherence to ASME codes allows AVS the confidence to offer the only standard 5 year chamber warranty in the industry. Our furnaces are built for complete safety during operation to meet OSHA, UL, CSA or European CE standards. Every furnace is fully tested and customer-approved at AVS prior to shipment. After installation at the customer site, each furnace is fully tested a second time on-site for final customer approval and commissioning.

What AVS Provides

The variety of AVS furnace equipment includes front-loading horizontal furnaces, top-loading, bottom-loading or bell-style vertical furnaces, vacuum furnaces, vacuum drying ovens, hot press furnaces, autoclaves, sinter HIP furnaces, CVD furnaces, CVI furnaces, Hetherington furnaces, vacuum brazing furnaces, zinc reclaim furnaces and semi-continuous furnace systems. AVS will often customize the arrangement of furnace components to accommodate customers who have limited floor space or overhead clearance in their facilities. AVS also fabricates and provides support equipment to be used in conjunction with furnace systems, including load cart systems, work racks, muffle boxes, retorts, work boxes, hydrogen burn-off systems, scrubber systems, gas control cabinets and gas controls, vacuum pump systems, gas recovery systems, overhead cranes, automatic material transfer, automatic loading and part handling systems.

AVS Capabilities

AVS fabrication capabilities can accommodate furnaces ranging in size from 4” diameter mini furnaces to hot zones 12 feet across and larger. AVS has in-house capabilities to fabricate graphite hot zones or metal hot zones including stainless steel, nichrome, inconel, molybdenum or tungsten. AVS manufactures furnaces for applications involving combinations of high temperatures to 3000°C, high vacuum to 10-6 torr, and gas pressures up to 3000 psig (200 bar). AVS hot presses have ranged from 5 tons to more than 2000 tons of hydraulic force. AVS furnaces are used for processes such as debind, MIM, vacuum sinter, pressure sinter, HIP, CIP, vacuum brazing, diffusion bonding, hydrogen burn-off, reducing, nitriding, induction melting, annealing, gas quench, hot press and vapor deposition. AVS stands alone, willing to build custom furnaces that enable customers to combine several processes for the most advanced, customer confidential applications.