Hot Pressing, Isostatic Pressing & Diffusion Bonding

Hot Pressing

The uniaxial pressing of a hot component e.g. carbon and ceramic materials, at its sintering temperature by means of a water cooled stainless steel hydraulic ram ensures complete densification of micro-pores, giving greatly enhanced strength and toughness.

Consarc offer a range of Vacuum Hot press furnaces based around the Clamshell (Calmpress) or Bottom loading furnace configurations.

The "Clampress" design concept pioneered by Consarc is employed in uniaxial hot pressing applications. In a "Clampress", the advantages of horizontal and vertical furnace technology have been amalgamated. The "Clampress" offers ease of loading, excellent access to the furnace chamber, excellent use of the pumped volume and general ease of maintenance.

The design of the "Clampress" Diffusion Bonding furnace is entirely flexible. When the furnace is not required for diffusion bonding, the ram and platform assembly may be removed to allow full utilisation of the furnace hot zone for high temperature sintering or other thermal treatmnents.

Hot press furnaces are designed with charge sizes and hydraulic ram capacities to suit individual applications and requirements.

Isostatic Pressing & Diffusion Bonding

Isostatic pressing furnaces, operating with inert gas pressures of up to 60 bar, are generally of a horizontal configuration and feature multiple independently controlled heating zones for optimum temperature control. This process is generally applied to materials such as titanium for aerospace and heat exchanger applications.

In joining or bonding applications, distortion and localised stresses are minimised and inaccessible surfaces can be successfully joined. In addition, due to the vacuum environment, atmosphere sensitive material can be processed without encapsulation, and the high vacuum cleans the surface to be bonded and ensures high integrity joints.

All systems within Consarc’s Diffusion Bonding furnace designs are fully interlocked to minimise hazards for operating personnel, to avoid damage to components and to ensure that process sequence is always maintained.