L&L Special Furnace Co., Ships Box Furnace to New Pratt & Whitney Facility
Our understanding is that this box furnace is destined for the new Pratt & Whitney facility in Asheville, NC, a location which will feature a brand new heat treating center. This project was announced back in 2020 and the plant is scheduled to open in early 2022.
“L&L Special Furnace Co. has shipped a highly uniform box furnace to a major aerospace manufacturer located in the southeastern United States. The state-of-the-art-facility will be opening soon and be a central part of a new heat-treating center for aerospace and military components. The Model FB666 is a front-loading box furnace with a pneumatic vertical door. Its working dimensions are 60” wide by 60” high by 60” deep. There are a series of castable piers and an alloy grid that supply a very stable work platform for various part sizes and configurations.
The furnace has a high-convection, air-cooled fan for air circulation and excellent uniformity at low temperatures. It was surveyed for performance prior to shipping and obtained certified temperature uniformity of ±10°F from 500°F to 2,000°F. There is also a venturi cooling system to aid in the cooling of the furnace interior along with an external modulating case cooling blower that provides fresh air intake to keep the furnace case temperature low during operation. A manual 2,000lb. loader with rails and incorporated stops allows for the furnace to be easily loaded and unloaded. The loader moves on two low-profile rails and is indexed to the furnace front. Positive stops keep the furnace loader in line and prevent accidental impact with the rear or sides of the furnace.
The furnace is controlled by a Eurotherm program control with overtemperature protection. A 12-channel video recorder and jack panel are included to record all required furnace thermal data. The resistance elements are driven by SSR power controls with biasing for balancing of temperature gradients. There is a stack light that is an audible and visual indicator of current furnace status. The control panel is a modular floor-standing NEMA12 panel with fused disconnect.
Built in accordance with strict customer guidelines for safety, the furnace includes a light shield for operator and furnace interface safety, as well as an access ladder with multiple roof tie-off points for safety latches. It has a secondary shell with a heat shield to ensure very low case temperatures at operating temperatures. The electrical system is completely isolated, with hazardous voltage contained in an enclosure that has a preventive lock for unauthorized access.
Did you like this article? Click here to subscribe to The Monty.